Welcome to my review of the best budget hockey sticks.
Great hockey sticks aren’t always cheap these days, but there are still some quality hockey sticks to be had for reasonable prices.
Here are the best budget hockey sticks in our review. If you decide to purchase a stick we appreciate you using our link to Hockey Monkey. At no extra cost to you we may earn a small commission. It helps keep FTP going!
- Warrior Alpha DX3
- CCM Ribcore 65k
- Bauer Supreme 3S
- Bauer Vapor X900 Lite
- Sherwood Rekker M Black
- CCM Jetspeed 440
Of the six hockey sticks that I’ve reviewed in this article, none of them break $150. These are the best sticks that you can get for outdoor hockey, beer league puck or men’s league. If you are a high school or above hockey players on a budget, you could also get away with one of these sticks as well. However, I’d consider checking out our other article “best overall hockey sticks“.
Best Budget Hockey Sticks
These are the best hockey sticks that you can get for under 200 dollars.
Warrior Alpha DX3
The Warrior Alpha DX3 is the first and best budget hockey stick you can get for 2020. Which may come at as a surprise to some of you, because Warrior isn’t known to beat out top brands such as CCM and Bauer in the hockey stick category.
The Warrior Alpha DX3 is designed for the forward. It has a low kick in the shaft to start off with. This allows for you to get pucks off your stick quickly without sacrificing a ton of power. You are likely to lose some power in your shot compared to say the Bauer Supreme 2S, but you gain a huge advantage in release times.
The Alpha DX3 is also very accurate. To enhance this, Warrior implemented a sabre taper in the lower part of the shaft. What this does is helps stabilize the shot, allowing for clean and consistent motions time and time again. If you are a forward, this is exactly what you are looking for.
The blade features Fuelcore technology. It enhances the overall puck feel. Which allows for cleaner stick handling and puck movement. And we all know where this goes after that… ideally into the back of the net.
And lastly, the Warrior Alpha DX3 is a quality budget hockey stick because it’s durable. It features Minimus Carbon 800 which is designed to last a long time and stay consistent.
Features:
- Low-kick point
- Sabre Taper in the lower shaft
- True 1 Phantom Feel
- Minimus Carbon 800
- Fuelcore technology
- Ergo shaft shape
- Apex Grip
CCM Ribcore 65K
The CCM Ribcore 65k is the second best budget hockey stick. There are a lot of similarities between this stick and the Alpha DX3 above. The big difference here is the price. By going with the 65k, you save yourself roughly $40.
The first big thing to note in this stick is the low kick point. Very similar to the Alpha DX3, this stick is very favorable amongst forwards. Especially if you spend a lot of time in the slot or below the goal line. When you get the chance to put a puck on net, it has to be quick!
It is a little bit heavier in terms of composite hockey sticks, weighing in at 381 Grams. This isn’t extremely heavy, but it’s definitely not a Bauer Flylite lightweight.
To help increase the puck release speed and sensitivity of the puck, the blade is very stiff. This helps push the puck a whole lot faster than previously in the 64k hockey stick. It also has a tactile surface which increases the durability and lifespan of the blade, while also increasing the puck feel.
Overall this is an ideal hockey stick for quick releases and soft puck handling.
Features:
- X-Flow technology
- Enhanced Pop Matrix shaft
- Ascent Blade 2
- C6 blade material
- INT stick geometry
The Bauer Supreme 2S hockey stick was released back in 2018, but it still has many of the same qualities that elite hockey sticks have in 2020. Because was one of Bauer best hockey sticks years ago, this stick was far more expensive than it is now. And because it’s been out for a couple years now, the price has been dramatically cut.
Which opens the doors for those of you that are looking for a high quality and lightweight hockey stick. It only weighs 430 grams.
I would tend to recommend this hockey stick to defensemen as it does have a mid to high kick point in the shaft. What this means is that shots are far more powerful compared to a low kick point hockey stick, but take a little bit more time to load. If you are a forward, typically I would recommend moving towards a low kick point stick.
What makes this stick so powerful is that it has a stiff lower part of the shaft, kick point in the center of the shaft and a soft upper part of the shaft to really generate power for your shot. The blade is also very strong/ stiff which also adds to the power that the Bauer 2S has.
