Bauer Vapor 1X gloves are the most popular gloves in the NHL.

That’s not exactly news.  Last season, the Vapor 1X was also the most popular glove in the league. This year four versions of Bauer Vapor gloves are on the list, with the Vapor 1X again leading the way.

Actually, when it comes to appendages, Bauer 1X is apparently the way to go. Vapor 1X skates have carved out a 32.5 percent share of the NHL market, according to the equipment trackers at GearGeek.

The numbers for Vapor 1X gloves are slightly more modest. But, in the most competitive gear segment in pro hockey — there are 40 different glove models currently being used in the NHL, compared to 32 stick models, 23 skate models and 18 helmet models —  Bauer Vapor 1X gloves hold a market share roughly double that of their nearest competitors.

More than 18 percent of the league’s players wear Bauer Vapor gloves.

Hand It to These Guys

Who wears Bauer 1X? Well, Jamie Benn and his $13,000,000 salary, for one. And the Dallas captain, two-time all-star and 2014-15 NHL points leader is hardly alone.

Goals Guys: Patrik Laine was No. 2 in the league with 44 goals last season at age 19. The Winnipeg winger bumped that up from 36 in his rookie season. Tyler Seguin scored 40 goals, giving the Dallas center an average of 34.6 goals per season over the last five. Both wear Bauer Vapor gloves.

Trophy Handlers: New Jersey’s Taylor Hall had 39 goals, a career high, and added career highs in assists (54) and points (93) en route to becoming the  first New Jersey player to win the Hart Trophy as the league MVP in 2017-18. Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman, a great offensive defenseman, won the  ’17-18 Norris Trophy in his second straight season as a finalist. T.J. Oshie, a solid third option in Washington for years, was among the first Capitals to carry the Stanley Cup they won last season. All wear Vapor 1X.

Work Gloves: Bauer 1X gloves must be comfortable, because St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo wears them and he’s had an average ice time per game of more than 25 minutes for each of the past six seasons. The Vapor 1X must come off easily, because Zack Kassian wears them and he’s averaged 102 penalty minutes per season over three years in Edmonton.

Two Nikitas: Nikita Kuckerov and Nikita Zadorov couldn’t be more different on the ice. The former, a winger, was a 100-point scorer last season for Tampa Bay. The latter, a defenseman, had 103 penalty minutes for Colorado. But both Russian-born players wear Bauer 1X.

He’s No. 1: Hockey’s future apparently likes Vapor 1X, as well. Rasmus Dahlin, the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft by the Buffalo Sabres, billed as the Swedish Bobby Orr, wears Bauer 1X as well.

Get a Grip

Why do so many players choose Bauer Vapor 1X gloves?

Likely, it is the Bauer 1X’s combination of mobility and protection.

The Vapor 1X is Bauer’s flagship taper fit glove. Its design, with a wide fit in the cuff and standard fingers, offers control while maximizing wrist mobility.

Triple-density foam (in other words, three layers of varying densities) make up the impact management system. The combination produces a lightweight glove that offers superior protections while maintaining comfort.

Bauer’s own 37.5 Fabric lines the Vapor 1X. The material’s drying properties — Bauer says it is the fastest-drying fabric in hockey — help keep  that familiar sweat stink from settling into your hockey gloves.

A two-piece segmented locking thumb allows a more controlled grip while providing protection against backward bending. Other control-minded features are a double-segmented index finger and what Bauer calls its AX Suede Quattro Grip palm, which adds a large wear patch in the palm where holes usually begin and smaller grip patches near the base of the fingers.

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