For most women, unisex sizing is an absolute nightmare. Items are either far too large or too snug, too boxy or the fit is just off. Knee pad sizing is, unfortunately, no different. Each brand&#;s sizing guide differs from the next, and when you&#;ve got thighs and womanly curves, finding knee pads that fit properly &#; and that will stay in place while riding &#; can be a struggle.
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So we hoped to take some of the guesswork out of it for you by trying on pads, both soft and hard shells, from some leading brands. While simply sizing down may work for women when it comes to some types of unisex bike gear, that&#;s not the case when it comes to knee pads.
Based on measurements we received test items in anything from a size small to an XXL! I&#;ll admit that my body image took a bit of hit; I know I&#;m not a small woman by any means but a double XL in unisex sizing seems a bit extreme. But more noteworthy here is that all the pads fit&#; sorta, kinda.
I&#;ll start with some general tips for buying mountain bike knee pads, and then I&#;ll go through each pair tested and describe fit, feel, and features.
I created this little graph as a quick, go-to guide for the next time you&#;re shopping for knee pads from any of the brands tested here. Note: these sizes are based off your thigh / above the knee measurements.
For reference, my measurements are as followed:
A note on my personal preferences: I like my clothing and protective gear to be nearly invisible so I can ride unrestricted and with complete freedom of movement. As such, I don&#;t like the pads to feel tight, especially around my thighs &#; I loathe &#;sausage legs&#;&#; and thus I tend to size up and base my sizing around the &#;above the knee&#; measurement. The problem I had across all brands was that the pads would fit okay above the knee, but the bands below the knee were so loose that they offered little to no aid in helping the pads stay in place. My take-away was that a little sausage leg is ok if it means that the pads stay put. Protection over fashion! Plus, bunched-up fabric causes chafing.
Fit and Feel
Unlike the majority of pads in this list, the Slayer Pro is definitely on the more serious and burlier side of protection. It&#;s a hard shell that offers quite a bit of coverage, including foam padding and a thicker, abrasion-resistant Cordura fabric on the sides. The back is fully covered with a breathable, narrow mesh fabric coverage.
The pads go on and off easily, and the silicone grippers on both the top and bottom cuffs pair with the upper strap to ensure a secure fit. I probably could have sized down on this pad: it is quite roomy overall, the bottom cuff is far too big, and the fabric bunches together while riding. However, thanks to the strap, they do stay in place and are plenty comfortable on the downhill.
While advertised as &#;pedal-friendly,&#; I find the pads too bulky and too warm to wear on the up or on pedally sections. I wouldn&#;t recommend these for XC riders, but for trail and all-mountain rides, this pad will offer ample protection at a light weight.
Did it stay up? Yes.
Fit: Roomy around the knee, snug around the upper cuff.
Fit and Feel
The D3O® inserts are among the smallest in this review yet offer substantial coverage. The thin, lycra-like fabric and wide mesh back make the pads feel more like knee warmers than knee guards, which is certainly a positive for long days of pedaling.
But while the airflow and comfort are great, the thin fabric doesn&#;t appear to be very tear- or abrasion-resistant. With that said, the D3O® removable insert and knee coverage are confidence-inspiring despite the thin pad size.
The upper cuff and gripper could be wider, and the pads do slowly meander down throughout the ride. Perhaps a factor here is that the pad itself has no contouring and thus moves around a little. But the occasional adjustments are well worth the all-day comfort and breathability.
Did it stay up? Mostly.
Fit: Overall, good. Form-fitting around thigh and calf, and a tad too roomy around the back of the knee.
Fit and Feel
The Ion K-Traze AMP knee pad is built around a SAS-TEC pad with a thin plastic layer on top. The pad is designed to harden upon impact while the plastic wards off sharp rocks or pokey branches. Surrounding perforated neoprene and foam padding offer additional protection, while mesh fabric and a back-of-the-knee cutout provide good airflow.
These knee pads are the only ones in this review that offer the convenience of a zipper, rather than a pull-on design, meaning you can put these on at any point in the ride without having to take your shoes off. You can just throw them in your bag and put them on after you&#;re done climbing.
However, they&#;re also the shortest in the bunch, and I&#;d prefer a tad more coverage, especially above the knee. But the nice wide silicone gripper and the velcro strap on the upper cuff ensured that the knee guards stayed in place. There&#;s a silicone gripper on the bottom cuff as well, however, since the lower cuff was too loose for my legs, it offered no benefit.
Also note that if you&#;re wearing shorts on the shorter end or you have a long inseam, there will be an awkward skin gap between the knee protection and your shorts.
Whilst these pads are more All-Mountain and Enduro oriented, the airflow and ventilation provide enough comfort to wear them while pedaling. And any concerns about chafing or irritation behind the zipper are quickly forgotten; the zippers are completely unobtrusive.
