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As ive said before, headgear is my favorite type of gear. My favorite piece of gear has always been the Winning FG2900 and it still is. I've bought various types of headgear hoping to find something to rival Winnings or replace it but at a more affordable price. Winning really created something truly incredible and something that no company so far has been able to match or beat. Enter UMA and their new UMA R-9 headgear inspired by Winnings FG2900.
The Look
This headgear really is almost a twin brother of the FG2900. The headgears are extremely similar, the only way to tell them apart is the vision and the logos. Everything else is practically the same.
So far i've said three different color combinations of this headgear and each one looks incredible. (Of course i think mine looks the best but that's a different story haha.)
UMA allows you to customize everything about the headgear. When i ordered my gloves i wanted as much contrast as possible, i wanted everything split. Split colors, split grip bar, split piping, and split stitching. UMA did an incredible job at making the headgear really match my gloves. Just like the gloves my headgear has split everything and in my opinion its the little details like split stitching that really makes the design shine.
Construction
The leather is top notch, and the smell of the gear is in my opinion refreshing. Its not a Cleto smell or a Winning smell but it smells great and clean. For the first couple days my gear room smelled like the R-9 and gloves.
The stitching is straight and clean even when i asked for split stitching, they still did an incredible job. There's some areas with loose ends but it doesn't do anything to hurt the headgear.
The quick clip is actually one area where the R-9 truly manages to beat the FG2900. Their clip seems to be bigger and about equally as sturdy or even more sturdy. Because of this its also easier to clip the headgear while wearing it. Sometimes on my FG2900 it takes me a little longer. I've used headgears before with quick clips and usually the quick clip is cheap and weak or the strap is very thin which causes it to burn the throat easier. UMA did a great job with both the strap and the the quick clip though, overall very comfortable.
The headgear also uses a laces to adjust the top and back. Exactly like the FG2900.
One of the main problems headgears have especially when trying to make an FG2900 headgear are the cheeks. UMA did an amazing job at with these too though. They aren't spread apart, they come close together just like the FG2900.
Padding
The padding is incredible, wearing this thing feels like it was made specifically for you. Your head, your face sinks into the padding. The inner layer is soft while the outer layer is more firm. UMA also made the padding a little thicker than the FG2900 which adds to the shock absorbency. The ear guards are on the firmer side but this doesn't take away from the comfort. Overall this definitely rivals Winnings padding in every aspect.
Sizing
I asked for a large because that's the size of my Winnings and it fits perfectly. It actually took me less time to adjust this headgear than it did to adjust my FG2900. I only adjusted the back and not the top. Obviously this doesn't mean everyone will have a quick time like me, everyone's head is different but even so it took me longer to adjust my Winning.
The R-9 also weighed in at 12.9oz, it feels very very light during sparring.
Performance
This headgear performs exactly like the Winning FG2900. The R-9 doesn't shift around and it absorbs shock just as good as the FG2900, maybe even a little better because of the thicker padding. Its hard to tell the difference between these two during sparring.
The vision is a little more narrow than the FG2900 but this does not affect the vision at all. At no time during any sparring session was i ever bothered by this.
They both hug your face extremely well and protect everything just as good as the other. Even the nose protection of the UMA R-9 rivals Winnings. The cheeks don't spread apart and leave your face open, they come together and almost touch my nose. The headgear overall does a great job at hugging and protecting the face.
Price
The R-9 goes for $120 plus shipping. This will probably be the deciding factor between the R-9 and FG2900. The $120 price tag of the R-9 is the price of a custom leather headgear with practically any customization idea you can come up with. Winning on the other hand i've seen go for about $148 or so at its lowest for a synthetic leather headgear.
Conclusion
When i first saw Stratos preview of this headgear i already knew what to expect so i ordered mine right away. Literally an almost perfect clone of the FG2900 and that's exactly what i got. This headgear performs equally to the FG2900 in every single aspect and for a lower custom price. It is because of that price where i think this headgear manages to beat Winnings or at least give everyone a more affordable option. $120 plus shipping for custom while Winnings custom is something like $260 or something on Rakuten.
Also dealing with America-ya or Winning themselves isn't a great experience. Dealing with UMA on the other hand is always ideal. They are always ready to answer anything and they also make you a mockup for the gear you plan on ordering. The mock up actually was the reason why i decided to order from them, as soon as i saw the mock up i payed for it right away. You won't be disappointed with this headgear. I've actually been using it more than my Winning recently.
