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I picked up a set of EVS slayco96 knee pads to try out. These tick a lot of boxes. CE level ii rated, super comfortable, not heavy at 680 grams for the pair, and have shin protection. They pass the “drop to your knees on concrete” impact test and I believe they would be very protective in a serious crash.
Unfortunately, I usually ride in pants and these are just too bulky for mtb pants. Makes sense, they are intended for motocross. If anyone rides in shorts, and is looking for super comfy pads with a high level of protection, these are a great option. For reference I wear L/XL in Leatt and the fit is perfect on these also in size L/XL. Also currently on sale for $99 and EVS has a 20% off code that stacks on top of that.
Thank you for the tip. Is HOOKIT2025 the code that you used? $80 sounds like a great deal for these.
Yeah that sounds like the code I used. I thought for sure they would have disabled on the slayco96 as these are already almost 40% off, but it worked
I was struck by an odd idea today. I like the leatt 6.0 3df knee, but the 3df foam impact pad is quite thin on the sides and I’m not inspired by the protection level for a sideways hit or if the pad slides at all.
I was thinking about this issue and realized I have extra d30 pads that I could pull out of raceface elbow guards. I decided to double stack the pads inside the leatt, and it works great. The addition of the d30 pad creates a very robust feeling pad, that I believe would take a heavy impact quite well. I also took a look at the d30 data sheet and found that even though it’s only a “level 1” pad, it does surpass the impact tests for CE level 2. So I’ve basically got a knee pad with two CE level 2 inserts in it, and it’s still relatively low profile.
I think this could work quite well. It definitely ups the impact protection. There are still some dead spots in the pad which I'm not in love with, but overall it's pretty good. It’s light-ish (370g per pad in L/XL), has good shin protection, and is low enough profile to fit under pants.
Hallo guys and happy holidays! Has anyone experience in these 2, so as to be able to compare them?
- Ion Arcon LT
- Alpinestars A-Impact Plasma Elite Shield
I would like the best breathability in relation with comfort/safety.
Both level 2, but the hard cap of the alpinestars makes it burlier! Don't know how much it affects breathability and comfort though.
Can't find any reviews on the alpinestars. Seems an interesting knee pad. Are they a new product?
PS. The ion arcon lt would be a relatively cool pad for 35C/95F temperatures?
https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/kneeshin-pads/akta/trail-50806
Vital review of Aktas posted today. Lot of people swear by these especially if they were swayed away from Rapha with the new pricing and maybe don't want something quite as big/bulky as the Arcon or similar options.
I literally steal my GF's Rapha pads so I'd love to give these things a try since I'll likely never own Raphas for myself lol
I have also been interested in the alpine stars plasma elite shield knee pads, but they are sold out in the states at the moment.
My read from looking at the alpinestars is that it’s more of a full on downhill pad, whereas the Arcon LT is more suited to enduro. I’ve test fitted the Arcon and found it didn’t have the amount of padding I’m looking for in a knee pad. It has great coverage and breathability tho, so might be good for you if that’s what you’re looking for.
Competitive Cyclist has Rapha XL pads on sale now.
Just a short update to say: I tried L-sized Ion Arçon for a short ride few days ago. Confirmed the fit and they feel pretty great (I forget them as I am riding). So, again, the last Vital benchmark seems pretty honest/trustworthy to me. Hope it will help more people in the future.
Mine arrived today. I wasn't expecting the inner sleeves, but they are super comfortable and feel bombproof. Thanks for the tip!
Alright I’ve found a winner for DH worthy knee pads
The POC VPD 2.0 long. They are extremely protective. They wrap around your knee and stay in place well for a full day of riding. They are CE level 2 rated and just checking them out you can tell they are robust and built to handle heavy hits. I crashed on hardpack 2 weeks ago and the pads worked great.
I measured right on the border of medium and large on the POC size chart. I got the large because I heard these run small and I’m very happy I did. The large is the ideal size for me. Snug but not overly tight.
Cons: heavy, 880g for the pair. Probably get very hot in the summer. Maybe not the most comfortable option for long days of pedaling.
If you want something protective for shuttle days / bike park / ebike DH days, these are hard to beat IMO. I also picked up another pad for more trail type riding and I’ll post a review after I log some time in that pad.
OP, Was going to recommend these since you mentioned them in your original post but see you found them. I ran these in 90+ degree summer heat and they weren’t any hotter than the Ion zips I was using before.
I bought mine on eBay for $40 shipped NIB.
Guys, anyone that has these pads? Can you share your experience in terms of fit, protection and breathability?
Seems like a good choice for level 2 breathable knee pads.
Arto MTB Kneepads for Trail, Enduro, DH, E-MTB | Bluegrass
If not, does anyone have experience with other bluegrass knee pads? How is the quality and materials?
Those look strikingly similar in construction to ION k-lite/k-pact which are my favorite knees ever. MET/Bluegrass makes other things for ION so maybe there is some manufacturing/design sharing going on there. Hard to tell what the material is, I like the IONs because its mostly neoprene, polyester feels gross to me. Never tried any pads from bluegrass but the helmets are always quality and sized well
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