Warrior Ritual X2 Knee Pads: Explaining the Differences

In 2019, Warrior introduced their new line of protective gear along side the Ritual GT2’s release, with that release came the Ritual X2 line of Knee Pads. First looking at this line you might not see any major differences between the three models purely based on the appearance but diving further in to it, you will find out what exactly separates the top Pro + model from the standard Senior Knee Pad. Below are the three Warrior knee pad models, starting with the Ritual X2 Senior on the left, followed by the X2 Pro in the middle, and finally the X2 Pro+ on the right .

On the Ritual X2 line, Warrior increased their build design from the Ritual X that was released in 2016. Back then, Warrior had only offered two separate knee pads in the form of the Riutal X Senior and the Ritual X Pro which allowed the goalie to pick between either a three piece design on the X Senior, or a four piece design on the X Pro’s along with the higher quality protection offered in pro level gear. This year, Warrior added a whole new option with Ritual X2 Pro+ that comes as the highest point of protection in any knee pad they have to offer in 2019.

As the bottom model of the three knee pads, the Ritual X2 Senior has the same build as the knee pads that will come stock with the Warrior Ritual GT2 Leg Pads. Even though this is the lowest model available, the protection does not reflect it being a ‘low” end model. The key specs of the X2 Senior come with the narrow profile and the three piece construction that work together to create a mobile knee pad that the goaltender will hardly notice during play.

To elaborate on the three piece construction of the Warrior Ritual X2 Senior, the lower portion has an elastic band that will sit on top of the goalie’s knee along with a small extension up top that bends with the knee for another layer of protection to the knee cap. The rest of this pad provides a soft landing area for the goaltender along with added protection on either side of the knee. On top is the thigh portion that straps on around the quad and lower thigh of the goaltender and serves the purpose of protecting the goalie from the odd thigh shot they might encounter. The final piece of the Ritual X2 sits over the middle as a knee plate to protect the knee cap directly and is designed to hinge with the goalie when down in a stance or in the butterfly. Internally, a no slip design keeps the goalie locked in to the knee pad, helping to prevent the goalie from having to figure out the common problem in some knee pads of having the knee pad stay up. This knee pad is great for any age of goaltender with having available sizing’s at the junior, intermediate, and senior levels.

Moving on as the middle level of knee pad, the Ritual 2X Pro is a lot like the Ritual X2 Senior but has key upgrades to separate it and make it the higher end knee pad. Starting off with the similarities, the same narrow profile is implemented to give a similar feel and fit as the Senior model along with the no slip material on the inside liner. On the differences, Warrior used shock absorbing materials on the landing area to create an even softer landing, reducing stress on the goalie’s knee. This model also comes as a four piece design that includes an added pad over the knee cap that covers a larger area for superior protection. Overall, the Ritual X2 Pro is an upgraded version of the X2 Senior and will work great for any goaltender looking for extra protection along with a softer landing to reduce stress on their knee’s.

Finally, the top level of knee pad steps up the protection level another couple notches to separate from the Pro level. Starting again with the similarities, the no slip liner is featured throughout the knee pad as well as the four piece construction. As for the differences, the Warrior Ritual X2 Pro+ features a wide profile that some goalie’s may prefer over the narrow profile of the Pro and Senior models. A wide profile allows the goaltender to fill out the knee cradle a little more and give the goaltender a wider base of protection naturally. Protection wise, the knee lander is further improved with an optimized shock absorbing landing area to remove even more stress on the goaltender’s knee. Over top, HyperComp is used in the knee plate to provide heavy duty protection over the knee pad and give the goaltender the highest level of protection Warrior has to offer in a knee pad.

Every single one of the Warrior Ritual X2 Knee Pads has features for every level of goaltender. The X2 Senior offers great protection that can be purchased for any age of goaltender and has great mobility, as compared to the X2 Pro that increases the level of padding for a senior sized goaltender playing at a high adult A level or lower level college. The X2 Pro+ provides the best protection and is truly made for a “Pro” level of goaltender but could be purchased by any goaltender who might be looking for the wide profile the Pro+ offers.

Shop all of the Warrior knee pads now at GoalieMonkey.com!

This article was originally published on May 29, 2020, and has been updated with new information.