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| 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.
They are boxy and bulky. Many people complain about the bulk, but that isn't so much a problem for me, you get low and you're not going to notice the size. But the boxy is unfortunate for a few reasons. You've got a feeling of security at both the top and bottom of the pad (where the straps are) but everywhere in the middle your knee is nowhere near the paddding. Basically, your knee doesn't contact the front of the pad until you contact with the floor. And though the padding on the inside is angled (think bent) in an attempt to "fit" to your knee, it is far from ergonomic. This means until you fall, you have no idea if your knee is still in the right spot, and obviously at that point it is far to late to do anything about it.
On the upside, the belt-like strap on the bottom of these pads is pretty clever. First, it allows you to tighten that ever important strap easily. Second, and most importantly, check out the angle of that strap. If you've got decently sized calf muscles, which most derby folk do, that angle will help keep that strap from slipping. It's creating a smaller interior circumference at the top of the strap than the bottom, subtle but awesome! And it does seem to work, unless you've got spindly legs. Then these may not be the pads for you.
The padding in these is thick and solid, and its thickness is concentrated directly under the knee. This means when you're on your knees, you're seriously elevated. So when you fall to your knees and you're NOT square to the ground, it's not the padding that's going to give way to compensate for the angle. It's going to be your knee. Yes they feel good to fall on, the padding is memory foam, so unlike many of their competitors, at least they are using modern materials.
This is the first kneepad I've tried whose plastic shell is almost entirely flat. There is no attempt to be ergonomic here and you can tell by how far they stick out. I think worse than that though is that they've created a kneepad with very few acceptable angles of impact.
These have very solid construction and hold up well for the most part. The caps are removable and I've heard if you wash the pads the caps won't stick well anymore, but I haven't tried it. Otherwise people tend to hold on to them, which is good because they are not cheap, at about $80.
The images shown here were co-opted from from XSportsProtective.com. I'll appease my guilt by throwing them some linkage. I've personally had excellent customer service with them. I also recommend signing up for their email list if you like discounts.
Pros
• Well made, durable
• Solid amount of padding
• Belt-like closure
• More modern materials
Cons
• Kind of expensive
• Really boxy
• Little ergonomic consideration
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