Akta Trail Knee Pad

Canadian apparel upstart Akta has come to market with a small but focused range of products that has garnered positive attention with the form, fit, and function boxes seemingly ticked in everything they make. We recently reviewed their all-new Trail Vest alongside other existing apparel pieces and we came away impressed, so we were curious to give Akta’s knee guard a spin as well. Incidentally, "akta" means "beware" or "be careful" in Swedish, which seems like a particularly well-chosen moniker in this case even though the founders of this British Colombia brand claim that they came up with the name without prior familiarity with its Nordic connotation.

Akta Trail Knee Guard Highlights

• D3O® Certified EN1621-1:2012 LP1 knee insert
• Perforated high impact EVA foam at the shin and sides of knee for increased protection
• 4-way stretch Aramid covers the entire front of leg for increased durability
• Laser perforated bonded TPR at front of knee for increased ventilation
• Extended top opening to fit under a bib
• Compression top and bottom elastic with silicone print keeps pad in place
• Perforated stretch calf straps help lock pad into place
• High breathability mesh at back of leg plus a cut-out for increased pedaling comfort
• MSRP: $110 USD

Initial Impressions

The Akta Trail guard follows a well-established recipe for knee protection that is designed to be comfortable to wear both while pedaling and descending. It is built around an elastic sleeve that holds a main protective insert in place in front of the knee – Akta went with a classic D3O variant for this one. It is certified to CE Level 1, which leaves it on pace with some other guards in the category while trailing those that offer Level 2 protection in similar packages. The insert is easy to remove when washing the guard.

To provide a little extra protection along the sides as well as above and below the knee joint, Akta added a layer of protective foam that extends all the way around the main D3O insert, similar to the well-regarded Sam Hill guard from 7iDP - albeit with a slightly smaller and thinner foam ring. There is a wide elastic band at the top of the guard, equipped with a silicone gripper, and a thinner band/gripper combo at the rear of the bottom hem. For improved retention, Akta added a stretchy strap around the back of the calf as well. 

The rear of the guard features a thin and breathable mesh, while the front is covered in a much more durable Aramid fabric. There are a couple of small sets of laser-cut ventilation holes in the front panel– we like the addition of a bonded TPR layer in these areas to help protect against the holes ripping if they should catch onto something grabby as you slide along the dirt.

On The Trail

The Trail guard is very comfortable right out of the box. The preformed shape matches the position of the leg on the bike, and the silicone strips are grippy without being overly grabby. The top hem extends quite far up the leg, which is always good for retention. Just remember to tuck the hem of the guard UNDER the chamois liner if those two should happen to end up vying for the same real estate on your thigh.

The Trail guard runs fairly relaxed in terms of sizing. This tester (yours truly) stands 6’0” tall (1m84), and weighs around 200lbs or so (~90kgs). The relevant knee measurements follow:

Thigh circumference (15cm above knee): 50cm
Thigh circumference (18cm above knee): 53cm
Knee joint circumference: 41cm
Calf circumference (15cm below knee): 38cm

For this tester, the size L Trail guard is generously sized. The fit is snug without being tight at all. Comparing the Akta guard to the 3 guards tested in our latest comparison feature, the Akta offers the most relaxed fit of them all – a tad looser than the Fox Enduro and the DHaRCO Gravity guards, and a lot looser than the ION Arcon LT. In terms of protection, the Akta makes do with CE Level 1 for the main insert while both the DHaRCO and ION guards offer Level 2, but the Akta scores higher in terms of auxiliary protection thanks to the extra foam ring that extends all the way around the main insert.

In action, the Akta guard basically makes itself completely forgotten. It’s super comfortable to pedal in, and despite the relaxed fit it we did not notice any unwanted movement even after several hours in the saddle. The preformed shape and the strap behind the calf are both to thank for that, most probably. Note that we did not experience any bulking along the sides, which can sometimes be an issue when the overall fit is on the loose side. Here, the curving of the D3O insert and the foam ring matches the shape of the leg which avoids any of the dreaded looseness along the side of the knee.

In terms of protection, we have thankfully avoided any serious dirt naps while testing the Trail guard, so we can’t offer any first-hand experience of what it’s like to crash in it. We know from previous experience that the classic D3O insert will do a respectable job when called upon, and the auxiliary foam ring adds a little extra peace of mind when it comes to top-tube bumps and impromptu encounters with other immovable objects.

What’s The Bottom Line?

There is no shortage of options in the pedal-able knee protection market today. Akta’s Trail guard is based on a classic recipe, but the addition of a generous extra layer of lateral protection and the very functional shape help it make a case for itself among the other contestants. Sure, the insert is only certified to CE Level 1, but this still offers adequate protection for “normal” crashes, and we certainly feel like this one is a good choice for anybody looking for wrap-around protection in a very pedal-friendly package.

More information at: aktamtb.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 52 // Years Riding MTB: 20 // Weight: 190-pounds (87 kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord and Nils Hjord