Knee pads – Safety first!
You don’t have to give up your favourite action sports just to protect your knees and elbows from injury. But you should definitely take measures to protect your more injury prone body parts, especially if you’re into skateboarding, longboarding or BMX. No matter how good you are it only takes a second, it only takes one fall. We recommend you do what you can to stay safe – after all, even the pros wear protection.
Knee pads absorb the impact of any painful falls, slides or scrapes you might have. Modern knee pads won’t hinder your sporting efforts and are even super comfy to wear. Knee pads are made of breathable fabrics and are designed to let your skin breath and to transport sweat away from the body. They also help to stabilise your knee.
Knee protectors can either be slipped on or strapped on with Velcro. What’s important is that they sit nice and snug and don’t slip around to guarantee maximum protection.
The two types of protectors: hard shell and soft shell
Protectors come in two varieties: hard shell and soft shell. Hard shell protectors and pads spread the force of any impact around the entirety of the hard shell. This plastic pad is usually padded with foam on the inside. Soft protectors have a soft outer shell which hardens on impact, again spreading the shock across a larger area. Soft protectors have the great benefit of being easier to move in and being a little more comfortable to wear.
- D30® Set Foam is a special protective padding technology that is soft, flexible and super lightweight. These protectors feature a wide range of materials like XT, ST, Shock+, Decell, Pulse and Aero.
- D30® Formable foam is light, comfortable and temperature resistant padding that is also malleable, making it incredibly versatile for use in protectors.
Effective protection with elbow pads
Your knees aren’t the only thing to take a beating when you fall; your elbows suffer too sometimes. Protect yourself with a pair of elbow pads. Once again you can choose between hard and soft shell protectors, both of which are designed to sit comfortably on your elbow and are normally made of highly breathable materials.
Stay safe with wrist guards
Wrist protectors are also a thing! When you find yourself flying through the air towards the ground your natural instinct is to put your hands out to try and absorb some of the shock, which puts your wrists in danger. A pair of wrist guards will keep your joints safe so you can ride without a care in the world. Certain models are even designed to fit under a pair of gloves – perfect for winter sports like snowboarding and freeskiing.
Slide Gloves – your connection to the concrete
Special slide gloves are the perfect solution to hand and finger protection for your next downhill longboard tour. They’re made of robust, durable materials and have a plastic puck on the palm to protect your skin from the concrete below. Slip on your slide gloves and tear up the streets with some long, laid out slides without having to worry about road rash. Slide pucks can be easily replaced once they’re worn out.
Brands such as DVS, Triple 8 and Sector 9 offer protector sets that will keep you protected from head to toe and usually include wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads. Protectors and pads are especially important for children who are more at risk from long term injuries. Hardcore ladies will also find women’s protector sets designed specifically for them.
Sick of constantly injuring yourself and want to finally put an end to it? Check out our huge range of products like knee and elbow pads from TSG at Blue Tomato, both online and in store.