Leatt Dual Axis Knee and Shin Guard: PRODUCT REVIEW
Adam Booth | April 14, 2017
The Leatt Dual Axis Knee and Shin Guard allows the knee to stay protected throughout the legs rang of motion, offering protection at all times.
The Leatt Dual Axis knee and shin guard features an anatomically correct pivoting design. Constructed from both soft and hard shell, it offers CE tested and certified protection. The soft shell areas are made of 3DF AirFit impact foam. It is a soft and flexible foam that instantly hardens upon impact to absorb forces as protection. The hard shell areas assist in deflecting and protecting from sharp objects. A 3D design combined with a slim shin plate makes for optimal fit, specific for left and right sides. Vented plates allow for cooling airflow. If you are into specific CE certifications, the knee area is EN16121-1. They weigh 1.9 pounds for the pair and are available in S/M, L/XL and XXL. Three colors options are available.
List Price: $89
Rider Analysis: I ditched knee braces entirely over 10 years ago in favor of protective knee cups. During long off-road rides, knee braces drove me crazy and caused more pain in my knees than not wearing them. My search for protection without restriction led me to the Leatt Dual Axis knee and shin guards about five years ago. I was drawn to the great impact protection of the knee, even when the leg is fully bent. They also wrap around the sides of the knee to keep the inside of the knees from bruising against the side of the bike.
Although it is more comfortable to wear long socks or tight riding pants under the Dual Axis, more than once I’ve worn them against bare skin with little irritation. The straps and liner are comfortable and once you set the strap length to your liking, clicking the straps on and off the outer shell takes only seconds. The buckle system is slim and simple design and we’ve never have snagged them inside the pant or had one come unlocked. The over size fits in all pants without any tightness, allowing free movement. One major bonus to knee cups over knee braces is ease of use.
The only issue on the original pair was that one of the rivets holding the liner to the hard outer shell rusted and fell apart. This took about five years. Even after multiple crashes and some deep scrapes and gouges, mechanically they were in great shape. Crashing is never fun and unfortunately we all do it. The falls and impacts we’ve experienced while wearing the Dual Axis knee and shin guards have proven they offer up a ton of protection. We’ve even turned a few diehard knee brace wearers into Dual Axis users over the past five years.
Plain and simple, the Leatt Dual Axis knee and shin guard is awesome for the rider who might not want to wear knee braces, but still wants the most impact protection and comfort available from a non knee brace.CN