Dainese Trail Skins 2 Lite knee pads £54.95

Dainese’s Trail Skins 2 Lites are sleeveless versions of their Trail Skins 2 pads, meaning that the two Velcro straps are the only thing holding them in place. The bonus here is that you can simply undo the straps and whip them off your knees, without any of the usual shoe-removing faff. There’s silicone gripper print inside both straps to help stop them slipping down. At 311g (pair, medium) the Lites are lightweight and you can ride in them all day without overheating. As well as lacking the stretchy sleeve of the regular Trail Skins 2s, they also lose the additional foam side padding, though the main ‘Pro Armor’ knee cup remains the same. With less material around the knee, they offer plenty of breathability and good comfort, but it does mean that there’s very little holding the pad itself in place. As a result, the Lites don’t have a particularly secure fit. They lift off the knee cap while riding and can be pushed sideways easily, which is less than ideal in a crash situation. While there’s always a balance to be struck between protection and comfort, we think Dainese have compromised a bit too much when it comes to keeping the padding securely in place. Luke www.windwave.co.uk

High breathability and comfort, but this comes at the sacrifice of security and protection