matthewmarleyBauer’s new Vapor Hyperlite skate is here – and it comes with some serious expectations from fans of the Hyperlite hockey skate series.
Some pre-launch leaks suggested we’d see upgrades across the skate, from a new tongue design to a completely new holder.
Our brand new Hyperlite 2s landed with us just before launch, and since then, we’ve spent some serious time in them. The question is, do these new Hyperlite skates justify the price tag? Or would your money be better spent tracking down a discounted pair of original Hyperlites?
Read on to find out whether investing in the Vapor Hyperlite 2 is going to be right for you and your game…
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Our test skates
The Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2 skates we received to test are a 9.0 with the FIT2 width/volume profile. A slightly less spacious FIT1 and a wider FIT3 are available though.
Our test skates weighed just 740g, according to our scales. Interestingly, this is 20g heavier than the previous Hyperlite, although we couldn’t feel the difference on the ice.
It’s hard to say exactly where the additional weight comes in – although the additional padding through the tongue is likely to be one slightly heavier but very welcome addition.
When you stand the original Hyperlites and the Hyperlite 2 next to each other, these new Bauer Vapor Hyperlite skates look like the more modestly colored of the two.
Gone is the red that featured heavily on the inside of the original Hyperlite tongue – and this gives a more muted, stealthy look to the skates.
This is a clean, super-modern-looking skate.
First impressions
So, how does it feel straight out of the box and onto the ice? If you’ve read our previous Bauer reviews, you’ll know the size 9 FIT2 profile works virtually perfectly out of the box based on our fairly average shoe size. We jumped straight in, and we were impressed.
It’s something we’ll touch on more later – but, wearing just a single thin sock, the tongue was noticeably more comfortable, which is seriously impressive considering our original Hyperlites have seen plenty of time on the ice.
Straight away, you can tell these are lightweight skates – they’re super responsive. If you’ve skated elite skates or even carbon intermediate hockey skates, you’ll know that this stiff responsiveness sometimes comes at the cost of comfort, but this isn’t the case here.
Bauer seems to have done an excellent job and creating a lighter skate that’s packed with technology to ensure an exceptional balance of comfort and increased energy transfer.
Technical features
Size: 9
Weight: 740g without steel
Heat Mouldable: Yes (Anaform Upper)
Quarter Package: 3D Lasted Carbon Curv Composite
Ankle Padding: Aerofoam Pro
Lining: Lockfit pro liner
Footbed: Lockfit
Outsole: Hyperflex facing and outsole technology
Tongue: Aerolite 2.0
Blade Holder: Bauer Powerfly Holder
Runner: Choose your steel (Fly-X or Fly Ti)
Warranty: 90-Day Skate – 1 Year Holder/Steel
Powerfly Holder
If you’re familiar with Bauer’s elite skates, you’ll have no doubt noticed that there’s a new holder bolted to the bottom of the Hyperlite 2 hockey skates. According to Bauer, this has been completely redesigned around a stiffer front post, a flexible back post, and a ‘hyperbolic’ bridge.
This is really noticeable when you push hard and pivot quickly on the ice. ‘Hyperbolic’ refers to the shape of the bridge – a broad curve that’s been designed to optimize balance and power through your stride. It also helps to reduce any twisting motion (torsional flex) between the flexible back post and the stiff front post, again helping to maintain balance without reducing agility.
It’s worth noting that the Powerfly holder only accepts the new Fly-X or Fly-Ti skate blade – so you won’t be able to use any old steels you’ve got at home. No big deal though; both Fly steels are excellent – so you won’t be looking back.
AeroLite 2.0 Tongue
Like the original AeroLite, the AeroLite 2.0 is still super light and stiff – but Bauer has added a small detail that really improves comfort.
By adding felt panels to each side of the tongue, they’ve increased comfort significantly. In the original Hyperlite skates, there was a neat-looking but pretty unforgiving leather panel where the tongue sits against the top of your foot. It had tough edges that never really seemed to wear in, so it forced you to pad the skate with socks. These new felt panels are an old-school approach to comfort, but they work beautifully.
Aside from comfort, the tongue is every bit as tough as you’d expect. Ultra-premium core materials are as light as a feather without compromising on impact resistance. With this level of comfort and performance, it’s hard to imagine what Bauer could do in the future to further improve this design.
HyperFlex Technology
Carbon is not a user-friendly material in senior hockey skates unless the stiffness it offers is balanced against the kind of flexibility you need to stay agile.
Hyperflex technology in the Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2 means a slightly softer heel which keeps you supported as you push hard into turns. As your foot flexes forward, the new Hyperflex facing is there to support and cushion your stride. These flex points are there to make sure no energy is wasted – and they really deliver.
3D Lasted Carbon Curv Composite
You’ve almost certainly seen Bauer’s 3D Lasted Carbon Curv Composite material talked about before – but what you might not realize is that this is an ever-evolving technology for the company.
Bauer continues to carry out foot scans and has, to-date, mapped out 800,000+ foot shapes in an effort to make sure the molded boot design found on Bauer skates works perfectly for everyone.
In practice, this means a hyper-stiff carbon boot construction with an asymmetrical toe cap – carefully placed flex zones design with power in mind. Straight out of the box, the boot feels excellent – but after baking, it feels like it’s been made specifically for your foot. This eye for details from Bauer means every bit of the energy you put through your legs is transferred onto the ice – offering stiffness and flex only where it’s needed.
Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2 Ice Hockey Skates Review – Final Thoughts
You’ll see comments and reviews saying that the Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2 skate isn’t enough of a leap forward for the Vapor range to justify an upgrade from the original Hyperlites – but we think otherwise.
Building on the excellent 3D Lasted Carbon Curv Composite design, Bauer has listened to elite players and made a series of small adjustments that, in our opinion, make this a far superior skate to its predecessor.
The PowerFly holder gives you additional balance and agility – and the redesigned tongue keeps you comfortable on the ice for longer. Then there’s the flexibility offered by the new Hyperflex technology through the heel and the eyelets – another small but noticeable advantage compared to the original Hyperlite skate.
Is this going to make you a 100% better player? No – probably not – but when you’re looking at buying elite skates like these, you’re already excellent. This is a skate that’s designed to make you that little bit more agile, that little bit more comfortable, and that little bit faster on the ice. When you play at a competitive level, you know it’s these small gains that can make all the difference across all three periods.
