Trail Knee Guard Round Up: 10 Options for Different Body Types

 This Pink Bike is what I'm TALKING ABOUT! THANK YOU so MUCH!!!!!! Keep bringing practical content like this, PLEASE!!!!

 Love my Raceface Ambush pads. Strap those suckers to the handlebars on the climbs and put 'em on at the top for the rowdy stuff.

 I missed that option too. Ion K Lite Zip would also be a contender.

 I've had one set of Ambush knee pads as my primary pads for 5-6 years. I've had a few burly crashes in the,and they never slip. The fabric on the knee is JUST starting to wear through to the D30, and velcro for the middle strap has just come apart. I'm thoroughly impressed with the comfort and durability of them. The ease of taking them on and off is the cherry on top. I will never buy a different set of pads again!

 @dirtypants I have those Raceface Ambush pads too and really like them. Except for a near fatal flaw in my books is that the sticky velcro side is on the pad side, not strap side. This means any sticky velcro showing rubs and sticks to the inside of your shorts. The elbow pads are even worse...tearing up the sleeve on your jersey...but who wears elbow pads, right?!

 i didn't even bother reading the article, went straight to comments. RF Ambush looks rather perfect. think i might get some. thanks dirtypants...

 I thought that sliding the pads down from knees onto the calves is in top 10 rules of how to be a genuine Enduro rider...

A helmet with detachable shin (or a fullface hanging on the backpack), elbow guards, giant backpack (alternatively 5L fanny) and... knee guards slid down. You see folks like that and you know they climb almost as well as XCers and descend almost as well as downhillers.

 So Jared testing Dainese has great knee protection but is clearly less worried about looking after his feet

 I keep my Ion K-pacts all day, even in hot weather. You can see the stitching imprinted in my skin when I take them off but it's never too much to deal with. Knee pads are so personal though, there are a lot of good options.

 Zippers on my Ion K-Pact zips too! Love 'em.

 @addatx: I wish I'd gone for the zips, they fit so well the most entertaining and silly part of my day is sliding them off my legs. Claustrophobic people watching usually have heart attacks, hahaha.

I guess they still the zips so I have no excuse. D*mn it!

 yup, and the xl ambushs fit tree trunk legs. on my second set, only because i saw them cheap and thought a new colour would be nice. 7 years and the originals are still going strong, quite a few big bails on them too.

 Good thing for RF Ambush, non of these commentors have tried 7protection Sam Hill or Projects. They would realize when its the right pad you end up forgetting its even on till you get home and undress.

 @H3RESQ: i do that regularly with my ambushs, its just nice to be able to whip them off if having a break, but they are more than comfy enough for 25 mile plus rides.

 @billbrasky: why? I put my knee pads on at the beginning of the ride. Why would you take them on and off?

 @H3RESQ: exactly I don’t even notice the new fox launches.

 I went from a pair of Fox Launch to RF Ambush and the RF's are not as comfortable. Plus the sizing is a bit small (size L is tight and my legs are not that big). They are more convenient though.
I am very tempted to try the K_Pact zips next.

 Came here to give a shout out to the Race Face Flanks if you cherish your shins and not taking your shoes off. Ya'll are brave with just knee pads. Won't post the link, but if you have a strong stomach, check out my carnage album.
Was wearing full shin guards too; )

 @krashDH85: Dang...

 @WAKIdesigns: you just described me to a T, big Evoc Enduro pack and all. And just like Honey Badger, I don’t give a .... :-D

 i never had a great fit in either of my raceface kneepads. my dakine slayers fit really well and have enough protection for trail rides

 well, give us the deets, pete!

 @yarbianthebarbarian: PM me. I’ve got L or XL in most major brands.

 @DrPete: Whats the #1?

 @motard5: #1 in the graveyard, or #1 of the ones I wear? My quads are bigger than my calves so my active ones are Dainese Trailskins 2 for mellow and Leatt 3DF 6.0 for rowdy days.

