Don’t be put off by the lack of fancy foam or acronyms here – Dainese's Oak Evo knee guards offer plenty of coverage and a good level of protection, especially considering their wallet-friendly price tag.
The clever articulated design means pedalling remains free and easy, even when perched on a downhill bike with a low saddle. It also means the knee and upper shin guards stay exactly where they need to be. We had no major slippage or excessive movement, even when sweating buckets (the Oaks are pretty warm and don’t take long to get clammy).
The upper and lower Velcro straps help with security too. We found that keeping the lower strap done up tightly and hooked over the calf muscle was the comfiest and most secure way to keep the pads in place. We had a couple of crashes during testing and the Dainese pads stayed put, providing ample protection.
If possible, we’d recommend trying them for size before shelling out – our medium pads fitted reasonably well but the breathable mesh sleeve at the rear was a little baggy and the lower Velcro strap wouldn’t have gone much tighter.
