MMA Gear Guide recently posted an article about the Nutty Buddy Athletic Protective Cup. Shortly after, we were contacted by a representative from Nutty Buddy who saw the post. He wanted to let us know how great it was to see his product featured on our website and offered to send us a sample product for our review. We would like to extend a special thanks to Perry G. for sending us a “Mongo” size Nutty Buddy. After putting it through some use and comparisons, here is my impression of the Nutty Buddy.
Construction
The Nutty Buddy is a bit differently shaped than most protective cups. As you can see, it gets a bit wider and rounder in the middle, providing more space for your “boys”. I had a problem with other cups starting out wide then dramatically tapering down where you need some space the most. There is definitely enough space for everything you are packing, and this unusual shape is actually great for keeping the cup in place.
The Nutty Buddy is made of a very durable plastic. One of the main selling points of the cup was a video of someone taking a fast ball to the groin. I have no doubt that the cup can do that, it almost feels like it would do more damage to the baseball. One thing that worried me was that the entire thing was made out of this plastic, no “flex” like some other cups. I thought this would be a problem due to hurting the surrounding areas, but the cup is able to disperse the force just fine.
Use
The support system of the Nutty Buddy is a bit different than normal as well, instead of just a jock strap, or just compression shorts, you will need both. You put the compression shorts on first, then the jock strap. The Nutty Buddy will slip in between the two. This actually ended up working great, there was no slippage and the cup stayed nice and secure. It’s also easy to put in and remove the cup quickly, great if you don’t want to do warm-ups with a cup, or you need to step out of the gym real quick and don’t want people to stare at your package.
The cup stayed in place perfectly during grappling, though sometimes I worried that it might be a bit a bit uncomfortable against training partners due to how hard it is, though I heard no complaints. During training, there were no direct shots, but at MMAGearGuide.com we did a couple of test shots at full force, we kicked each other in the groin while wearing the Nutty Buddy. Besides the initial fear of getting kicked in the groin at full speed, there were no problems. The “boys” stayed safe and un-crushed, ready to see another day.
Comparison to Shock Doctor Cup and Bike Cup
Shock Doctor is probably the most popular cup +compression short system out there, and in fact one of my favorites. The Bike Athletic Cup is also popular due to its availability at many local sporting good stores. As you can see, both the Shock Doctor and Bike cups have the narrow triangular shape I talked about earlier. This can get a bit uncomfortable and is not as secure as the Nutty Buddy. Also, The Nutty Buddy has a lower profile than both of the other cups while not sacrificing any room. Lastly, the Nutty Buddy is definitely the most durable with the Shock Doctor in last place. The Shock Doctor is already cracking in some parts.
Note: Unfortunately the Nutty Buddy is not compatible with the Shock Doctor shorts if you already have them. They are only compatible with shorts that do not have a pocket for the cup.
Recap
Pros: Very durable, Comfortable, Secure and provides the most protection.
Cons: Requires a jock and compression shorts.
Final Word: The Nutty Buddy is probably the best protective system on the market. More comfortable, durable and secure than the Shock Doctor system, but also a little more expensive and complicated. The Nutty Buddy is mostly recommended for athletes that are serious about training and willing to spend some money for the best. You can buy the nutty buddy here $45
Also check out our guide on How to Choose a Protective Cup for MMA
Are you on a budget? Check out some affordable but also high quality groin protectors:
