Sweet Protection Knee Pads (Bearsuit Series) – First Look
One thing I enjoy more than almost anything else are the obligatory squats when you get a new pair of Knee Pads. It’s the acid test for anything that fits tightly around the knees I’m told so I can spend the best part of 30 minutes bouncing up and down like an over-excited chimpanzee before I can truly make my mind up about a new set of pads. No doubt Sweet Protection will be pleased to know their new Bearsuit series Knee Pads have been put through the squatting challenge and both the pads and I have come out unscathed.
Sweet are a young Norwegian company who have mainly specialised in Kayak, Ski and Snowboarding gear but are slowly making the transition into Mountain Biking and have released a small range of protective gear including helmets (Full Face and All-Mountain), knee, elbow and torso protection. In their pads they utilise (deep breath) SAS-TEC visco elastic foam shock absorbing material. Much like D3o it hardens during the moment of impact and returns to its normal state immediately after. It’s a material that’s been around for a while now but I still find it technologically impressive and the Sweet Knee Pads have a nice compact and well-shaped area of SAS-TEC, which fits perfectly and snugly around the knee.
The guys at Sweet have clearly done their homework on Mountain Biking and the demands riders put on Knee Pads. The shape and fit is by far the best I have tried. No bulk, curved to the natural shape of the leg and very snug with zero movement thanks to the grippy neoprene strips above and below the knee. They are also incredibly comfortable, normally I’m keen to get Knee Pads off but I could quite happily walk around with these on all day. One elastic Velcro strap above the knee also makes them a zero-fuss pad when taking them on and off and thankfully the SAS-TEC material won’t absorb water so washing them is equally a no-fuss task.
The real test of course will be a hard days riding and finding out how well they breath. Unlike some pads they have no cut-out sections behind the knee but are instead equipped with a breathable Lycra instead.
They are pricey at £79.00 but they are dripping in quality and no corners have been cut on the design or manufacturing process. I’m impressed and its nice to see a forward thinking company like Sweet bringing their design philosophy into Mountain Biking. A little bit more squatting is on the cards I think.
Words: Simon Lacey
Photos: Beth Lacey