Choosing the best uniform kit this year was not easy.  We compared the price, expected use, and quality of three very different strips.  Puma and adidas are both veterans and have a national team level sponsorships.  Newcomer Protime Sports surprised us with outstanding value.

Unlike our Uniform Shoot-out, our "Best Kit" award includes price and target market as criteria.  It also includes all of the quality, durability, maintenance and style attributes that we have previously covered.  Of our three nominees, the Puma and adidas kits are targeted at the club or high school level.  Both are constructed of high quality materials and fit well.  They are comfortable and accurately sized.  The Protime Sports nominee is targeted at the recreational league.  It is constructed of a light weight microfiber that performs well for the price point.

Here's how they finished:

• The Puma King uniform finished behind our other two nominees mainly due to price.  The kit is very high quality and has an interesting style; however, they have stained and stretched over the course of a season  The different fabrics used throughout the garment have faded differently and the different colors have become more obvious.
• The Protime Sports Boston receives an Honorable Mention award and only missed first place by a fraction of a point.  The Price to Value measure of the Boston put it solidly in the lead.  It is offered in enough colors to outfit a small league (assuming no home/away changes).  The overall durability falls well behind the other two horses in this race, but that is to be expected from this price point.  In the final vote, only availability kept it from first place.  Both of the other kits are available from a large variety of retailers, both on-line and brick and mortar.  Protime Sports is a direct to consumer manufacturer; therefore even small lot and single unit purchases must be made through the manufacturer.

"... and the winner is..."

• Splitting the price difference, the adidas Avantis has both style and durability.  Offered in Home/Away combinations with Color/White.  It uses a combination of mesh and wicking fabrics to provide comfort and breathability.  We found our test pieces to hold up extremely well to wear, washing, and play.  The Avantis would not be used for a recreational kit, but it could be used for clubs, school teams or adult leagues where the cost of the kit is amortized over multiple years.