I actually find completely the opposite. I have to sit down to put two piece guards on, because they won't fit properly over the blade, particularly in the middle section near the spring - the gap where the blade should fit is too narrow to for them just to slot in. Whereas the one piece guards I have now, I can easily put on if I'm standing, by hooking the spring loop over the back of the blade, and then the toe fits nicely, and I don't end up shaving some of the plastic off the guard with my blade!

never tried two piece guards but can easily put my one piece on while standing up and in a rush, going to look into flashing guards for my daughter, I think she'd like them (she's only 6)

That's the case when they're brand spanking new. When you've used them a week or so, there's no problem.

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The flashing guards are expensive, so they tend to grow legs and walk away on their own. Use a permanent marker to write a name on them so they can be easily found.

I have a pair of one-piece guards in the closet that are from my oldest DD's first pair of skates. Tiny little white guards with bunny faces/tails drawn or painted on them. Absolutely adorable and I can't part with them. Even though they don't fit any of our skates.

I've never seen them since - I don't even remember where I bought them.

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My mother has one piece guards like those!! I think she bought them from a vendor at a competition years ago. She loves them and refuses to get new guards.


I always had one-piece guards when I was younger. They were easy to put on, but they had a tendency to fall off (though not that often). I have two-piece guards now - it took some practice to learn how to get them on without falling over! But they definitely stay on better.

I had one piece guards with my first skates, but they didn't seem to fit properly, they kept falling off my blade, so I switched to 2 piece guards, and haven't had a problem, except for actually remembering them. The rink I've been going to has benches right outside the entrance to the ice. Usually, I put my skates on at the bench further away because it's nice and warm in that part of the rink, then with my hard guards walk to the entrance. But coming off, I just take them off right by the entrance and seem to leave my guards along the wall. And they never seem to have them in the lost and found. It's definitely not somebody else taking them because on many times, my friend and I are the only ones in the rink.

In the past 3 months, I must have gone through 3 pairs of guards. If anyone sees a pair of light blue guards looking for their owner, they're probably mine, we just got separated

Maybe your guards are in that bermuda triangle with all the odd socks that mysteriously disappear. I got sick of odd socks so I bought 10 pairs, all black. Today I have one black sock!!

I much prefer two-piece guards as I find them easier to walk round in (because of the shape - they tend to be more curved at the back) and to take on and off (because the ends of the two piece guards are wider at the top than on the one-piece ones so easier to line them up with the blade), they seem to stay on better (with the one piece ones I either had trouble getting them on/off or trouble with them falling off cause without the spring I could never quite adjust them to quite the right size for my blade) and they're much more hardwearing than the one-piece ones I has when I started skating. But that's all personal preference, I'm not saying that they're better, just that they suit me better! The only down-side I've found to the two piece ones is that most of them are so high at the back that for dance blades I've either had to get two pairs and use two-front halves for each guard or had to take a chunk off the backs with a knife - anyone else had that problem?

Mrs Redboots I got my flashing guards from this eBay shop at Christmas.

Love2iceskate
http://search.stores.ebay.co.uk/Love...488130QQsofpZ0

They don't seem to have as many colours at the moment, just Green, black and clear from what I can see, but maybe they will be getting more of others at some point?

The guards are brilliant, I love wondering around in them cause everybody laughs at them!! Also I would completely recommend the seller as they have always been excellent and reliable with delivery etc.

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"Well, I've got a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves" - Captain Jack Harkness

The one piece guards my rink sells tend to fall off while walking or break much easier than a two piece guard ever would. And they're a good brand...

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- Ashley

Thanks! Actually, a kind friend is bringing me a pair from the USA, I hope, so I shall have a pair in June!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!