 Not sure tis review is especiallt accurate - i have some big quads, and I couldn't ven get the XL IXS Flows over my calves, they were a tiny fit

 I once sat down in a shop that had the full range of every single 7IDP pad in every size. Tried every single one on, none fit. The shop had a bunch of other brands & sizes to try out too and they all sucked except the Troy Lee Raid.

Done & dusted. All knee pads are hot as hades & suck in the heat. If I had the Raids in a model that I didn't need to take my shoes off...I'd hate them like all the others.

 @bizutch: Hi Bizutch - I work at 7iDP, I'd really like to know a) which shop had all our pads on stock - as I need to give them a thank you shout out and b) which pads you tried on? Granted not all pads fit all shapes of legs - but we've spent literally hundreds of hours designing and testing our pads with guys like Sam Hill, Steve Peat, Josh Bryceland and Mark Weir :these guys are at the top of their game and have a shit load of experience, so we listen to them and their feedback goes into our production pads. We have one aim: to be the best fitting and most protective pads on the market and whilst we acknowledge we're not perfect we're pretty confident from the majority of our customer feedback that we're on the right track. NB Our Project Knee won a prestigious Eurobike Award in 2018 for design and functionality.

 @bizutch: I've been wearing 7 idp Control knee guard for a few years and it's been comfortable, solid, and pretty breathable. It was the 2nd model I tried, but def fits me better than most!

 @7protection: Hey, do you know if there are any plans on releasing XXL sizes in the future? Cheers

 @Ploutre: Hi Ploutre - not at the moment, sorry to say, but I w ill bring it up at our next design meeting in May.
Are you talking specifically about the Project?

 @7protection: Not necessarily, I have a pair of some previous knee pads from 7idp (can't find the name ... nor the picture ... looks like the Flex, but a bit burlier? Could be the flex actually), but the XL was just too tight. Not many brands make XXL sized pads, and I get it, the market is very limited, but I wouldn't mind buying expensive gear if that meant they fit me, are comfy and do the job

Say £100 for the regular sizes and £120 for the XXL? I'm in.

 @bizutch: I totally agree. The only time I wear pads is when I'm at the park. 26 of saddle time and a slew of pads cast to the purgatory of a duffle bag has taught me that all pads are insufferable beasts in the day-to-day grind. This PNW rider has litttle use for them.

 @bizutch: Raids are nice but like most TLD they expand a full size or so after some wear. Also, you can't remove the 3DO and 3DO does not recommend the material ever gets laundered. That's an issue for me as other brands have removable padding.

 @7protection: It's not your fault, but the shop was Billy Goat Bikes in Asheville, which just closed it's doors last week maybe. I tried them maybe 3 years back, a gravity focused shop so they carried the whole line, which was nice, but no brand fit me happily really. I only mentioned your brand because you offer just about every variation and they were all right there to try, which is rare. No hate toward your designs intended.

I have a bum knee & the opposite knee doesn't tolerate contact pressure from the knee pad itself without instant inflammation. I also have big calves and small joints, so ALL knee pads fit me weird. The one pad you had that was designed with a pre-curve was the one with multiple pad inserts but my odd shape didn't fit my body shape.

My daughter's a "fit freak" too. Both very picky about abrasive or tight/loose fitting clothing. My wife won't shop with either of us & I take her to buy all sports gear cause I can relate. Most people I know can slap on stuff and ignore any tiny bugger thing about it, but I'll explode.

 @davec113: wait...D3O can't be washed? Like to prevent abrasion of the membrane? If so, they'd be unharmed inside a pad like the Raid.
Or D3O doesn't want them getting wet???
Or does detergent eat them?

 @bizutch: "NEVER use cleaners or detergents on or launder your D3O® product. This
may result in irreparable damage and will severely reduce the effectiveness of
your D3O® product"

www.d3o.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/D3O-Consumer-Care-Instructions.pdf

 @bizutch: Our Flex Knee (Mark Weir's 'go to' pad) is the only pad in our current range which was on the market 3 years ago -it's awesome , you also need to try Transition/Sam Hill/Project Series... I guarantee you'll love them! Super comfy/all CE approved protectors. The feedback we get from most of our customers is that they ride up and down in our pads - no need to take off on the ascents!

