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Bluegrass Skinny D3O knee pads review

Reliable protection for your knees

Our rating

3.5

130.00

85.00

Bluegrass Skinny D3O knee pads

Robin Weaver

Published: April 11, 2018 at 3:00 pm

Our review

Decent coverage and comfort at a competitive price Buy if, You're looking for a reliable way to keep your kneecaps intact

Pros:

Comfy for all-day stints in the hills, nicely shaped, a decent amount of coverage, not too sweaty

Cons:

Some might find the lower pad opening needs adjusting, deep knee cup’s means you don’t always feel locked into these pads

These premium versions of Bluegrass’s Skinny pads use a D3O knee cup that hardens upon impact to boost protection without affecting comfort.

The mesh back helps keep everything in place and stops the pads flaring when your knee is fully bent

With no straps, they rely on the tightness of the sleeve to keep them up, along with silicone grippers at the top and bottom. The mesh back helps keep everything in place and stops the pads flaring when your knee is fully bent. It also stops things getting too sweaty.

I found the pads to be comfortable even on long days in the hills — but that was only once I pulled the lower opening up so that it sat above the calf muscle rather than across it.

The pre-shaped D3O knee cup conforms to the leg nicely, wraps around the knee and offers a decent amount of coverage. It never once restricted movement on the bike. While its high volume means that it doesn’t always feel as tightly pressed to your knee or as secure as the D3O cups on some other pads, it stays put well enough without constant readjustment.

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Technical editor-in-chief

Rob Weaver is BikeRadar's technical editor-in-chief. Rob manages all of the testing here at BikeRadar and across our magazines, Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus. Rob first graced the pages of MBUK back in 2001 when working as a freelance writer and went on to start testing bikes for the title in 2007. In 2010 he joined the team full-time and has been keeping a close eye on all things test-related ever since. Rob’s expansive knowledge of bikes comes courtesy of his passion for racing. He cut his teeth racing cross-country mountain bikes in the early 90s before finding his feet in downhill. After many years competing on the UK national circuit (including a year attempting to race UCI DH World Cups), Rob realised his know-how and passion for bike setup, tech and writing clearly outweighed his racing ability. A degree in sports technology and decades of riding experience all help to give Rob a thorough understanding of what’s needed to create a great bike or product. While Rob’s a mountain biker at heart and never happier than when he’s sliding down a Welsh hillside, he’s more than happy to put the miles in on the road or gravel bike, too.