Warrior Covert QR1 vs. Easton Stealth CX
In the market for a new stick with a low kick point? We have two sticks from Warrior and Easton that are going head-to-head for low kick supremacy. The tale of the tape: Warrior Covert QR1 vs. Easton Stealth CX. **Quick disclaimer: all specifications, features, etc. in this comparison review will be referring to Senior sticks.
Notable NHL players using a Warrior Covert QR1: Max Pacioretty (MTL), Joe Pavelski (SJ), Wayne Simmonds (PHI), Thomas Vanek (MIN).
Notable NHL players using an Easton Stealth CX: Drew Doughty (LA), Zach Parise (MIN), James Neal (NSH), Mike Cammalleri (NJ), Kyle Okposo (BUF).
Kick Point
The Warrior Covert QR1 (QR stands for "Quick Release") brings the first "super low" kick point to hockey with a Dagger T2 taper. This taper was fine-tuned to give shooters the fastest possible release time of just 76 milliseconds - 6 milliseconds faster than the one from the older Covert DT1. While this may not seem like a lot of time, when you think about how fast the game of hockey is, it can make all the difference between getting that shot to the net and getting it poke checked off your stick.
Fun Fact: Warrior was the first company to use this Quick Release technology in late 2014 and did not take kindly to imitators. When Bauer released their low kick Vapor 1X stick in February 2015, Warrior was throwing some serious shade their way via Instagram - claiming Bauer stole their same technologies and was selling them at a higher price.
Ouch - Bauer did not seem to reply to either jabs.
Digression aside, let's look at the Easton CX's kick point. It also brings a very low kick point to the game inside of a thin elliptical profile taper which prevents the shaft and blade from twisting when shooting. This technology was designed to make the puck fly off the blade and hit the intended target incredibly easily.
Both the QR1 and CX are designed for quick snap shots and one-timers. Because the Warrior Covert QR1 brings new technology to hockey with its super low kick point, the QR1 is slightly better in this category.
Blade / Puck Feel
The Warrior QR1 has a very high-tech blade. It's a Hardcore X blade (60% higher compression resistance and 40% higher tensile strength) with Twinspar (two carbon fiber supports that keep the blade closed for accuracy) and an Aramid sole (carbon fiber along the bottom of the blade to provide durability). This gives players pretty good - but not great - puck feel.
One of the new features found in the Easton Stealth CX is the new Exo-Rim blade. This is a super stiff lining around the top and bottom of the blade that prevents the blade from opening up when shooting. The Exo-Rim blade along with HyperToe, another new feature that gives the stick a super stiff toe, gives the CX amazing puck feel with a deadly accurate shot.
Both the Warrior QR1 and Easton CX have rigid blades with good puck feel, but stickhandling with the CX feels a little smoother and easier than with the QR1.
Shooting Power / Accuracy
Both the QR1 and CX are shooter's sticks, so this will be a very close battle for shooting supremacy. The Warrior QR1 has that Dagger T2 taper, explained above, which provides some of the most explosive snap shots and Twinspar blade supports to give you an accurate shot time and time again.
The CX has HyperToe technology in the blade which stiffens the toe and an Exo-Rim blade to keep every shot on target by not allowing the blade to "open," giving players maximum shooting accuracy. Then, with that elliptical taper near the blade, you get a great amount of shooting power.
For shooting power and accuracy, the Warrior Covert QR1 beats the Easton Stealth CX by a fraction of a millimeter. These are two great sticks for shooting and you could not go wrong with either.
Durability
The QR1 has reinforced corners of the shaft that provide extra durability without adding any weight to the stick. This is achieved by Warrior's use of laser-cut fibers to remove all unnecessary fibers near the hosel and blade created in the molding process. Despite these features, the decals on my QR1's shaft started chipping the first time I used it and the blade broke in half after only a month of use.
The CX has XTX (ExtraTough™ Resin Matrix) Technology in the shaft to provide superior durability and HyperLite to remove those same excess fibers in the lower part of the shaft. For the first week after the Stealth CX launched, Easton bumped its usual 30-day broken stick warranty up to 60 days because they were so confident that nobody would break theirs within one month.
For durability, the Stealth CX is better than the QR1. Simply put, my QR1 is long gone after the blade snapped in the first month, whereas my CX is still in one piece after the same amount of use. This is a huge point for Easton.
Weight
A Warrior Covert QR1 weighs just 412 grams and an Easton Stealth CX stick weighs 426 grams. These are both incredibly lightweight sticks, but it looks like Warrior makes the lighter stick of the two.
Flex, Patterns, & Lengths
The Warrior Covert QR1 is offered in three different flexes [75, 85, and 100], eight different blade patterns [W01 Lupul (mid-heel curve), W03 Henrique (mid curve), W05 Granlund (heel curve), W71 Pacioretty (big mid curve), W12 Pavelski (mid-heel curve), W88 Zetterberg (mid curve), W16 Karlsson (mid-heel curve), and W28 Yakupov (mid-toe curve)], and two lengths [Regular (60", available on all patterns) and Long (63", available on select patterns)].
The Easton Stealth CX is offered in three different flexes [75, 85, and 100], four different blade patterns [E3 dual lie / lie 5 (mid curves), E4 (mid-heel curve), E28 (toe curve), and E36 (mid curve)], and one standard length [60"].
The Warrior QR1 has twice as many blade patterns and lengths to choose from than the Easton CX. This means it will be tailored towards more players with different shooting/passing styles and towards taller players without the need for a shaft extension plug.
Summary
Both the Warrior Covert QR1 and the Easton Stealth CX are amazing sticks for fans of the low kick point. Each category was nearly impossible for me to pick the better stick since both sticks are so similar. But, there must be a victor. After many hours of use and research between the two, I would have to say the Warrior Covert QR1 is just a tiny bit better all around. However, if you want a stick that will last for a much longer time without breaking, then the CX is the better stick.
Again, these sticks are both fantastic and will get you lighting the lamp, so if you mainly shoot snap shots, either stick will be a great addition to your arsenal.
Have you used either of these sticks? Which one was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
You can check out the Warrior Covert QR1 and the Easton Stealth CX sticks right here at DiscountHockey.com! Thanks for reading and we'll see you on the ice.
