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Mouthguards are used for baseball, too ~ especially at the youth, teen, and high school levels. In line with our ongoing effort to provide deep insight into every element of baseball, here we present the best mouthguards for baseball play.
Not all baseball players expect the same thing from their mouth guard. In that vein, we tried to present models with key features to appeal specifically to the player who wants protection, or the kid who likes the fang design, or … other areas of interest for ballplayers.
Summary
- The Shock Doctor Pro Mouthguard tops our list with its special construction with an internal frame, for top-level performance, all at a nice price.
- For those who prioritize comfort, the OPRO Gold Level Mouthguard is our 1st runner up.
- The most thin model we found, which makes it easier to talk or drink fluids during use, is the SISU 3D 2.0mm Sports Mouth Guard.
- The Venum Challenger Mouthguard was designed for boxing so it keeps a keen eye on allowing easy breathing. Plus its rubber frame builds a player’s confidence that it works.
- If you want to know what dentists think ~ and get a warranty from a dental organization, then look closely at the Delta Dental Athletic Sports Mouth Guard.
- Finally, for those who love style, or simply to intimidate, check out the options available with the SAFEJAWZ Mouth Guard Slim Fit.
Needs for a Mouthguard on the Ballfield
Quite honestly, any position player in baseball, plus any batter, could play with a mouthguard. We wouldn’t recommend it for pitchers, unless the model allows for plenty of air to flow in breathing. Stamina is huge for pitching, and limiting even a little oxygen on the mound is probably not a good thing.
For the other positions plus hitters, players use a mouthguard for any number of reasons:
- To protect an existing injury to the mouth, gums, or teeth
- To protect braces
- To boost confidence fielding grounders or roaming the outfield
- To protect the mouth and teeth in case of collisions
- To prevent serious damage with a hit-by-pitch
- To prevent the grinding of teeth
Football players wear mouthguards because during serious collisions, a player cannot control what happens inside the mouth. The chin could be bonked hard and cause biting of the tongue, or inside of the cheek. Or, the mouth could be directly struck by a hand or even fist. The tongue can be ripped open.
The same applies for baseball: for players prone to collisions either with the ball or other players; or for players whose games are negatively impacted by the fear of the ball or colliding.
On rare instances, a baseball player may choose a mouthguard just as something to keep him occupied during the game ~ kind of like the toothpick to manager Dusty Baker. Instead of gum, or tobacco, a player could choose a mouthguard, and even chew on it when not wearing it properly.
Most common use of mouthguards in baseball? Middle infielders (shortstop and 2nd baseman) because of the potential to collide with baserunners, and even each other! And outfielders, who collide with teammates, walls, grass or turf all the time.
A 3rd baseman might wear a mouthguard like the shortstop due to very hard-hit balls right at them. Bad hops on hard grounders are an infielder’s nightmare.
Our Choices: Best Mouthguards for Baseball, for the 2023 Season and Beyond
1. Best Mouthguard for Baseball Overall ~ Shock Doctor Pro Mouthguard
Analysis
There is too much to like with the Shock Doctor Pro Mouthguard, and we’re not alone in noticing. Not only are reviews from users more positive than other mouthguard models, there are a lot of them. Tack onto all the product’s plus elements at a price that is pretty darn good.
Quite frankly, this mouthguard was designed to perform, and already its name is pretty well established in sports where teeth and mouth protection is needed. The dual composite construction along with an internal frame provides peace of mind like no other mouthguard we inspected.
Specifications
- Fitting: Boil and bite
- Material: Dual composite construction
- Weight: 1 gram
- Special Feature(s): Internal frame to absorb shock; option for strap or strapless; braces compatible
What We Like
- The internal frame gives it a special fit, perhaps the most professional among models we tried
- Absorbing front bumper deflects impact from front teeth.
2. Best Mouthguard for Baseball Runner-Up ~ OPRO Gold Level Mouthguard
Whereas our top choice above shined with performance, the OPRO Gold Level Mouthguard is what you want if comfort is the main objective. The company’s patented compression cage works with an inner gel to fit well and protects plenty.
Probably all we need to point to is the fact that this brand is the official supplier of mouthguards for Pop Warner football play, USA Rugby, USA Wrestling; USA Taekwondo; and New Zealand Rugby, among others. They trust the protection; we like that, plus how seamless it feels once fitted.
