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.

Interior "doughnut"

Even if they are on tight, they feel insecure. They are well-fitting at the top and bottom (where the straps are), and pretty floppy in the middle. I believe you get this feeling for a couple of reasons. First, because they are open-backed rather than slip-ons, you're really only attaching them to you at the top and bottom. Secondly, the "donut" of padding in the middle (shown to the left) pushes everything away from your knee while you're in anything but a total bent knee position.

The anatomically curved plastic shell, which is long enough to cover all the important bits of the knee, is a total win. Unfortunately, because the doughnut is so pliable, it frequently shifts when you hit the track. If you look down after a fall, you may notice that the shells are no longer centered where they should be.

You can pretty much forget wearing gaskets with these. I know a few who do it, but you've got to deal with things bunching up on you down there... It's the best way (so far) to get a ton of low-profile padding, but it's really awkward and uncomfortable.

If you're thinking of buying, the Rector's padding seems to break down pretty quickly. It's a shame because these aren't on the cheap side ($70ish). I think I'll be lucky if I get a full season out of them. The size of these, both in terms of how much padding and how bulky they are, makes them most appropriate for larger skaters. Shorter skaters may have a problem with clearance on cross-overs. Lighter skaters (somewhere under 150lbs) may want to consider something smaller.

(On a personal note, these are the pads that severed my PCL. They slid down enough such that the edge of the padded "donut" forced my tibia backward, severing my PCL. It's called a dashboard injury, and they say it happens in car crashes. It was by no means a major fall and I am sure no padding would have caused less injury. )

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
• Pretty well padded
• Anatomical plastic shell
• Relatively low profile

Cons
• Moves around a lot
• The "donut" can be a danger to your ligaments
• Padding breaks down quickly
• Very floppy feeling in the middle