Walk into any rink shop and you'll see two main kinds of hockey tape: clear and cloth. They look different, feel different, and do completely different jobs. Here's how to know which one you actually need — the short answer is usually both.
The quick answer
Cloth tape goes on your stick. Clear tape goes on your shin guards. They're not interchangeable, and most players keep both in their bag.
Cloth hockey tape: for your stick
Cloth tape is the grippy, fabric tape you wrap around your blade and knob. It gives you puck feel — controlled spin on shots, softer catches on passes — and builds a comfortable grip on your top hand.
- Best for: blades, knobs, butt ends
- White vs black: white shows the puck against your blade and shows wear; black hides the puck from goalies. Shop white or black.
- Pro tip: seal it with stick wax to keep snow out and make it last longer.
Clear hockey tape: for your shin guards
Clear tape — also called shin tape, sock tape, or poly tape — wraps over your hockey socks to keep your shin guards from sliding around. Unlike cloth, it stretches as you skate and resists moisture instead of soaking it up.
- Best for: shin guards, hockey socks, securing gear
- Why not cloth? Cloth tape doesn't stretch and absorbs water — wrong tool for the leg.
What about double wide tape?
Double wide tape (1.5") covers more surface per wrap — popular with goalies and players who want full blade coverage in fewer passes. It comes in both cloth and clear.
Bottom line
If you only buy one, buy cloth for your stick. But nearly every player runs both: cloth on the blade, clear on the shins. New to it? Our sampler 3-pack lets you try clear, white cloth, and black cloth in one shot.