Fox Enduro D3O Knee Guards review

Despite being called the ‘Enduro’ knee pad, these are slightly more trail-bike orientated. Their relatively simple and thin D3O pad doesn’t have as much protection as some of the other pads I've tested recently.

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Many enduro riders might want a little more padding around the sides of the knee, for example, and perhaps higher up too – though, of course, rider preferences differ. However, they have won favour with a number of our testers, thanks to their exceptional comfort and relatively keen pricing.

While the pad isn’t the most pre-shaped, the sock on to which it’s built hugs your leg closely, pulling the pad in and keeping it securely in place. When cold, pads do tend to stiffen up, but I found that the D3O material soon softened, conforming quickly.

While they're a snug fit, I experienced minimal rubbing and have been happy keeping these pads on during all-day epics. The rear section of the pad is perforated, to help keep the air flowing, and on hot days I never found wearing the pads too stifling.

Alongside the figure-hugging cut, the sock extends high up the thigh, with the silicone gripper holding it in place. At the bottom, the elasticated hem is tight enough to boost security, without causing discomfort – however, one of our testers does lift the hem over the top of his calf for added comfort and pad support.

The pad itself is fairly long, extending low enough to stop most rocks that get flipped up from the front tyre leaving a mark on your shin. This section gets a little extra protection from a rubberised material to stop the main sock suffering from brambles and the like.

While some longer pads can dig into the shin bone, especially when stood up, I didn’t have this problem with the Fox pads.

They are a lightweight, knee-warmer style pad, so while I might not take them on the chunkiest of enduro-rides, for riders looking for all day comfort with plenty of protection, and ventilation, these come out as a top-dog option.