Review: Triple 8 Wristsaver 2

2.5 of 5

The Triple 8 Wristsaver 2 is a decent beginner wrist guard. They're affordable, light, and have passable (though quite thin and not at all ergonomic) splints on both the top and the bottom to keep your wrist in one piece. While these things do protect your wrists from falls, particularly those of the direct impact variety, I thought I'd be remiss if I didn't point out a few things.

Because the sides of these puppies are mesh, you still get a bunch of lateral movement out of your hand. Something I noticed personally during a horizontal fall, is that this movement can allow for significant lateral compression of the metacarpals (bones in your hand). Probably not enough to ever break anything, but it did sprain several of my very own wee hand ligaments.  All in all, these should keep your from breaking yourself if you're on a budget, but I'd trade up if you can afford to.

Review: Pro Designed Wristguards

4 of 5

The Pro Designed Wristguards are fantastic, though not cheap at about $50. They're extremely durable and of solid construction. The "spoon" shaped splint on the bottom spreads the force of the impact over more of your palm (than some other wrist guards), and there is no lateral movement, no movement at all really. These things are stiff–in a good way. You put them on and you know your wrists are going to be looked after.

Though they can technically be opened from the side, getting the wrist straps in the little rings, and the hand strap set perfectly, takes more time that I'm willing to bother with. So I always slide it on and off rather than opening it up all the way.

Can we get some modern materials up in here?

I mean seriously, material science is amazing. There are so many "smart" textiles and padding options that have come out in the last couple of years.  A few of my recent favorites are these impact protection materials that are pliable under normal conditions, but harden on impact, more successfully diffusing the force than plastic shells. Even more clever, the amount that they harden is based upon the forced used. So the harder you smack them, the harder they get.

Our kneepads kinda... suck.

So I've reviewed some of the most popular and the "best" kneepad options available today in roller derby. And nothing has gotten a rave review. What's with that? Why isn't this working?

Well, our kneepads were primarily designed for vert skating. A sport with harsh forces to be sure, probably more so than what we experience. And its plagued by its own knee problems because of it. So how do they prevent knee injury, they're using the same pads after all...

 

Review: 187 Pro Kneepads

 3 of 5

Front, Side and Back View of 187 Pro Kneepads

187 Pro kneepads are certainly one of the most popular options in derby, right now anyway. And they are touted as having the most protection. Like every option (so far) there are some problems to note.

Review: Rector Protector Kneepads

2 of 5

The Rector Protectors have one of the best fits of anything I've found. They fit close to the knee, giving you a good idea where your kneepads are at all times and with that a good deal of security. I believe you also get this great fit because they are of the slip-on variety. I know many people find it annoying to have to put their kneepads on before their skates. But I find you get a much better overall fit with those that slip-on and are tight all over, versus those that you slap on with a few pieces of velcro at the top and bottom.

As for problems, unfortunately they have a few major ones that make these less than an ideal choice for many skaters.

Review: Rector Fatboy Kneepads

2.5 of 5

Front, Side, and Back View of Rector Fatboy Kneepads

Rector Fatboys are what I started on, I was told by many that they have some of the best protection and given that, a relatively low-profile. Though both of those things are true-ish, they do have a few major downsides.