LEATT AIRFLEX PRO

£79.99

SPECIFICATION Weight: 256g • Sizes: XS-XL • Contact: hotlines-uk.com

To cut down on bulk but still provide adequate protection, the Leatt Airflex Pro uses a 3D-moulded Airflex gel protector. As you can see, it has an open structure that helps the pad mould round your knee and also boosts air flow and wicking. It’s quite a broad pad but Leatt has still added some smaller secondary EVA foam pads to the sides and thigh area. Everything is mounted to a lightweight Lycra chassis which comes with elasticated seams top and bottom. These are strips of silicone on the inside, which are thinner than those on the 7idp Sam Hill Lite kneepads, but they still caused a little bit of redness.

To improve ventilation further, the whole back of the

Airflex Pro is Leatt’s ‘moisturecool’ wicking fabric, which has an anti-bacterial treatment. To reduce chafing on the delicate tendons, there is also a big cutaway in the mesh at the back of the knee.

The Airflex Pro comes in six sizes and feels snug apart from the EVA pads, which didn’t sit very well against the contours. The thigh pad actually sticks up at the sides, which is OK if it’s under a trouser but not shorts. We also noticed the stitching in this area on our sample started to fray after barely two rides. The mesh at the back of the knee also bunched up when riding, resulting in a bit of soreness. Finally, there was some clamminess on a few rides, which seems to be caused by the little ridges of silicone gripper directly over the kneecap.

The Airflex Pro has some really nice details but for a mid-weight kneepad it feels flimsy and isn’t that stable or comfortable when clocking up the trail miles.