It also has good puck handling abilities. The internal material in the stick is called AeroFoam I. It enhances puck feel while also giving you the soft touch that elite hockey sticks have. And lastly to improve puck feel, this stick is a true one-piece design. What this does is allows for a smooth transformation of energy throughout your hands to the puck.
Which results in cleaner stick handling and shots.
Features:
- HP Mold Process (enhances puck feel)
- Traditional shaft
- 3K carbon fiber increase durability
- MPK Mid-Flex kick point
- Max Balance technology in the blade
- AeroFoam I Core
- 12K carbon fiber in the blade
Bauer Vapor X900 Lite
This is one of the most popular budget hockey sticks on PureHockey. While it isn’t Bauer most elite hockey stick they’ve ever created, this is by far one of the most popular they’ve released for hockey players that can’t quite afford the CCM Jetspeed FT3 Pro prices.
It weighs a total of 437 Grams, pretty lightweight for a hockey stick in this price range. Along with that however, it’s very durable. It features BimaX 3K Carbon fiber which is a strong and reliable material. All hockey sticks have a breaking point at some time, but the Vapor X900 Lite’s isn’t soon. Unless you decide to go “John Cena” and obliterate it.
Probably the most important aspect of this hockey stick is the performance though. It has a low kick point, stabile blade, thin taper, and Aero Foam Core I in the blade for puck feel. Each of those features increase the accuracy or release speed of the shot, creating the ultimate inexpensive hockey stick.
Overall, this is a great value hockey stick. Near elite technology with prices that anyone could afford… it doesn’t really get much better than that.
Features:
- Micro Feel II shaft
- QRT technology
- Pure Shot blade
- Max Balance Technology
- BimaX 3K carbon fiber
- Aero Foam I blade core
Sherwood Rekker M Black
I know that I said the Bauer Vapor X900 Lite is the ultimate value stick, but the Sherwood Rekker M Black hockey stick is a close second. The biggest thing this hockey stick has to offer is a very low kick point. It isn’t able to generate the same power that the sticks above are able to, but the release is very quick.
It’s made for the playmaker, rather than the power shot sniper. This is because the taper and the low kick point really help you move the puck quickly. It also creates a soft feel for the puck, which is exactly what you want for stick handling. And because the kick point is so low, it’s perfect for outdoor hockey as the rinks are usually smaller and more crowded.
You can get the puck off of your stick a whole lot faster than your buddies… It’s also very durable.
The Rekker M Black is made of 12K carbon fibers, and yeah, that it’s. 100% carbon fiber weave hockey stick. Designed for supreme puck feel and long lifespan.
In my opinion, this is one of the best outdoor hockey sticks you can get.
CCM Jetspeed 440
The last and final hockey stick to grace my best budget stick list is the CCM Jetspeed 440. This is CCM’s lowest model of hockey stick in the Jetspeed family, but it’s solid if you need something quick and easy.
It is a little bit heavier compared to other hockey sticks on the market, but it could help you with your shot big time. If you spend a lot of time stick handling and shooting with a heavy stick during the off season, stick handling and shooting with a lightweight stick will make the game of hockey during the regular season so much easier.
But even if you are using this stick as your go-to, it’s just going to make you work a little bit harder than your normally would. But that is to be expected in a hockey stick on a budget.
It does have a mid kick point shaft which is good for generating a lot of power, and shooting from anywhere on the ice. A defensemen might prefer a stick like this over a low kick point stick.
The puck feel of the Jetspeed 440 hockey stick is also solid. It has a dampened core blade which helps players stick handle and shoot with a softer touch.
This is another good outdoor hockey stick.
It’s made of durable material and doesn’t cost very much. Performance-wise, this might not be the best hockey stick, but because the price is so good, it had to make the list.
Best Budget Hockey Stick Conclusion
That will wrap up my review of the top budget hockey sticks. Each stick has different levels of performance and capabilities, but one thing they all have in common is a cheap price tag. If you’re interested, there are plenty of “best hockey stick” articles out there, that cover top of the line sticks, and not just budget friendly options.
Whether you are a high schooler looking for a new stick, to an outdoor hockey junky, I hope this article helped you find what you are looking for!
Thanks for reading!
