If you’re shopping for lacrosse gear high schoolers budget under 300 dollars can actually cover completely — this is the only list you need. You can build a complete, legal, competitive high school lacrosse setup for under $300. It won’t turn heads at warm-ups. It will absolutely get the job done. Here’s exactly what to buy — and where it’s okay to go cheap.
The Best Lacrosse Gear for High Schoolers: Budget Build Under $300
Helmet: STX Stallion 600 — ~$110
MSRP sits around $130, but the Stallion 600 goes on sale constantly. Hit $110 and pull the trigger. Hit $100 and don’t think twice. This is the one place on this list where you put the most money and you do not go cheaper. Protection is non-negotiable. The Stallion 600 is legal for all sanctioned play and gives you adequate coverage at the high school level. Spend here. Full stop.
Gloves: STX Stallion 900 — ~$75
The best under-$100 glove on the market, period. Minimal break-in, solid palm feel, legal everywhere. Nobody is beating you because of your gloves when you’re running the Stallion 900. Move on.
Stick: StringKing Metal 3 Shaft (~$80) + Used Head (~$15–$20)
Buy the new shaft. Source the head used — from a teammate, the team equipment room, or Facebook Marketplace. Functional used heads in real condition exist for $15–$25 all day long. Then string it yourself. A $5 piece of mesh and a free YouTube tutorial gets you a custom pocket. More importantly: learning to string your own stick is a skill every serious player should develop. You’ll understand your equipment better, fix problems on the fly, and stop paying someone else to do something that takes 20 minutes once you know how.
Arm Guards: Maverik Rome NXT — ~$25
Legal. Functional. Done. There is genuinely no additional value in spending more on arm guards at the high school level. This is one of the categories where the budget option is the right call regardless of budget.
Shoulder Pads: Used from Teammate or Equipment Room — ~$0–$20
Shoulder pads are the most replaceable item in lacrosse. Players outgrow them every season, programs accumulate spares, and functioning sets get donated or forgotten in equipment rooms constantly. Ask your coach before you spend a dollar on shoulder pads. There may already be program gear with your name on it.
Cleats: Maverik Tank or Last Year’s Nike Huarache on Clearance — ~$50–$60
Here’s an actual tip worth your attention: Nike releases a new Huarache model each year. That means the previous generation hits clearance at major retailers at significant discounts. A Huarache 8 or earlier can drop to $60–$70 at end of model cycle. Check clearance sections before you default to the budget brand — you may end up with a better cleat for the same money if your timing is right.
The Total
Approximately $275–$295. You now have legal, competitive equipment for high school varsity lacrosse at every position except goalie. It won’t impress anyone. It also won’t hold you back. Gear off the table as a factor — that’s the goal.
What to Upgrade First (When the Money Shows Up)
- Helmet → Cascade CS
- Cleats → Nike Huarache current gen
- Gloves → STX Cell VI or Warrior Burn Pro
- Shaft → Epoch Dragonfly
Everything else on this list is fine to run indefinitely at the high school level. Nobody is upgrading their Maverik Rome NXT arm guards and winning more faceoffs.
The Part Nobody Wants to Hear
The players running the best gear at your tournament are not always the best players at your tournament. The ones who are actually dangerous put in reps that have nothing to do with what’s in their equipment bag. Gear matters at the margins. This setup eliminates the margins entirely — from here, it’s on you.
No gear was provided for this review. Ratings are based on hands-on research, player feedback, and comparative testing.