Review: Dainese Armoform Knee Guards
My earliest memories of downhill mountain biking always include full body 'turtle suits' from Dainese. I even had one of the massive exo-skeleton-like onesies myself. But, they were hot and uncomfortable, and ever since Sam Hill came along in the mid '00s wearing soft 661 knee pads and making flat pedals cool again, most mountain bikers have been wearing that style of pad ever since.
Hardshell pads fell out of favor because of bulk and lack of comfort, but there are advantages to plastic, mainly in the way they to slide over dirt and protect against sharp edges and points that non-Newtonian foams like D30 or similar can't always save kneecaps from.
The Armoform knee pads from Dainese offer an articulated fit, with three separate shells joined to a fabric sleeve. The shells are perforated with a fractal-inspired pattern that's similar to the lightweight Trail Skins 2 pad; behind the plastic is memory foam and a couple of extra soft pads on the outside of the knee. Silicone backed elastic straps are adjustable with Velcro closures top and bottom, and there is also an extra strap which goes over the top of the calf muscle to adjust the fit.
The Armoform knee pads from Dainese offer an articulated fit, with three separate shells joined to a fabric sleeve. The shells are perforated with a fractal-inspired pattern that's similar to the lightweight Trail Skins 2 pad; behind the plastic is memory foam and a couple of extra soft pads on the outside of the knee. Silicone backed elastic straps are adjustable with Velcro closures top and bottom, and there is also an extra strap which goes over the top of the calf muscle to adjust the fit.
Armoform Knee Details
• Articulated hard-shell kneepads
• Memory foam with polyethylene hard shell
• Elastic straps with silicone grippers
• Available in black only
• S, M, L, XL
• $99USD / €99
• dainese.com
The hard-shell pattern is based on fractals and should allow good airflow.
There are soft memory foam pads on the outside of the knee along with an elasticized Velcro strap to adjust the fit.
The articulated design means the pad can move freely with your joints.
Performance
This test set of Armoform pads have accompanied me on over 300kms of riding, including shuttling with downhill bikes and epic, yes I am going to say it, epic eMTB rides. Weighing in at 470 grams for the pair they are lightweight, and the articulated system means the pads pull less on your skin and joints while pedaling than most soft knee pads. The perforated outer shell and inner foam let air flow through the pads, which can be felt directly on your skin, this, combined with the main knee shell not touching your skin, gives a very cool and airy fit.
The only downside of the pads I found is that there are a few too many hard edges, and stitching inside the pad that can cause some irritation when riding, but this is simply more of an annoyance than abrasion.
Pinkbike's Take:
 | Overall, the Armoform pads offer a secure fit, and are a lightweight and comfortable option for riders looking for a hard-shelled pad and their protection benefits. |
MENTIONS: @Dainese
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Every pad I have owned (and I've owned a lot of 'high end' pads, such as POC, IXS slope, 661 Strait etc.) has suffered from this and it could have been avoided with a nice simple smooth plastic cup (I currently own Fox Launch Pro pads and the fox logo on them is raised, so they will most likely snag as well)
We modified the former range / hardcap molds exactly according to what you said above (yes, I am a Leatt employee).
They are best I've ever had , no slippage at all , easy to peddle in and no rubbing .
I am actually going to do this. As soon as replacement caps are in stock at CRC!
I'm Dainesse owner too, but more light model «trail skins» — it is a best knees pad what i used (661, fox, fuze and tsg). BUT resin ribons are very sprawling past six month and i no idea how to replace they. One spoon shit in big honey pot.
A modern western intelligent young man should work as a JS developer using Macbook, with iPhone of course, be a vegan, do CrossFit, have a beard, listen to indie music on vynils, do his own craft beer and ride an e-bike. Any mother will be happy to find this type of groom to her daughter!
Look at those graphs. Now tell me how on earth hard shells are the way forward? Hard shell armor is more likely to break bones and bruise organs. A little snag on a rock? Never had that problem with anything BUT hardshell pads. It's the same logic as people use to justify wearing DOT Snell helmets on their mountain bike.
Or maybe, Dainese needs to get with the program.
I like the cap on 7iDP Control knees. It's a poly fiber shell (weak carbon fiber) but it slides and lasts. POC and Fox have the right idea with a hard cap over visco. too.
Great padds they are !!
I use them 5-6 months
Super ventilated
Light
Comfortable
Odd sizing/tight
The name Dainese used was 'Safety Jacket'
I imported one from France in 1996, and wore it under my leathers
I think I paid just over $300 for it back then