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[BigBlueMachine]

Has anyone ever done a comparison of pads based on weight?
Searching around I see some pads description with the weight and lots without. Is it a case of if the pads are light it is seen as a USP and a good idea to mention it. On the flip side does that mean that any pad description without the weight are deemed on the heavy side and could be detrimental to a potential sale, therefore it's better to not publicise it?

I have noticed that IJC have started to weigh the pads they review which I do find helpful.

[Mattsky]

Pad weight is something I've been looking into as well. It seems to be playing a bigger role than it used to; manufacturers are definitely designing pads with an eye on weight, and are highlighting it as a feature. I'd say as a general rule, if it's not mentioned, then it's probably not the lightest pad around. But that won't necessarily mean it's particularly 'heavy'. It still could be a top class pad that uses premium but not necessarily the lightest materials - such as leather or chrome buckles.

Bear in mind that it's not just a pad's dead weight that can affect your movement - its design and the material's ability to shape around your leg are important too. For instance, the material might be lightweight, but might be bulky around the knee - or a pad might flare at the sides a tad and brush against the other pad when you're running, or a pad might not sit well on the foot if it has a too deep or shallow arch.

You can find a good overview of materials used in pads here: http://www.cricketequipmentguide.co.uk/cricket-batting-pads.htm#materials

[ItsJustCricket]

Yes, we have noticed that anything under about 900g per pad is what we consider lightweight, especially if it's a traditional style pad.  We get asked about it a lot, so have even started to put the weights up on our website, like here:

http://www.itsjustcricket.co.uk/cricket-batting-pads-c7/spartan-svr-batting-pads-p919
http://www.itsjustcricket.co.uk/cricket-batting-pads-c7/senior-batting-pads-c23/kookaburra-bubble-legend-batting-pads-p849

Never afraid to get the scales out (off camera or on!) so please feel free to get in touch if you want to know the weights of any other pads...

[tim2000s]

And if you want further guidance, there is a wealth of information here:

http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=7702.msg434030#msg434030

[BigBlueMachine]

Cheers Paul. I noticed that the H4L NV pads come in at 960g, would these be classed as on the heavy side? However presumably they offer greater protection. How do they compare to similar level of protection pads?

Tim, thanks for the link, just what I was looking for. Having read that thread it has occurred to me that I wouldn't buy a set of pads because they are the lightest on the market, however say there were 2 or 3 pads with similar protection values then the deciding factor could possibly be the weight. I didn't like a lot of the ultra light pads, I'm more of a traditional pad guy and like to have cane which will add to the weight. But like I say I think there is still value for having the weight (even if it cannot compete with the ultra lights) which can be used to compare like for like pads.

[ItsJustCricket]

Cheers Paul. I noticed that the H4L NV pads come in at 960g, would these be classed as on the heavy side? However presumably they offer greater protection. How do they compare to similar level of protection pads?

Tim, thanks for the link, just what I was looking for. Having read that thread it has occurred to me that I wouldn't buy a set of pads because they are the lightest on the market, however say there were 2 or 3 pads with similar protection values then the deciding factor could possibly be the weight. I didn't like a lot of the ultra light pads, I'm more of a traditional pad guy and like to have cane which will add to the weight. But like I say I think there is still value for having the weight (even if it cannot compete with the ultra lights) which can be used to compare like for like pads.

I think the H4L NV pads are incredibly good in every other aspect, especially protection, with the weight being the only (slight) negative.  That being said, 960g is far from heavy for a pad of that style.  There are just lighter options out there.  Really curious to find out the weight of these pads, but have been too busy recently to check! http://www.itsjustcricket.co.uk/cricket-batting-pads-c7/senior-batting-pads-c23/newbery-sps-batting-pads-p958