Did it stay up? Yes.
Fit: Too roomy around the knee, loose below the knee. I should have sized down. Relied on strap to keep it in place.
Fit and Feel
Pearl Izumi is not a brand that springs to mind when one thinks of mountain bike protection, which is why these knee pads took me by the most pleasant of surprises.
The Summit Knee Guard was designed around pedal comfort, hoping to eliminate the need to wear your knee pads around your ankles on the climb up.
Inspired by knee warmer designs, the knee pads offer a lot of fabric above and below the knee, which is made entirely of wide mesh fabric and kept in place with nice, wide cuffs. So much mesh makes them highly breathable and very lightweight, though perhaps also fragile when it comes to tears and scrapes.
The knee guard itself is a D3O insert inside a lightweight, four-way stretch Cordura® fabric &#; much like the Fox and Troy Lee pads also mentioned in this review. However, unlike the Fox Enduro pad, this knee guard is pre-shaped to help it stay put.
The back of the knee is kept completely open and fabric-free, which looks a bit odd yet prevents any chafing from bunched-up fabric and certainly added to the pedaling comfort.
The bands are a bit snug so I think I would prefer a medium. Still, in offering low-impact coverage at minimal weight and restriction-free movement, this pad was my top choice for trail riders who like to pedal and keep their pads on all day.
Did they stay up? Yes.
Fit: Snug, much like a knee warmers. If you&#;re between sizes, go for the bigger size.
Fit and Feel
While flexible, the POC&#;s VPD System Lite knee pads will harden on impact and are said to offer &#;extreme impact absorption&#; suitable for Enduro or aggressive trail riding. As such, they sit somewhere between the thin D3O® insert pads in this review and the Dakine Slayer Pro in terms of protection.
Comfort-wise however, I could wear these all day. They slip on and off easily &#;alas, a tad too easily&#; and sport nice, wide silicone cuffs on the top and bottom. They also feel flexible and soft.
A durable, abrasion-resistant fabric surrounds the VPD cup and a porous, thin fabric covers the back. Paired with a series of vents in the cup itself, there is a fair bit of breathability.
I do get a bit sweaty under these pads but the body heat is actually a good thing. According to POC, the 3D-molded VPD cup warms to the body and flexes for a personalized fit.
Among the mid-level knee guards, these POC VPD System Lite pads are the most comfortable, but they do slip down on me quite a bit, meaning that I have to re-adjust them at every break. Perhaps the addition of a top strap would make these standouts.
Did they stay up? Alas, no.
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Fit: Loose. Could have sized down.
Fit and Feel
Out of the bag, these pads felt incredibly lightweight and thin.
This lycra sleeve pad is built around a SLYTECH&#;Flexi Foam cup, which much like the 3DO inserts mentioned before, is lightweight and flexible to the touch but hardens on impact.
A combination of thin spandex and mesh fabric surrounds the contoured cup, which keeps the weight minimal while offering full stretch and superior ventilation.
To keep everything in place, these pads rely on the pre-shaped cup, a silicone gripper behind the knee, and rather thin silicone cuffs.
The pads feel very airy and lightweight, however the downside to this exceptionally thin fabric, especially in the back of the leg, is that I worry it doesn&#;t provide enough protection. The overall fit is too loose for me and the sleeves do not stay up.
I fear that these will stretch out over time and doubt the lycra will be able to withstand much abrasion.
Did they stay up? No.
Fit: Too loose.
Beefier than the SHRED. Flexi Knee Pads Lite reviewed above, the Enduro version offers an added level of protection for more aggressive trail and enduro riding. These pull-on pads utilize the same SLYTECH foam cup as mentioned above but sport additional foam padding below the knee cap and on the sides.
Whilst still impressively lightweight, the fabric sleeve used in the Enduro version is a thicker neoprene material that appears to be more abrasion and puncture resistance, and less stretchy. There&#;s a silicone gripper behind the knee as well as a velcro strap on the top cuff to keep the pads in place.
The enduro version is certainly bulkier and less airy than the trail-riding-oriented pads above, and the thicker, less stretchy material actually helped keep the pads in place. They certainly felt more sturdy yet comfortable at the same time.
Did they stay up: Yes.
Fit: Form-fitting with a good strap on top to adjust size.
Fit and Feel
These are easily the longest sleeves in the bunch, reaching well up the thigh and down to mid-lower calf. They slip on easily and feel soft and flexible.
The lycra sleeves offer four-way stretch and the entire back is made of a thin, mesh fabric with a silicone gripper at the back of the knee to prevent bunching. The cuffs offer a silicone gripper as well, but I would have liked wider bands.
