These Trailknit Pro-Armor ‘pants’ from Dainese are something of a crossover product. Although designed for skiing, we’ve found them to be really good for winter riding, even if they are a bit pricey.
Their only real drawback is the lack of a chamois, but I found they worked just fine with a thin padded short liner underneath for really long rides.
As with all of Dainese’s Trailknit kit, the Dryarn fabric is designed to give a figure-hugging fit that ensures the padding stays where it needs to.
The thermal yarn offers loads of stretch too, and feels really comfortable, plus it’s abrasion-resistant. As for the padding itself, the Pro-Armor sections on the knees and hips are removable, so you can adjust the pad placement for fit and feel, and take them out for washing.
On really cold days, you’ll be thankful for the thick, warm material of the Trailknit pants, but as it gets milder it doesn’t take long for these to get a bit sweaty.
Still, it’s hard to knock their all-day comfort, plus I’ve had no issues with the knee pads shifting out of place. While they don’t feel quite as secure as standalone knee pads, they’ll certainly take the edge off an impact, although – as I found with the hip pads – they may leave you with some honeycomb-shaped bruising underneath.
Dainese Trailknit Pro-Armor Pants tights specifications
- Material: Dryarn
- Protection: Pro Armor hip/knee pads
- Removable protection: Yes
- Price: £144 / $185
