Looks wise, the entire Element line (regular Element which we will be reviewing soon, the U-1 and the U-2) all look pretty similar. They all feature a mainly black design with black text and a small silver ring with the Wolf logo on them. I think this looks very clean and can match well with any head design. The only complaint some might have is the colored line on the Element and U-2, although since my team colors are black and red, this didn't bother me at all.
The U-2 feels very nice in hand. Similar to most other carbon fiber shafts that are on the market today, it has a smooth sandpaper grip which gives you grip when needed without needing too much tape, while still letting your hand slide easily on the shaft. The shape of the shaft is close to a standard octagonal shape, although the sides are a bit curved in with the corners rounded off. I actually really liked how this felt compared to some sharper edges on other shafts but you may lose a slight bit of control. The U-2 is a bit heavier than you would expect from a carbon fiber shaft, which are usually known for being light. As someone who usually uses heavy shafts anyway for the durability and better balance. With a 2 flex, this shaft has very little flex so people who like a lot of flex on their carbon shafts might want to look elsewhere but since I'm used to metal shafts, this was a positive for me.
The most impressive thing about the U-2 is the crazy strength of the shaft. For box lacrosse, a shaft takes a ton of abuse from crosschecks and slashes, so a shaft needs to be quite durable to handle it. Most carbon fiber shafts just don't meet the requirements from a strength standpoint of the box game. The Element U-2 stands out as it has just as much durability as a wooden shaft while being much lighter. This thing takes abuse. Testing it out I beat on it pretty hard and besides a few scratches, there was no signs to it breaking at all.
Having tried many different composite shafts on the market and never really being convinced, the Element U-2 is really the first composite shaft that has made me strongly consider switching over from using titanium. The feel of the shaft in hand, the light weight compared to other "heavy" shafts strong enough to be used in box and the strength of this shaft make me highly recommend it.