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Brand-X DH knee pads review

Decent protection at a great price

Our rating

4.5

38.00

Brand-X DH pads use a hard plastic knee cup with chunky foam padding above, below and on either side

Robin Weaver

Published: July 30, 2016 at 11:00 am

Our review

Plenty of coverage, loads of padding and surprisingly comfy, even on long pedally rides. A bargain too Buy if, You're looking for good knee protection at a great price

Pros:

Great coverage and comfort at a superb price

Cons:

They do warm up pretty quickly

On the surface these blacked-out knee pads don’t look anything special, but while they may not be emblazoned with a fancy logo or plastered in wild colours, they offer a decent amount of protection at a proper bargain price.

Unlike most pricier pads, the Brand-X DHs use a hard plastic knee cup. While this may not offer quite as much comfort as a ‘smart foam’ like D3O it’ll still help protect against the knocks and is a major contributing factor to why these pads are so cheap.

Above, below and on either side of the knee cup is some chunky foam padding, surrounding the knee in a cocoon of protection. This does mean the DHs get pretty warm, but in testing they’ve not chafed or rubbed even when used for trail riding. The opening at the rear does help to cool things down a little. Most importantly, they stay put, even with sweaty legs on rough trails.

Though there’s a Velcro strap at each opening, we found our medium pads were snug enough that they stayed firmly enough in place with minimal tension on the straps, which helped to keep them impressively comfortable.

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Technical editor-in-chief

Rob is BikeRadar and MBUK’s technical editor-in-chief. Our resident tech nerd has lived and breathed mountain bikes since the age of nine. After a couple of years ripping around his local woods, he raced cross-country through the early 90s. A shift to downhill better suited his skillset and he soon became a regular on the national circuit before having a crack at some UCI Downhill World Cups. Rob always had an eye for tech and was keen to glean any kind of mechanical advantage possible. Whether that was through geometry changes, suspension tuning or adapting parts, he learned quickly that an open mind is key. He began working as a freelance writer for MBUK over 20 years ago, while he finished his degree in sports technology. He landed his dream role as technical editor 15 years ago. Rob’s passion for bikes encompasses just about anything with two wheels, including fast and efficient cross-country bikes and long-travel enduro rigs or downhill machines. He rides on the road and gravel, too. He’s tested hundreds of bikes, piles of components and mountains of kit, so understands what does and doesn’t work.

Height: 172cm
Bike size: Medium/450-460mm reach