Editorial policy

Our editorial goal

WhatGearFits publishes sizing guidance for parents who are buying youth sports gear and want a clear starting point before walking into a store or clicking “add to cart.” We are not a brand. We do not manufacture gear or work for any sporting goods retailer. Our goal is to give parents the measurement-first information they need to make a more confident purchasing decision.

Every guide in the public library is written for a parent who may not know the sport well — who needs to understand what to measure, what that measurement means, and what to watch for when the gear arrives. We write in plain English and avoid jargon when plain language works just as well.

How sizing guidance is developed

Each guide begins with the measurement that the official brand charts actually require. For a hockey helmet, that is head circumference. For a baseball bat, it is player height combined with weight. For shin guards, it is shin length from knee to ankle. We start from the measurement, not from age, because age-based shortcuts produce incorrect fit for protective gear too often to be useful as a primary recommendation.

Once the core measurement is established, we identify the size ranges that the major brands in that category use for that input. We note where brands diverge significantly and remind parents to confirm the final number with the official chart for the exact model they are buying — not a generic chart.

We also note league-specific requirements where they affect the buying decision. Ball size, bat certification stamps, drop weights, and stick length rules can make an otherwise well-sized piece of gear unusable for games. These warnings are included in the relevant guides.

Source hierarchy

We rank our sources in this order when they conflict:

1. 1

   Brand official size charts

   The authoritative source for a specific product. Always the final check before buying.

2. 2

   League and governing body rules

   Bat stamps, ball sizes, stick lengths, and helmet certifications are set by leagues, not by general guides.

3. 3

   General sizing patterns

   Starting ranges derived from common youth sizing across multiple brands. Useful for finding the approximate target measurement before consulting brand charts.

4. 4

   Age-based starting points

   Used as a rough entry point, especially for beginners, but always secondary to actual measurements.

What we do not claim

WhatGearFits does not guarantee fit for any specific child, product, or purchase. Youth gear fit depends on body proportion, the exact brand and model, the sock or padding your child wears, and how the gear feels during actual movement. Our guides are starting ranges that narrow the search. They are not a substitute for trying gear on, checking the return policy, or asking a coach or certified fitter when sizing protective equipment.

We do not test products ourselves. We do not have access to manufacturer testing facilities. We do not rate individual products for quality, durability, or safety certification beyond noting whether a certification requirement exists for a category.

Protective gear: stricter standard

Helmets and protective padding carry an elevated editorial standard. These guides include an explicit disclaimer: do not buy protective gear from age alone, and do not assume that a guide range substitutes for the brand's official chart and an in-person fit check. For used helmets, we note that condition, certification age, and impact history cannot be verified by visual inspection and that buying new is the safer default.

Publication status and quality control

A page enters the public guide library only after it clears the standard appropriate to its claims. Size tables, league rules, certification requirements, and brand-specific statements need visible primary sources. Original decision guides must provide a distinct parent use case, concrete checks, and a clear next step rather than restating a size chart.

Reference drafts may remain accessible while their source review is unfinished, but they are excluded from the sitemap, marked not to appear in search results, and do not carry advertising. Their status is shown on the page. This prevents an unfinished reference page from being presented as equivalent to a source-reviewed guide.

Drafting and automation tools

Software may assist with calculations, consistency checks, drafting, and page formatting. We do not treat generated text, a search snippet, or another publisher's summary as evidence. A factual claim clears source review only when it is checked against the manufacturer, league, governing body, or standards organization responsible for it.

Automation is useful for finding mismatched labels and repeated ranges; it does not replace the editorial decision about whether a page is accurate, distinct, and useful enough to publish.

Affiliate links and editorial independence

Some guides and articles on this site include affiliate links to products on Amazon and other retailers. If you purchase through an affiliate link, WhatGearFits may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence our core sizing guidance. Product links are presented as comparison starting points and are labeled with their approximate price tier. We encourage readers to compare multiple brands and check the official chart for any product before buying.

Full details are on the affiliate disclosure page.

Product grids are kept on shopping and calculator experiences instead of being inserted throughout editorial articles. Google advertising is not loaded on the affiliate shop, calculator, search, policy, contact, or other utility pages.

Corrections and updates

Brand sizing charts change when manufacturers update their product lines. League rules change between seasons. We review content when corrections are reported or when we become aware of a material change. Guides include an “Updated” date to signal the last review.

If you find an error — a size range that no longer matches the brand chart, a league rule that has changed, or a measurement instruction that is unclear — please send a correction. We read every message and update content when the correction is accurate.