Grow the Game®

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on reddit
Share on whatsapp

412/LAS Gear Review: Harrow Lacrosse Explosion

Editor’s note: Noah Hilsgen has a full review on the Harrow Torrent Gloves, the Harrow Syncro Gloves and their Adavanced I-Beam Shaft.  It’s all part of the LAS/412 Gear Review Series where we honestly review equipment so that our readers will know whether or not to buy it.  9.0s and 9.5s are rare.  10.0s would be reserved for something like first offset head ever.  TOTAL game changers.  If a company is scoring above a 7.5 on a product, it’s a BIG compliment!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few weeks back, I did a review for a Harrow K85 backpack. I had mentioned that there was quite a bit of other gear to review as well, and here it is.  All of it in the Harrow motif of pure Lax-y goodness!  Harrow is used by a small number of NCAA teams, but a lot of MCLA teams and High School teams, especially out West, use their gear.  As an East Coast MCLA laxer, it’s great to be able to check out the gear that a lot of the rest of the country uses!

Harrow Torrent Lacrosse Gloves

Harrow Torrent Lacrosse Gloves

The Torrent Gloves are Harrow’s most popular glove, and last year it was their top of the line model.  And I can see why so many teams are wearing them.  These gloves are arguably the most comfortable pair of gloves I’ve put my hands into. The padding is thick, but flexible. I don’t feel as though my movement is restricted by the padding, as I have in other gloves, but I also feel that my hand is properly protected.  I could feel this flexibility quickly, and break-in time was really quite minimal.

The gloves also offer two vents on the backhand, which has seemingly become the norm in modern lacrosse gloves. The leather in the palms feels fairly reliable, and not like it will wear out after a single season’s use.  There also isn’t any mesh on the palm at all, and I’m a big fan of this.  I had a pair with mesh palms like that, and it was the first thing on the glove that wore out.

Another thing I like about the Harrow gloves is that the company offers two different tiers of customization.  Local customization offers you a stock glove with your teams logo/numbers embroidered on it.  And for a little extra, you can get full customization, which allows you to change every aspect of the glove.  THAT is impressive.  Do what you want.  Great for gear heads.

The price of Torrent gloves is $119.00 and they come in 8 different stock colors (Red, White, Navy, Black, Forest, Purple, Carolina, Maroon). This is a little bit lower than your usual mid-top tier glove, so Harrow gains a few points on that one.  Affordability is key, especially for teams that also pay dues.  Further reason for their popularity in the MCLA!

Overall, I’d score the Torrent glove at a 8.5/10. It’s a great glove with great mobility, and it’s relatively affordable. Definitely recommend giving them a shot.

Harrow Syncro Lacrosse Glove

The guys at Harrow also sent me a pair of the Syncro gloves. The Syncro line is their top of the line glove this year.  The ones they sent over were Goalie models, so I also got to see how Harrow takes care of the keepers out there.

I wasn’t quite as impressed with the Syncros as I was with the Torrents. I feel like they are a little bit stiffer with what kind of seemed to be the same amount of padding. There also seems to be less ventilation on the backhand, and they use pretty much the same palm as the Torrent.  And the visual design of the glove is also quite similar.  It’s almost like a next generation Torrent glove.

The comfort level is exactly the same as the Torrents. Unfortunately, they really just don’t feel like that much of an upgrade to me, which I sort of expected.  The padding does seem a little more substantial, and they do break in over time, which helps.

I do like the overall updated look of them better than the Torrents, but right now, Harrow only offers 3 stock colors (Black, Red, Blue). However, for the all-important team orders, Harrow DOES offer the same level of customization as the Torrents!  This was a good move by Harrow, and when you consider that the price point is still quite reasonable, a lot of MCLA teams could end up in these next year.

I feel like everything I wrote about the Torrent gloves, I could write again for the Syncro.  One obvious difference between the two pairs I received was that the Syncros were a goalie model.  The thumb was still pretty flexible, despite having all of the added protection, but the level of protection wasn’t over the top.  A lot of goalies out there add their own additional padding to gloves, especially if they have broken a thumb before, so the smaller amount of padding here does allow keepers to modify their gloves at will.  And that’s a positive.   Granted, I don’t have too much experience with goalie gloves, so it may have a similar level as other gloves. I did like that my thumb was still pretty mobile, though. Wall ball was no problem.

Price point for the Syncro is right at $145.00. Not bad at all for a top of the line glove, considering other companies sell theirs at closer to $200.

Overall, I’d give the Syncro a rating of 8.0/10. It feels so much like the Torrent glove (which I guess is a good thing), that it isn’t a HUGE upgrade, and it is a little stiffer, but other than that, I do love the Syncro glove.  Another very solid product from Harrow.

Advanced I-beam Lacrosse Shaft

Harrow also sent me one of their advanced I-beam shafts. Never have I been more impressed with a shaft. It’s incredibly light and there’s a lot of flex to it. I have no clue how it holds up to a check, but from just beating it around a bit and getting my daily wall ball session in, it looks like it will hold up nicely.  Plus it’s bright yellow, which is pretty legit.

Closer to the top of the shaft is a slight taper, making the shaft smaller and giving you a nice place to put your top hand.  This is also a nice flex point in the shaft and when you crank it, you can feel the shaft “snap” back a little bit on the finish.  Feel the power!

Price of the Advanced I-beam is at $90, which is right in line with other companies top shafts. It’s only offered in the Attack/Middie size, which, as a pole, is a little disappointing.  I guess I’ll just have to give one of their longpoles a go next time!  This graphite shaft comes in 4 colors (Black, Blue, Red, Yellow) and it really does have different feel from that of a tubular metal shaft.  You almost have to experience it for yourself.

Overall, I love this shaft. It’s super light, and instantly became my top short stick. I’d give the I-beam a 9.0/10. It’s going to take a lot for me to switch from this stick, the price is right and the different feel it has from a conventional shaft has made me a believer.  We don’t really give out 9.0s around here very often, so yes, this was something special.