Bike Perfect Verdict
Great protection for gravity riders that doesn't come at the expense of comfort
Pros
- +
Comfortable fit
- +
Wide and accurate size range for most riders
- +
Ample levels of on-trail proven protection
Cons
- -
We’re not sure there are any faults
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The Sweet Protection range consists of a full coverage knee/shin pad, a lightweight trail guard, and the popular knee pad that we have on test here. With a burlier construction, we think the pad is best suited to gravity-focused riding genres, although the friendly pedal nature has shown them to be sorted all-rounders and one of the best mountain bike knee pads available.
Construction
At the heart of the knee pad lies a SAS-TEC SCL 2 Viscoelastic one-piece foam cup - in a similar fashion to D30 SAS-TEC it firms up on impact to provide impressive levels of shock/impact absorption. This foam cup is also removable which means the pads can easily be kept fresh and clean with regular machine washes. There’s no additional padding on the sides of the pad (like some burlier downhill options) but we think this is a worthwhile trade-off as it helps to streamline the fit and keep operating temperatures cooler.
Internally the Sweet Protection Knee Pad uses silicone grippers both top and bottom to keep the fit locked in place, and when matched with the generous adjustable strap it means they won’t budge in the event of a crash or when you’re dripping with sweat. Holding the rest of the pad together is a series of stretchy, thin and carefully shaped neoprene panels that are shaped dynamically to suit the anatomy of your legs, and more specifically when you’re in the attack riding position. There’s no vent opening at the rear of the pad but this removes the chance of any unwanted skin pinching when pedaling or maneuvering the bike on the trail. The simple aesthetic and wide size range means they’ll look and feel good for most riders, too.
Performance
We’ve been running the Sweet Protection Knee Pad for a while now and we’re continually amazed at the all-day comfort on offer from a pad with this level of impact protection. A contributing factor to this is how the SAS-TEC foam pad warms up and becomes more malleable during use - meaning it molds and conforms to your every move. This ultimately results in high levels of protection with minimal pedaling compromise, even during big days in the saddle in warmer climates. Unlike some other pads featuring this kind of protection, the overall size is slim and we've experienced no issues fitting them under any of our MTB riding pants or slimmer trail shorts.
Having used these pads for such a long time means we've crash-tested them too, and the results have been impressive. We’ve had a number of knee-biased falls where we could have come off far worse than we actually did - so it's safe to say they do what they're designed to do: protect your knees.
They do run warmer than some slimmer trail pads, but luckily Sweet protection also makes some of our favorite knee guards. If your riding is more XC/trail than gnar focused then the Sweet Protection knee guard may be better suited.
Verdict
Yes, they’re not the cheapest but if you’re looking for a knee pad that offers ample protection with minimal compromise the Sweet Protection Knee Pad is one of the best available. The near-perfect hard-wearing construction provides top-tier comfort and the proven pad keeps you highly protected - this is a product that’s genuinely hard to fault!
Tech Specs: Sweet Protection Knee Pads
- Colors: Black
- Sizes: XS, S, M, L and XL
- Price: €99.95 / £89.99