 CE regs dictate that you shouldn't wash or launder the actual protector - just wipe with a damp cloth.

 @davec113: I've had mine for a few years. I would never think to read washing instructions for a knee pad. How the heck can companies like @troyleedesigns or @7protection make the consumer aware of that.
Wonder if I've damaged the D3O. Website doesn't tell you how you could possibly know.

Nobody's gonna read care instructions on them.

 @Ploutre: We had a brief chat about this last night - it might be something we do on one pad to test the water, as we acknowledge there is a small % of riders who our XL pads don't fit. We'll probably trial the Transition or Sam Hill - as mid priced models, pricing would probably be in line with other sizes as material % increase would not be significant. Only issue from your perspective is that the lead time to make these thinks happen and get to market ( once we say 'do it') is a minimum of 6 months.

 @7protection: Thanks for the heads up, I won't be interested in those (a bit too lightweight for what I'm looking for), but good if you can make those anyway!

 @7protection: when mine ripped after less than 10 rides, customer service basically told me to piss off.

 Sandals and knee guards, look after your knees but f*ck your toes

 The 7iDP project knee pads come down fairly far on the shin. Also G-Form makes a knee guard (the Elite knee-shin) with an integrated shin guard that I have heard is very popular.

 She should try wearing soccer shin pads under long socks , or switch to clip -ins

 For a soft knee/shin combo Destroyer has the Guardsman, 661 has the Rage Knee-Shin, and Alpinestars has the Paragon.

 @nkrohan: Thanks! (and everyone else)....side question. I need something for Little Moab stuff. How do those 7dip pads compare to the POC VPD 2.0? Better?

 Ion k pacts also come with a shinguard. I'm really with the old model (without shinguards).

 I can't fault my IXS Cleaver knee/shin guards - they took a couple of rides to get comfy, but now they are I often don't bother to take them off to drive home. They probably look a bit old school these days, but I don't care and they've saved my legs on many occasions. There is minimal material round the back so I find they don't get too hot although I do live in Scotland.

 @Svinyard: Race Face Flank....my go to

 Don't worry about Jesus boy - God is sponsored by 7iDP and he's got his own signature line:Sam HillKnee !
Good enough for Sam - good enough for Jesus and all us mo fo sinners.

 I have the Slayers too and the only issue I get is that the skin on the back of my knee get's a little worn after wearing them for a while.

 Elbow guard reviews, please! Have not found a pair that don’t slide down.

 @hankthespacecowboy: I've never had any luck with any of the DH or other heavy duty elbow pads, but the Race Face Indy elbow guard has done a great job of staying put for me. They are a bit light duty, but they are comfortable to ride in and stay put which is more than I can say for anything else I have tried.

 @pacificnorthwet: Yah, the RF Indy wins for sure.

 @hankthespacecowboy: Ion elbows work well for me.

 Troy Lee Designs EG 5550 Elbow Protector ! There a tight fit but welded in place even during massive crashes, I still use mine after 5 years.

 I may no longer be able to ride, but I did manage to stack hard last year wearing G-forms and with my camera bag on for added momentum and force at moment of eating shit. I destroyed the left pad but didn't have a mark on my knee. They most definitely work. Can't say that they're ideal in pointy, rocky terrain, where you have to worry about penetration but for straight up impact they work great.

 How big are your thighs above the knee where these pads hit? I'm 24" at 4" above the knee and shopping for my first pair of knee pads.

 My pick too. Easy enough to pull down when climbing too.

 I use Ion BD 2.0 socks. They're socks with shin protection. They've saved me about 4 or 5 times in the past month.

 Try long socks w/ pee wee sized soccer plastic shin guards stuck in them. Cheap at places like Target. Usually bought w/ a sock stitched around them. Just cut off the sock and stick them in your socks. Small so nobody even notices them.

Will it move in a crash? Could. But it's good for pedal strikes and when you kick up rocks (this happens to me a lot).