The protection comes from the D3O® inserts, which are thin and flexible and will harden on impact.
The ventilation is good and they felt comfortable enough for pedaling, and because the sleeves come so high up the thigh, they did not slide down much.
The sizing on these pads are, however, the smallest of the bunch and you will have to size way up, especially if you have thigh muscle. This means that I ended up with a XL/XXL, which fit around the thigh, but the bottom cuff is far too loose.
Did it stay up: Yes.
Fit: Super snug sizing and quite long. Not ideal for shorter riders.
My top choice for trail riders who like to pedal and keep their pads on all day are the Pearl Izumi Summit Knee Guards. For aggressive trail or enduro riding, I like the POC VPD System Lite if you can get a better fit than I did. Otherwise, my second choice is a pair of SHRED. Flexi Enduro pads.
When was the last time you hit the trails without knee pads? If you ask us, we hardly ever leave the house with bare knees &#; and we strongly hope you do the same! We put 14 lightweight knee pads through the wringer to tell you how they differ from each other, and which model offers the best balance of comfort and protection.
Alongside helmets, knee pads have become an integral part of many riders&#; equipment. The market for knee pads is huge and includes everything from slim and super-light models to bulky, heavy-duty protectors. However, most riders tend to roam on their home trails and negotiate climbs under their own steam. For this type of rider, a comfortable lightweight knee pad is the optimal choice &#; and yet a high level of protection is paramount!
We put 14 lightweight knee pads through the wringer, both in a high-tech laboratory and on various trails around the globe. All models in this test feature either a polyurethane or viscoelastic foam protector. These materials have become increasingly popular over the past few years, because they offer better protection and absorb impact forces more efficiently than conventional hard-shell models. Moreover, the malleable materials ensure a higher level of comfort and can take multiple hits, returning to their original shape after an impact and thus continuing to offer reliable protection.
There are more knee pads on the market than stars in the firmament and yet only the best models manage to strike the optimal balance between protection and ventilation while at the same time ensuring a high level of comfort. Needless to say, manufacturing quality and look also play a crucial role.
First and foremost, all knee pads in this test meet the EN -1: Standard for motorcycle limb joint impact protection, thus offering a high level of protection. However, there are still differences within the same standard &#; it includes two different protection levels, which indicate how much residual force may reach the knee with a given impact. Another crucial factor is the size of the protector and the extent to which this encloses the knee to protect it against lateral impacts. Here, protection isn&#;t just about size and beefiness, but also about the quality of the material of the protector and the fit &#; a knee pad can only offer a good level of protection if it doesn&#;t slip during a crash. Some models also have additional layers of simple PU foam sewn into the side, but these don&#;t add much to the protective qualities of the knee pad.
Comfort should be high on your priority list when choosing a knee pad, especially if you&#;re planning to spend long days in the saddle. A slight pressure on the shin, a pinch at the back of the knee or light rubbing sensation on the calf might not a be that big of a deal on a short post-work ride, but could potentially transform a fun day out in the mountains into a real suffer fest if you spend many hours pedalling with the knee pads on &#; especially when you&#;re on a four-day backcountry expedition with your mates and can already feel the pads chafing your legs after the first few kilometres&#;
With all things protection, a good fit is essential &#; and knee pads are no exception. Having to pull up a slipping knee pad every two minutes is a real pain and if the pad doesn&#;t sit where you need it during a crash, shit quickly hits the fan. Needless to say, knee pads should fit well with both short and long trousers. The manufacturers in this test use a few different approaches to make sure their pads stay put: some use a simple slip-on, sock-like sleeve while others rely on a Velcro fastener to secure the pad to the thigh, calf or the back of the knee. Most models feature a rubber or silicone strip on the thigh or calf to prevent it from slipping. This leads to another important criterion: how easy it is to put on and take off the knee pad.
The level of ventilation of a knee pad depends on multiple factors, one of them being the type and thickness of the material. Another is the design of the main sleeve that holds the protector, with some manufacturers relying on an open design at the rear and others covering the hollow of the knee with a thin mesh. Most knee pads in this test rely on vent holes in the protector pad, while some also feature perforations and vents in the sleeve to help ensure a good interior climate.
Last but not least, knee pads form part of your outfit and, if possible, should match the style of your riding gear. Alongside style, we also take into account other practical aspects such as packability and dimensions. Are the protectors removable or sewn into the sleeve? Moreover, different manufacturers recommend different washing programmes, which can vary greatly from knee pad to knee pad! Regardless of the manufacturer&#;s recommendations, we always recommend washing knee pads with integrated protectors by hand. Even if the foam or rubber protector doesn&#;t absorb water, it could be damaged by mechanical stress in a washing machine.
