STX Surgeon 500 Hockey Gloves Review

It wasn’t long ago that STX eagerly jumped into the hockey market by launching two tremendous top-end sticks. Almost a year later, they followed that up with the launch of their first two lines of protective equipment, beginning with top-end gloves. Our friends over at STX sent us both their Surgeon 500 and Stallion 500 gloves for review. I had the opportunity to use the Surgeon 500 gloves for a couple months to review, and you can find my thoughts below. Our review of the Stallion 500 gloves can be found here.

Specs: STX Surgeon 500 gloves, Red/White, Size 13″

Modifications: None

Appearance and Design:

The folks at STX sent me the red/white version of their Surgeon 500 gloves, and when I initially opened the packaging I was incredibly surprised with how saturated the coloring was. The red just pops, and the white accenting perfectly compliments the robust red.

STX clearly developed these gloves with the intention of competing with the big guns in the industry, as is evident by the thoughtful design and quality of the gloves. The STX name is prominently featured on the top of the cuff of the gloves in a double layer stitch of white outlined by red, and additional branding is stitched throughout, helping to give these gloves a high end look. There are also numerous subtle design elements that really tie these gloves together in a thoughtful, visually appealing manner.

According to the STX website, the Surgeon 500 gloves are “designed for the precision player seeking the next generation of responsiveness.” A large part of this claim is the inclusion of STX’s PUREFORM technology—a system of hockey-specific technologies designed to connect players with their equipment through advanced articulation, retention and comfort. The gloves also feature a progressive combination of anatomical and tapered profiles, as well as an anatomical back-of-hand for amplified control and a tapered cuff opening intended to increase a player’s range of motion. They also offer STX’s trademarked M2 Knuckle, which maximizes the range of motion resulting in increased finger dexterity, and a Cable-Flex Thumb to give players improved control and protection.

Fit and Feel: 

When I first pulled these gloves out of the box, I honestly thought STX sent me the wrong size. But, sure enough, they sent me the 13″ gloves I requested. So take note: these gloves run small. I highly recommend trying them on before purchasing, especially if you like larger or looser fitting gloves. Like most gloves, the Surgeon 500’s did loosen up some the more I used them and broke them in, but the overall fit was still very snug.

There are two things I absolutely loved about the Surgeon’s: their dexterity and the feel for my stick and the puck they provided. From a dexterity perspective, I had high hopes since STX manufactures some of the leading lacrosse gloves, which provide a high level of movement—and the Surgeon 500’s did not disappoint. Much like the Stallion 500 gloves, the Surgeon 500’s use three piece index, middle and ring fingers, while the pinky is a two-piece. I’m a big fan of a greater level of movement in your fingers without sacrificing protection, and the STX Surgeon gloves strike a fine balance in that regard.

I also mentioned the feel for my stick and, subsequently, the puck. In my opinion, this is where the Surgeon 500 gloves excel. I was very happy with how the gloves performed in this regard. It was one of those instances where I don’t think I knew what I was missing until I slipped these puppies on my hands. I’ve used high end gloves from a handful of other manufacturers, and they all have their strong points, but the STX Surgeon 500 gloves may rank the best in this area. With the PUREFORM technology, I just felt better connected to the stick in my hands and, by extension, the puck.

My only other complaint about the gloves was how warm my hands got while using them. I think some lacking ventilation in the palms, coupled with the tight-fitting design, worked to hold heat a little more than normal. Now, if you’re an ice hockey player who constantly has cold hands, this will likely be less of an issue. With the slim fitting design, it’s also important to remember that this might not be as much of an issue with a larger pair of gloves.

Durability and Protection:

While the palms of the gloves offer minimal ventilation, this seems to help improve the durability of the palms by providing fewer area for rips and tears to occur. After several hours of usage, the palms still look like new and are in great shape. There aren’t even any fabric pills, which I’ve run into with other top-end model gloves after a few uses. One small area of stitching has started to pull loose on the inside of the cuff—which is always a concern when there is heavy stitch work involved—but nothing that some scissors can’t handle. Plus, I’m happy to conduct some very minor stitching repairs because the stitching throughout the glove really gives the Surgeon 500 gloves such a great look.

In terms of protection, I’m very happy with how these gloves perform. I wouldn’t say they offer additional protection over any of the top-tier gloves from other manufacturers, but they are sure on the same level. Overall, I’m impressed with the level of protection provided while still offering a high degree of dexterity throughout the fingers and thumb.