 There are a lot of great brands not included, Ion, Raceface, TLD, etc.. There is no way to cover every option in one article. This is just a sampling of what fits these individuals. I am a big fan of the Ion knee guards - which is evident if you look at the photos in a lot of my past reviews.

 Agreed. Best pads that I have ever owned. My only beef with them is that flat pedal always hits me exactly under the padding... with 661 Tomcats or POC Airs, it’s been at least 2-3cm below so nobody to blame

 @WAKIdesigns: Surprised you even wear kneepads. I assumed you rode spiked pedals barefoot with no pads and no helmet on your fully rigid 26er.

 @WAKIdesigns: So if you had to buy some new mid-protection knee pads for those rocky days (not full on DH parks)...what would you buy? I need something I can wear all the time that is better than the Paragons I have now. I was thinking the POC VPD 2.0 (seems like people like these) or perhaps these 7dip (sp?) if they are the real deal. Maybe I need to consider the Raids? They look super hot...but maybe that's all these mid-range pads like the VPD 2.0/7Dip

 I used POC VPD 2.0s for years and liked them a lot. Then I got TLD Raids. Like them a LOT better. Solid protection in a lighter package. Doesn’t get as hot, and don’t slip down. VPDs didn’t slip much either, but were more bulky and definitely hotter.

 @WAKIdesigns: Are you a paid troll/commenter?

 Agreed! TLD Raids are awesome. I was surprised they didn't make the list.

 They pack out a full size or so and the 3DO is non-removable, but 3DO care instructions says never to launder the material. This makes the fit too loose and if you do launder them you have to wonder how much you compromised the protection. IME Ion K-Pact are far superior in these areas and a better alternative vs TLD Raid.

 @davec113: That is a stretched argument. I wash my D3O in 30C and it still works. If anything, the damage would be that it would not harden on impact. Which is an unnecessary property anyways. D3O is a half bullsht. Theory is one thing but vast majority of crashes require soft padding that is thick enough for an impacting object to not go through it. This is why every time I crash in my D3O I don't feel any improvement over Fox Launch without it. I choose TLD Raids because they are the comfiest and best fitting me soft pads out there that stay put.

Everything else would fall under rather psychological categories like:
1. I want to buy the best protection I can. I do not want to buy an inferior product.
2. I need to feel that I made the right shopping choice.

Hence a not removable D3O seems worse than option with removable D3O

Considering how much G-Forms or similarly thin pads cost, how poor safety level they provide, I see no reason to whine on TLD or POC for not having removable D3O.

 @WAKIdesigns: "NEVER use cleaners or detergents on or launder your D3O® product. This
may result in irreparable damage and will severely reduce the effectiveness of
your D3O® product"

www.d3o.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/D3O-Consumer-Care-Instructions.pdf

 @davec113: my god... well I will keep using mild detergent at 30C. Did it to two sets of my pads and the inside always survived the outer skin. Want a pic of POC Air insides after at least 20 washes? I wouldn’t be writing this to you if I didn’t go through this on 2 sets with D3o. Now on 3rd one. Washed at least 5 times. Crashed recently, no issues.

I know common sense doesn’t exist but we can at least pretend we are trying to live up to it

 @Svinyard Raids are hot indeed. But not as hot as POC VPD2.0, which feel yuuuge. I mean the knee bit feels like it’s old 661 Tomcat. They feel quite stiff too. I had them for a few months and sold them uncrashed. I’d say Raid is a more heavy duty guard, it deals well with impacts and is still super comfy to pedal in. At least for me. I now want a second set of smaller pads after my PoCs Air died which I honestly wouldn’t recommend to anybody. I want some for Dirt jumping, summer XC rides and winter XC rides to fit under the trousers. Thinking of some small IXS or Sweet Protection, but still with basic beef. Gforms are laughable. These are scrap guards, not knee guards.

 @WAKIdesigns: I washed my Raids at least a dozen times, in a front loader with "natural" laundry detergent, cold wash and rinse, and they still work. But 3DO's statement makes me nervous and I'd prefer to remove the protector before washing.

