Lacrosse gear reviews & buying guides

For boys' and men's lacrosse: a stick, helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, arm pads, a mouthguard, an athletic cup and cleats. Girls' and women's lacrosse needs a stick, eye goggles, a mouthguard and cleats; some leagues also allow or require soft headgear. Our lacrosse equipment guide covers each piece, and best beginner and youth sticks is the place to start for a first stick.

Attackmen usually want a narrower face and more offset for hold and a quick, accurate release. Defenders want a wider, stiffer head for checks and ground balls. Middies need a balance of both, and faceoff players use heads built specifically for the clamp. See our guides to the best attack heads, best heads for middies, best defensive heads and best faceoff heads.

In the men's game, attack and midfield shafts are typically 30 inches and defense poles 60 inches, with the strung stick inside your league's overall length limits. Youth players often go shorter. Our lacrosse shaft lengths guide breaks it down by position and age.

Soft mesh breaks in quickly and forms a pocket fast. Hard mesh takes longer to break in but holds its shape better over time and in wet weather. We compare both in hard mesh vs. soft mesh and rank options in best lacrosse mesh.

A Drip score is our rating out of 10, given after a full LaxDrip review of that exact product. Gear we rank in a buying guide but have not fully reviewed yet shows NR (not yet rated).

Our "Buy now" links go to BattleLax, and LaxDrip may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. If you are on a budget, read where to buy used lacrosse gear and best cheap lacrosse heads.