POC Joint VPD Air Knee Guards: Rider Review

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Some may say knee pads are lame and look dumb but they are essential to staying safe while riding. We have all had our fair share of bails with scars to prove it. POC made being safe look cool with the Joint VPD Air Knee Guards. A minimalistic design and sleek look that doesn't sacrifice any integrity in the safety it provides for the user. Just what we look for in a pad. Let's see what Christoph thought of the pads!

Christoph's Review

Knee pads are like helmets or seatbelts, 99.99% of the time I won’t need them but that 0.01% they can be an important save. I don’t ride very aggressive trails but after a few recent falls in rocky sections, I decided that it was time for knee protection. I read at a few reviews and the POC VPD Knee Guards were always positive. I liked that they are light and seemed flexible and comfortable. For sizing, I checked POC's website and measured as they describe above and below my knee. Their size chart is strange, they give a single value for each size and it's not clear if this is the maximum, minimum or middle value. My knee was about 0.5 inches smaller than the M size of 17.7 inches above the knee and 0.5 inches larger than their 15 below, so I figured M should be right- well, it wasn’t.

To test the fit I wore the knee pads for about 15 minutes at home, the foam has to warm up to get flexible. But even after warming up it felt too tight and itchy at the back of the knee when taking a parking lot ride. Too small- thanks POC! You owe me for return shipping for your whacky size description. I sent them back to WWC for an exchange. WWC did a great job by quickly exchanging them for a size L. These fit perfectly. No sagging and only very minor pinching in the back. After a few minutes of riding, I barely feel them. I rode them during a few hot and humid days here in Philadelphia and they did not get uncomfortably warm. They already showed their strength when I slipped on a root coming out of a turn fast. I ended up in the dirt, my shoulder and hip got bruised quite a bit but my knee was fine, the pad absorbed the impact and the fabric on the side prevented scrapes. The fabric was dirty but otherwise undamaged.

Conclusion:

"In sum, I really like these, they are light and comfortable but not too warm. If in doubt getting a size bigger is recommended or even better visit a WWC store for a test fit." - Christoph Seiler