ION K-Pact Knee Pad

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Ion have got almost everything right with these slip on knee pads. The Sas-tec impact foam is comfortable and reportedly one of the best at absorbing impact energy. The pads consist of a perforated neoprene sleeve with a mesh layer over the outside and a soft lining. The primary padding is around the knee and extends slightly below the knee cap. There are also two smaller pads on each side of the main pad to protect the sides of your knees. The Sas-tec pads can be removed via a flap on the inside of the pad and its recommended that you do so before washing the sleeves. The exterior of the main pad is covered with an aramid fabric for tear resistance and low friction in a fall. A stand out feature of these close fitting pads is their breathability and comfort. No rubbing on long pedal sessions and not nearly as warm to wear as you might imagine. So much so that I happily wear them while riding home after a session on the trails. I bought these after reading another review where they scored top spot. I wanted pads that fit really well and will not easily shift in a crash. These easily outperform my old 661's in all departments. A proper sleeve with an aramid layer will offer far better protection than a pad with exposed sticky rubber pads that will pull off in a fall. After more than 6 months the pads are holding up well and left me uninjured after a fall directly onto one knee. The only question mark for me is durability. I managed to hook the sleeve on part of my bike while mounting it and it left a small tear in the outer and neoprene sleeve. So far the tear has not propagated and the pads still look and work great. I would not buy anything else...