A splint, and whether it goes under a glove

Wrist guards for snowboarding, compared

A wrist guard is bought for one movement: the hand that goes down flat behind a falling snowboarder. What separates the shelf is the splint — a rigid stay that stops the wrist bending back. The corpus shows guards with a single palm stay, guards with three metal splints, and a great many wrist supports sold for carpal tunnel and the gym under the same word, which are a different product with a different purpose. The second thing is where the guard sits relative to the glove. A thin under-glove guard disappears once the glove is on and can be worn all day; an over-glove guard is bulkier, easier to fit and easier to remove, and it will not go inside a tight glove. A snowboard glove with a built-in splint is the third option and it is a glove purchase, not this one. The closure decides how much it can be tightened — one strap or two, and a strap that crosses the palm holds the splint against the hand rather than the sleeve. Sizing is by wrist circumference or S/M/L, and a guard that turns on the arm is a guard doing nothing. Prices run from 10 € to 54 €, a five-fold spread on a very simple object. Nothing here is described as making a fall safe: this page reports the construction each maker publishes and what they state it addresses, and the rest belongs to the instructions in the packet. We compare splint, worn, closure, sizing, material, pack and stated purpose.

Every accessory here, figure by figure

1. 

   Wilgure MHADBKH

   The cheapest guard here, built in three layers — and the listing never mentions a splint.

   Splint

   Not mentioned; the guard is described as polyester, sponge and rubber strips

   Worn

   Not published

   Closure

   Adjustable straps

   Sizing

   Not published

   Material

   Breathable polyester fabric, sponge and rubber strips; abrasion-resistant

   Pack

   Not published

   Stated purpose

   Skateboard, ice hockey, skating, skiing, rollerblading

   Amazon reference

   B0FZ4GY26T (one reference across 4 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   7675456525792

   • The lowest price on this shelf at 9.63 € in Germany
   • Describes its construction in layers — polyester, sponge, rubber strips — rather than as "padded"
   • No splint mentioned anywhere, on the shelf where the splint is the thing that separates products

   Best for: A skatepark or a rink, where the guard goes over a bare hand

   ≈ €10

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2. 

   Bodyprox BP-WristGuards-2Pk

   Sold under the same word as the rest of this shelf, and described from end to end as a support for pain and sprains.

   Splint

   None mentioned

   Worn

   Wrapped round the wrist, with a thumb loop

   Closure

   Hook-and-loop, adjustable for compression strength

   Sizing

   One size, stated to fit most; the wrap measures 33 cm

   Material

   Neoprene, nylon and polyester, perforated for breathability

   Pack

   Two, one for each hand

   Stated purpose

   Compression and support for weak or injured wrists; the title also names snowboarding, skateboarding and inline skating

   Amazon reference

   B08RYDV9SN (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0687939101000

   • Publishes a dimension — a 33 cm wrap — which four of the six listings here do not
   • A thumb loop, which is what stops a wrap rotating on the arm
   • Every one of its four bullet points is about pain, sprains, compression and recovery — not about impact

   Best for: A wrist that already hurts, rather than one that might hit the snow

   ≈ $20 / £18 / €20

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3. 

   K2 Performance Wrist Guard, L

   Hard caps over a Coolmax lining, with D-ring straps and reflective stitching — and the size table is in the photographs.

   Splint

   Hard, robust plastic caps against impact and abrasion; no splint length published

   Worn

   Not published

   Closure

   Long, easily adjusted elastic straps with D-rings

   Sizing

   Size L as read; the measuring table is in the maker’s images and description

   Material

   Breathable abrasion-resistant mesh padding with a moisture-wicking Coolmax lining

   Pack

   One pair

   Stated purpose

   Inline skating

   Amazon reference

   B082FHZ4L3 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0886745856894

   • Hard plastic caps, stated — one of only two listings here with any rigid part named
   • A named lining material, Coolmax, and reflective stitching for visibility
   • The sizing table is in the images, not in the text, so it cannot be read before opening the listing

   Best for: Inline skating, and a snowboarder willing to buy a skate guard for the same fall

   ≈ £13 / €13

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4. 

   CTHOPER kp016

   The only guard on the shelf that publishes a size table, and it measures palms in inches.

   Splint

   Not named; described as sturdy protective padding for the hand and wrist

   Worn

   Over the hand, with the thumb and fingers left free

   Closure

   Hook-and-loop straps, adjustable

   Sizing

   By palm width: S 2.2–2.75 in, M 2.95–3.54 in, L 3.74–4.13 in

   Material

   Not published

   Pack

   Two pieces — one left, one right

   Stated purpose

   Ice skating, roller skating, snowboard, skating, skateboard, skiing, motocross, road racing, mountain biking and rope climbing

   Amazon reference

   B08GK7YT5B (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   8425511973148

   • Publishes a size table in the text — three bands by palm width — which no other listing here does
   • States that thumb and finger movement stay free, which is what decides whether a guard is kept on
   • The palm widths are in inches, on a listing sold in Germany, France, Italy and Spain

   Best for: Someone who will measure their palm before ordering

   ≈ £25 / €27

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5. 

   TSG Wristguard Professional, L

   A removable polyethylene splint, a pre-formed shell and a strap that goes all the way round — the only guard here built that way.

   Splint

   Removable PE wrist splint

   Worn

   Not published; the shell is pre-formed

   Closure

   A central 360° wrap strap, plus hook-and-loop straps top and bottom

   Sizing

   Size L as read; no measurements published

   Material

   PE splint, synthetic leather palm pad

   Pack

   Not published

   Stated purpose

   Not published beyond the product name

   Amazon reference

   B002LMU7C6 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   7640128771111

   • The only listing on this shelf to name a splint, and it is removable
   • Three points of adjustment: a 360° central strap and hook-and-loop top and bottom
   • Three bullet points, none with a measurement, a size band or a pack count

   Best for: A rider who wants the rigid stay the rest of this shelf leaves out

   ≈ $50 / £47 / €38

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6. 

   Ennui City Wristguard, S

   The dearest guard here, with a stated CE test, a strap cover — and a description that calls itself probably the best on the market.

   Splint

   Not named

   Worn

   Not published

   Closure

   Straps, with an extra cover stated to stop them opening

   Sizing

   Size S as read; no measurements published

   Material

   Not published

   Pack

   Not published

   Stated purpose

   Inline and roller skating, skateboarding; also stated for use after injuries

   Amazon reference

   B00E479Z1K (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4040333349748

   • The only guard on this shelf to state a test — CE-geprüft, in the title
   • An extra cover over the straps, stated to stop them opening in use
   • Its three bullet points are in English on a German listing, and the first is "Probably the best wrist protector on the market"

   Best for: A skater who wants the strap cover, and will size it in a shop

   ≈ $71 / £47 / €49

   Check price on Amazon