Why do they need protective padding?

Padding for when they fall will help minimize the injury risk, Having some protection can certainly support kids to keep trying, learning and progressing on a bike. Scraps and bruises may holt progression and put kids off biking They can give your timid child the confidence to give things a go, to be a little more adventurous.

What body parts to protect?

The two main protective padding options are knee pads and elbow pads.

Knee Pads – Padding over the knee joint. Some pads may give extended coverage – providing some fabric coverage over the shin and upper thigh.

Elbow pads – Padding over the elbow joint.

Type of activities and type of protection

Padding can be beneficial for many activities… biking, scootering, skateboarding.

Soft versus hard

Pads can be soft or hard.

Soft pads are comfortable to wear and support more movement and agility than hard shell. They will offer protection to soft tissues from scratches, bumps and bruising. They offer less boney protection than a hard shell protective padding

Best suited to: recreation biking, bikepaths and trail riding.  They can offer some protection on harder surfaces for scootering and skateboarding but repeated falls may cause tearing/ripping.

Hard pads will be made from compressed foam or a plastic shell. They offer a higher level of protection from impacts on hard surfaces or objects. 

Best suited to: adventurous kids who enjoy challenging themselves in a mountain biking environment.  Hard shell pads are better for the concrete surfaces skateboarding & scootering is done on.

Comfort and Ease

We recommend padding that has a good adjustment system to fit different sized legs and arms. Good wide, quality velcro to offer firm connection that will stay in place and continue to provide this over time. 

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Fit of Padding

You may need to cut down velcro once fitted to the leg or elbow… ensure that you don’t cut too short… allow for growth.

Velcro

To keep a secure fit to the knee or elbow joint the velcro needs to remain in good condition. Regularly remove any external materials that have adhered themselves to the velcro.

Washing

Wearing padding may cause your child to sweat more from their joints than they normally would.  Sweat build up will damage the elastane or lycra (stretch) of any fabric on the padding. Follow any washing/care instructions regularly or hand wash/rinse in water regularly.

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