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The Best Hockey Tape for a Better Grip

A close-up of a hockey player skating with a stick and a puck.
Dusan Petkovic/Shutterstock.com

When it comes to accuracy and security, hockey players know how important a quality piece of tape is to your game. It provides better puck control when wrapped around your stick, but it can also be used on other hockey equipment.

When applied to the shaft and the stick’s handle, hockey tape provides a better grip and is especially useful for beginners learning to control the puck. You can also use the tape to create a knob on the butt of the stick, or you can wrap it around your socks and shin guards to prevent them from moving side to side during the game. If you’re looking for new tape, you might want to buy the first one that you see, but it’s a little more difficult than that with so many great options. Here are some great hockey tape products that we recommend.

What to Look for in Your Hockey Tape

Consider these key factors when shopping for your next roll of hockey tape:

  • Strong Adhesive: You’re going to want a strong adhesive so that your tape won’t come off during practice or the game. It should create a lasting grip with a flexible hold for a strong bond. The tape shouldn’t seep adhesive either, nor should it leave residue behind. Strong adhesive isn’t only important for the longevity of your hockey stick, but it also keeps you from re-wrapping your stick over and over and thus wasting tape.
  • Material: Most of the tape in this article is made from cloth, with some options featuring a mixture of plastic and cotton. Woven cloth not only provides a strong adhesive, but it’s also super flexible, easy to tear, and very strong. It’s a type of material that can stick to glass, plastic, marble, and rubber, among other surfaces. Plus, it’s waterproof and abrasion-resistant.

Best Overall: A&R Sports Hockey Tape

A six pack of black and white hockey tape wrapped in blue and red packaging.
A&R

A&R Sports provides one of the best hockey tapes on the market. It’s wide and sticky, and it happens to be made in the United States. This woven cloth tape comes in black, white, or clear to fit your preference. This tape is highly durable, extra adhesive, and water-resistant, ensuring that it won’t slip from your clutches when you’re in a game. It’s available in a two- or six-pack.

Best Overall

A&R Sports Hockey Tape

This popular brand provides strong adhesive tape that is available in three different colors.

Best Grip: EAGLES Multipurpose Cloth Sports Tape

A black roll of hockey tape with green packaging sits in front of a white roll of tape.
EAGELS

Wrap it up and go with this strong, tough, and durable sports tape from EAGLES. It has the best grip around and will extend the life of the stick blade by protecting the surface and edges from breaking. It also bonds well to socks, pads, and other sports gear that isn’t hockey-related, so if you have children who play different sports, this is a smart purchase.

Best Grip

EAGLES Multipurpose Cloth Sports Tape

This two-pack provides a mix of two colors and has one of the best grips on the market.

Best Adhesive: Howies Premium Colored Cloth Tape

Black, white, and red and white stripped tape rolls against a white background.
Howies

Howies is a well-known brand among professional hockey players, as it provides a strong adhesive that stands out against the rest. This cloth tape’s tight weave and heavy adhesive create a watertight bond with your stick’s blade so that it won’t fall apart during practice. If you’re looking to differentiate yourself from your teammates, there are over 40 different color combinations to choose from.

Best Adhesive

Howies Premium Colored Cloth Tape

This three-pack is super sticky and features a high thread count.

Best Value Pack: Sports Tape Hockey Tape

On the left, a six pack of white hockey tape stacked together. On the right, a close-up of a man wrapping a hockey stick blade.
sports tape

This value pack provides six rolls that are each 1 inch wide and 20 yards long. It’s constructed from tightly woven poly-cotton blended fabric and coated with a gripped plastic coating that’s specifically made to wrap hockey sticks. It can take a beating as well since it holds tightly on your equipment and doesn’t seep adhesive or leave residue behind.

Best Value Pack

sports tape Hockey Tape

This hockey tape is made for rough players and is the best bang for your puck.

Best for Shin Guards: G GoodGear Hockey Tape

A clear 10 pack of hockey tape next to its black and green packaging.
G GoodGear

The best tape for your socks and shin guards is created by the folks at G GoodGear. It features a strong adhesive, is waterproof, and won’t come off during a game. The 10 rolls of tape are transparent, so the tape won’t be noticeable on your shin guards. Although the tape is super strong, it’s just as easy to remove and is an ideal choice for those who are always training.

Best for Shin Guards

G GoodGear Hockey Tape

If you find your shin guards and socks slipping from you during the game, consider these adhesive tapes.

Omid Khanzadeh Omid Khanzadeh
Omid is a freelance writer for LifeSavvy. He studied psychology and creative writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, and his work has been featured in publications such as Allied Forces Press and various STEM textbooks. He enjoys playing soccer and watching old kung-fu movies. Read Full Bio »
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