UMA has also informed me that there will be a full leather stock version of this headgear that will go for $95 with free shipping to the US. The color options have not been finalized yet but im sure UMA will announce them very soon.
The Look
This headgear really is almost a twin brother of the FG2900. The headgears are extremely similar, the only way to tell them apart is the vision and the logos. Everything else is practically the same.
So far i've said three different color combinations of this headgear and each one looks incredible. (Of course i think mine looks the best but that's a different story haha.)
UMA allows you to customize everything about the headgear. When i ordered my gloves i wanted as much contrast as possible, i wanted everything split. Split colors, split grip bar, split piping, and split stitching. UMA did an incredible job at making the headgear really match my gloves. Just like the gloves my headgear has split everything and in my opinion its the little details like split stitching that really makes the design shine.
Construction
The leather is top notch, and the smell of the gear is in my opinion refreshing. Its not a Cleto smell or a Winning smell but it smells great and clean. For the first couple days my gear room smelled like the R-9 and gloves.
The stitching is straight and clean even when i asked for split stitching, they still did an incredible job. There's some areas with loose ends but it doesn't do anything to hurt the headgear.
The quick clip is actually one area where the R-9 truly manages to beat the FG2900. Their clip seems to be bigger and about equally as sturdy or even more sturdy. Because of this its also easier to clip the headgear while wearing it. Sometimes on my FG2900 it takes me a little longer. I've used headgears before with quick clips and usually the quick clip is cheap and weak or the strap is very thin which causes it to burn the throat easier. UMA did a great job with both the strap and the the quick clip though, overall very comfortable.
The headgear also uses a laces to adjust the top and back. Exactly like the FG2900.
One of the main problems headgears have especially when trying to make an FG2900 headgear are the cheeks. UMA did an amazing job at with these too though. They aren't spread apart, they come close together just like the FG2900.
Padding
The padding is incredible, wearing this thing feels like it was made specifically for you. Your head, your face sinks into the padding. The inner layer is soft while the outer layer is more firm. UMA also made the padding a little thicker than the FG2900 which adds to the shock absorbency. The ear guards are on the firmer side but this doesn't take away from the comfort. Overall this definitely rivals Winnings padding in every aspect.
Sizing
I asked for a large because that's the size of my Winnings and it fits perfectly. It actually took me less time to adjust this headgear than it did to adjust my FG2900. I only adjusted the back and not the top. Obviously this doesn't mean everyone will have a quick time like me, everyone's head is different but even so it took me longer to adjust my Winning.
The R-9 also weighed in at 12.9oz, it feels very very light during sparring.
Performance
This headgear performs exactly like the Winning FG2900. The R-9 doesn't shift around and it absorbs shock just as good as the FG2900, maybe even a little better because of the thicker padding. Its hard to tell the difference between these two during sparring.
The vision is a little more narrow than the FG2900 but this does not affect the vision at all. At no time during any sparring session was i ever bothered by this.
They both hug your face extremely well and protect everything just as good as the other. Even the nose protection of the UMA R-9 rivals Winnings. The cheeks don't spread apart and leave your face open, they come together and almost touch my nose. The headgear overall does a great job at hugging and protecting the face.
Price
The R-9 goes for $120 plus shipping. This will probably be the deciding factor between the R-9 and FG2900. The $120 price tag of the R-9 is the price of a custom leather headgear with practically any customization idea you can come up with. Winning on the other hand i've seen go for about $148 or so at its lowest for a synthetic leather headgear.
Conclusion
When i first saw Stratos preview of this headgear i already knew what to expect so i ordered mine right away. Literally an almost perfect clone of the FG2900 and that's exactly what i got. This headgear performs equally to the FG2900 in every single aspect and for a lower custom price. It is because of that price where i think this headgear manages to beat Winnings or at least give everyone a more affordable option. $120 plus shipping for custom while Winnings custom is something like $260 or something on Rakuten.
Also dealing with America-ya or Winning themselves isn't a great experience. Dealing with UMA on the other hand is always ideal. They are always ready to answer anything and they also make you a mockup for the gear you plan on ordering. The mock up actually was the reason why i decided to order from them, as soon as i saw the mock up i payed for it right away. You won't be disappointed with this headgear. I've actually been using it more than my Winning recently.
UMA has also informed me that there will be a full leather stock version of this headgear that will go for $95 with free shipping to the US. The color options have not been finalized yet but im sure UMA will announce them very soon.