We carried out this test in two phases; first in a laboratory, and then on the trail. We didn&#;t want to try our luck having lots of crashes to find out which pads work best, so In the lab, we measured the protectors&#; capacity for shock absorption, while on the trail, we asked our editorial team to rate the pads for comfort, fit, ventilation and looks.
For the first testing phase, we teamed up with protector specialist SAS-TEC and carried out a simplified version of the CE test in their high-tech facilities to ensure that all protectors meet the EN -1: Standard for motorcycle limb joint impact protection. Since there is no official certification for mountain bike protectors, the EN -1: Standard is used as a reference. Each model was subjected to an impact with a 5 kg weight, dropped from a height of one metre. A hemispherical anvil replicates the knee joint while a number of sensors measure the residual force and draw a force curve. Without a protector, the impact force on the anvil reads around 180 kN, which corresponds to +/- 18 tonnes. With protection Level 1, the average residual force distributed over 9 measuring points must not exceed 35 kN. With Level 2 the average residual force must remain below 20 kN.
With each protector, we measured the average residual force in three different points, once with the fabric sleeve and once without. As already mentioned, all contestants in this comparison test successfully cleared Level 1, with some models even passing the stricter Level 2 requirements &#; however, the latter are also a little beefier and heavier than their Level 1 counterparts. This means that all protectors in this test reduce the force acting on the knees by at least 80%.
Above are two examples of force curves. The diagram to the left shows the average residual force of a protector that isn&#;t included in this test while the graph to the right belongs to one of the tested models &#; and that&#;s a good curve! The two decisive values in the graph are the maximum force and the time at which this occurs. The linear and, above all, moderate increase of the right-hand curve means that the applied forces don&#;t act suddenly and abruptly, but rather moderately and gently as they are mostly absorbed by the protector, which means that the body can still tolerate them. With slower forces (we&#;re still talking about milliseconds though!), the body tissue can still deform and the leg moves to the side. In addition, the maximum force applied is around 11 kN, which is well below the specified limits. Compare this with the left graph, where the force curve steepens suddenly, peaking at 45kN. Here, the body tissues and bones take the brunt of the impact, which far exceeds the levels permitted by the test standard.
The practical tests were carried out by our editorial team, who wore the knee pads on countless post-work rides, epic backcountry expeditions and bike park weekends in all possible conditions. Given the different anatomical proportions of our test riders and the different scenarios in which we tested, we were able to get a good overall picture of which protectors are ENDURO-approved and which ones aren&#;t.
Our test field consists of 14 knee pads from the most popular brands. Although all models employ similar or, in some cases, even identical protectors, the pads differ significantly in comfort, weight, style and protection.
The lab test results show an average of three readings, one taken at the centre of the kneecap, one below the kneecap, and one side impact. For each pad, you will see the maximum residual force recorded, and the time from impact it was recorded. A pad with a low maximum residual force and long delay should provide better protection than one which delivers a higher amount of force in a shorter time. The weight refers to the size M of each model.
The test field of our knee pad comparison test is big and all protectors have their pros and cons &#; you&#;ll find all of them in their respective reviews. The one protector that manages to combine the most important qualities, sometimes even merging supposedly antithetical properties, is the Rapha Trail Knee Pad. Despite renouncing a Velcro strap, it fits like a glove and is incredibly comfortable even after a long day in the saddle. As if that wasn&#;t good enough, it employs one of the best-performing protectors in the entire test field &#; a well-deserved Best in Test!
A knee pad that fits like no other in this test field is the 100% Teratec Plus. Thanks to its wide cuff on the thigh, it doesn&#;t budge a millimetre even in the roughest trail sections. In addition, we found it to be the most comfortable model for pedalling missions. Our undisputed Best Buy Tip!
Good news from our knee pad group test: all models in this test offer a good level of protection! Moreover, they all employ a soft protector that ensures a high level of comfort and excellent shock absorption. In terms of ventilation and fit, however, there are some major differences between the models. However, the choice of knee pads strongly depends on your anatomy and your needs and preferences; because the best knee pads are always the ones you actually wear.
All kneepads in test: 100% Teratec Plus (Click for review) | Alpinestars Paragon Plus (Click for review) | AMPLIFI Havok (Click for review) | Chromag Rift Knee Guard (Click for review) | Fox Launch D3O (Click for review) | Ion K Lite (Click for review) | iXS FLOW EVO+ (Click for review) | Leatt AirFlex Pro (Click for review) | Ortema GP5 Knee Protector (Click for review) | Pearl Izumi Elevate Knee Guard V1 (Click for review) | POC Joint VPD 2.0 Knee (Click for review) | Rapha Trail Knee Pad (Click for review) | Scott Soldier 2 (Click for review) | Troy Lee Designs Stage (Click for review)
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Words: Simon Kohler Photos: Various
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