Common sense is all well and good, but without being an expert on 3DO type material it's hard to know for sure what's ok and what's not wrt cleaning the pads.

 Time to pick up the dumbbells

 @matt-15 try POC Joint system VPD. I hate elbow pads but these worked for me.

 661 rage. I have skinny arms and the M fit snug but don't cut off circulation in attack position.

 Old school DH knee shin that goes to the ankle is still my way to go if stuff gets rowdy. Downside: no enduro lifestyle.

 I crash regularly in slow technical rockgardens and as far i tried:
LEATT - 3DF - slide down under knee during crashing
IXS Carve - very little slide during first ground hit, but protection part still stays over knee (love them, but they are hot, so my bike park choice)
Dakine Anthem - slide down even when just pedal
Ion K-Lite Zip - hold on place during crash, some times necessary to update position after long pedalling (my every ride choice)

PS: i am usually just between M and L size, so this is only my personal experience

 My ion k-pacts are literally impossible to move from my knees. Takes a couple minutes to get them off my legs at the end of the day. Also great coverage and insane protection

 @argonaut45 @SickEdit checkbout super breathable out of the box @rockintor knee shin pads, they are on the way this season finally I heard...

 @Kubajz84: Now that's a test!

 @lindblomxc: Agree, my Ion K-Pact don't move and the couple times I've actually used them I was surprised how well they work.

 where is the IXS daggers?! I want hardcap protection that articulates well enough. pads are going to be hot anyways. might as well slide too.

 I have these too, they were great until a big crash caused my knee to hit brake/dropper controls just above the knee pad. Said knee ended up the size of a melon and black as my liver as a result... havn't worn them since.

 IXS Flow FTW! I have the older version Hans Rey for a couple of years and it's still going strong!

 Look at the measurements of our Tall guy and Large Quad riders. Both their calves were bigger than most the ladies quads.

 I'm about 5'11". My calves are 17.5"/44.5 cm (as measured 6" from the bottom of the knee cap). Quads are 26"/66 cm (as measured 6" from the top of the knee cap). I recently bought my first pair of knee pads: 7iDP Project Knee Lite, XL.

They fit similar to knee warmers (ex-roadie) or at least as close as I thought knee pads could with no frame of reference. And that's what I was looking for in my first pair: be comfortable climbing in Colorado where I live while giving my middle-aged knees at least some protection in the eventual crash.

I wore them in Moab (Mag 7) on their maiden ride and they felt comfortable right from the start. Under my shorts, I wore bibs with a rubber leg gripper that made a nice contact point with the rubber logo on the outside top of the "sock." Smart design on 7iDP's part, and I think this helped keep them up to some degree.

It didn't take long to test them. I fell on a rock slab directly on my left knee and while I definitely felt the impact, my knee was fine (no soreness in the days after). As the reviewer noted, you probably wouldn't want to crash in a rock garden....understandable for a lite knee pad.

Most importantly for me, they stayed in place the entire weekend. Even the gripper on my calves stayed put--not always the case with my knee warmers. This with no straps on top or bottom. I was pleasantly surprised.

I wore them again on Dakota Ridge (Morrison) over the weekend where they saw plenty of hike-a-bike action along with riding. Again, they stayed glued where they needed to--on my big quad and around my calf. While I knew I was wearing them, the compression sock construction made them feel not too dissimilar to knee warmers, albeit thicker versions.

Verdict: Comfortable, minimalist knee protection with a fit (XL) ideal for riders with big quads and calves. So far I'm happy. Hope this helps.

 I have relatively big quads and hams compared to calves. The only thing that really works for me is pads with an adjustable strip just above the calf, or at least a well fit strap around there. Most pads fall off my legs.

 The AVG thigh of a 21+ adult is 21"... that is NOT large at all...

 criticalbody.com/average-thigh-circumference

 Yeah. Sorry we missed that. When I requested the pads they had some staff turnover. I would have hoped they didn't send me a discontinued product for this review, but that might be the case. Sometimes the stars don't all line up.

 My bad. The metric conversions are not my strong point.