Bauer Vapor 1X Lite Stick Review

When it comes to redesigning high-end sticks, significantly improving and innovating technology is becoming harder and harder. Minor improvements and a subtle graphics changes are becoming more common as the main changes year to year.

The new Bauer Vapor 1X Lite however, comes to the market with a truly new technology in carbon layering. This has added strength and stiffness in the blade provides a true one-piece construction for even better balance and energy transfer. Did I mention the stick is also 15 grams lighter as well!

ACL – Advanced Carbon Layers

An all-new technology from Bauer, Advanced Carbon layering uses a thinner and stronger internal carbon in the blade of the 1X Lite to increase the strength, the balance, and quicken the release. A few big statements come with this innovative technology from Bauer, and I’m always a little wary to buy into them whole heartedly.

Bauer claims the ACL technology makes the carbon layers 13% thinner, which quickens the release by 11% and creates the lightest blade yet. These are all things we want, and we can all buy into, I mean who doesn’t want the lightest, fastest, and best available when your comparing high-end products. Then again, no one is going to know if they aren’t totally accurate in the numbers as we probably wont cut into a stick the measure a thickness or weigh a blade to prove them wrong.

With that said, I do believe there is more than some truth to these statements. When you pick up the 1X Lite and use it, either in our shooting room or on the ice, you can really feel a difference in the blade. The puck feels crisp as you accept and give passes and the stick is so responsive sometimes I was caught feeling like it knew what to do with the puck before I did. And that’s not all, with the new internal layering of the blade, the stick does have a better sense of balance. It really felt like an extension of my arms.

QRT+ Technology

Quick Release Plus Technology or QRT+ for short, brings the same aggressive taper design that provides optimal loading and keeps recoil energy at the lower part of the shaft, and adds reinforcing fibers in the blade for better stability. This allows players to get their shots off with power, speed while improving the accuracy from last year.

The added stability from the reinforcing fibers through the taper is felt when you play the puck. Personally, I like a stiff blade; anything to add a little more accuracy to my shots helps. The 1X Lite provides everything I could want in that department, and the fact that the added stability doesn’t comprise the feel of the puck only makes it better.

Familiar Features

TeXtreme

Exclusive to Bauer in hockey, TeXtreme is an ultra-lightweight carbon fiber that is 20% lighter than conventional carbon. TeXtreme is one of the main proprietary materials that allows Bauer to create such lightweight and responsive sticks. And although stick breakage is always a sore point with top end players, TeXtreme is truly more durable than traditional carbon fibers.

eLASTech

Bauer’s proprietary resin system with carbon nanotube reinforcements. Designed to increase durability by reducing the spread of micro-fractures caused by slashes and puck impacts.

Monocomp

This is Bauer’s single molding process designed to remove excess material like overlapping layers, resin and foam waste. In summary, it improves the balance of the stick and reduces the overall weight.

Final Thoughts

As someone who has tapered their game to a beer-league style, my tastes have changed and I’m no longer looking to lay into a slapshot, or looking for a stick that allows me to do so. Instead something that allows me better accuracy and a quicker release is welcomed with open arms. Even from the previous 1X model you can feel the difference in the release; its crazy fast.

Though I can’t say the stick will be perfect for everyone, fans of the Vapor line and even those on the fence, will surely be in love with the new 1X lite.

If your not looking to spend $339.99 on a piece of composite lumber? We've got you covered with the Source Exclusive Vapor X Shift Pro stick! It has an exclusive graphic and construction, using many of the same high-end features. The X Shift Pro uses a different 3K composite shaft and a 12K composite blade which keeps the same feel but lessens the blow on your pocket. Also differing from the 1X Lite, the X Shift offers a Tac-Spiral grip. Seen only the Supreme line previously, this grip helps to eliminate the rotation of the rounded shaft in your hands as you fire the puck. Click here to view.

As always, if you’re a local customer or just visiting the store, swing by and demo the new 1X Lite and X Shift Pro sticks in our demo shooting zone to see how accurate and quick your shots are. We are confident you’ll love them.

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