Specifications
- Fitting: Traditional
- Material: dual layer construction for impact resistance; gel inner channel
- Weight: 2.5 oz.
- Special Feature(s): Advanced fin technology; ultra-high-flow gel
What We Like
- Dentist-designed
- 12-month warranty, and dental cover up to $15,000
3. Best Mouthguard for Baseball 2nd Runner-Up ~ SISU 3D 2.0mm Sports Mouth Guard
Analysis
Some plates new to mouthguards might struggle with being able to do anything (like talk to teammates, or drink fluids) while it’s in place. The model that allows those actions easiest is the thinnest: the SISU 3D 2.0mm Sports Mouth Guard.
This mouthguard is super slim, and even slimmer on the inside, for comfort near the tongue but more plastic in front of the teeth. The Diffusix Technology is engineered into a non-compressible, perforated material which distributes the force of impacts over a larger area. In short, it’s scientifically designed.
Specifications
- Fitting: Boil and mold
- Material: Plastic
- Composition: Diffusix Technology
- Weight: 0.7 ounces
- Special Feature(s): re-moldable; crumple zones; perforations to make breathing easier; compatible with braces
What We Like
- Thin, and different thickness on inside compared to outside (1.6mm inside, 2.0mm outside where the impacts hit
- Limited dental warranty up to $50,000
4. Best Mouthguard for Baseball for Resilience ~ Venum Challenger Mouthguard
Analysis
This company has established itself with sporting goods items to protect other parts of the body (namely the male groin), but there’s a lot to appreciate with the Venum Challenger Mouthguard. The rubber frame alone exudes confidence that it will perform, and helps make it easier to adjust in the mouth.
This mouthpiece was aimed at boxing, so there is engineering specifically to make it easier to breathe through it while in action. If a pitcher chose to wear a mouthguard, this might be the one. A punch in the teeth or a line-drive to the mouth sound like about the same thing, right?
Specifications
- Fitting: Boil and mold
- Material: Plastic, with high-density rubber frame
- Weight: 2.8 oz.
- Special Feature(s): Comes with a protective case to boost cleanliness.
What We Like
- Frame engineered for the constant impacts of boxing
- 30-day manufacturer warranty
5. Best Mouthguard for Baseball for Confidence ~ Delta Dental Athletic Sports Mouth Guard
Analysis
It’s hard to argue with the Delta Dental Athletic Sports Mouth Guard and how much it’s backed by real dentists. It is a bit novel for an oral sporting goods item to be designed by a dental insurance company, but here we are. Aside from cool features, it comes with a dental warranty from an organization which provides huge peace of mind.
A few things jump out here. First, user reviews so far have been off-the-charts good. Then there is the ADA backing, which is nothing to sniff at. Finally, there’s the big draw, the claim that this item provides twice the impact absorption of other mouthguards. That’s a big claim ~ and it appears that Delta Dental is backing it up.
Specifications
- Fitting: Microwavable to heat and mold; can be remolded
- Material: Hydrophobic to prevent saliva absorption, increase longevity
- Weight: 3 oz. each mouth guard
- Special Feature(s): Comes with professional dental protection by the American Dental Association, which includes a $10,000 dental warranty
What We Like
- Thin and very pro breathe-speak-drink designed;, made of material engineered not to absorb saliva and shorten its lifespan
- Claims to provide 2 times the absorption of impacts than “traditional” mouth guards.
6. Best Mouthguard for Baseball for Style Options ~ SAFEJAWZ Mouth Guard Slim Fit
Analysis
The SAFEJAWZ Mouth Guard Slim Fit comes in an array of colors and designs up front including big sharp white fangs to impress or intimidate opponents. That alone is a solid draw point for young shoppers, and to make adults happy the company offers a money-back guarantee on the fit.
The features are solid. This is the first model we ran across that had something to avoid gagging, which is its ultra-slim profile. Then there are the elements the company chose to name themselves, like Fluid Fit technology for easy fitting; ReModel Tech if you have to re-mold; and JawSecure to protect jaws during jarring impacts.
Specifications
- Fitting: Boil and mold
- Material: n/a
- Weight: 0.08 grams
- Special Feature(s): You can even have a handlebar mustache in front if you want
What We Like
- Ultra-slim profile at molars to avoid gagging
- Perfect fit guarantee
