The low phosphorus (LP), medium phosphorus (MP), and high phosphorus (HP) three nickel phosphorus (Ni-P) powders were employed as supports of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) to fabricate MoS2/Ni-P composites (MoS2/Ni-LP, MoS2/Ni-MP, and MoS2/Ni-HP) via a hydrothermal technique. Crystal structures, morphologies, components and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances of them were characterized and evaluated. During the incorporation between MoS2 and Ni-P, the crystallization of Ni-P powders and the presence of metastable nickel phosphides can be validated; also, the 2H-MoS2 tends to transfer to the phase of 1T-MoS2. Compared with MoS2 and Ni-P samples, MoS2/Ni-P composites show a higher HER property. Prominent HER behaviors of the composites can be due to the presence of monolayer 1T-MoS2 on the surface, the excellent conductivity of Ni-P powder at the bottom, as well as the coexistence of nickel phosphides. Among the three composites, MoS2/Ni-MP exhibits the remarkably electrocatalytic activity. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.