Dainese are distributed in Finland by Iikan Pyörävarikko, and this review is partly made possible by them. I was on the market for a new, slightly more breathable pad to replace my venerable POC VPD Airs. They had been good to me for the last 3 years, but are getting rather worn and have proven hot in the summer, so the open design of the Dainese pad came as a welcome feature. Costing 60 - 80EUR in the EU, the Dainese pricing is comparable to the POC VPD Air or Endura MT500 Lite.
Construction
Dainese have opted for their own carbon-elastomer PRO SHAPE 2.0 protector instead of the more common, commercial D30 material many other manufacturers use. The rest of the pad, or the "sleeve" is constructed from a thin and breathable stretch fabric with additional hard protector plates on either side of the knee. The outside protector is adorned with the Dainese logo, but otherwise the pads are nicely subdued in black and it's also the only color available. The pads meet protection standard CE EN 1621.1.
The top and bottom of the sock have velcro adjusters and silicone grippers on the inside, and there's also an additional elastic band at the back to keep things in check while riding. The inside of the knee protector is lined with a soft, foam like fabric, which is still highly breathable.
The first set of pads I received quickly came apart at one of the top seams after only 1 ride, but Iikka and Dainese were quick to replace this under warranty. Thanks!
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| Front and side protectors - Image courtesy of Dainese |
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| The perforated and partly open back - Image courtesy of Dainese |
On the trail
Comfort is apparent from the moment you pull these on. The interior feels really nice against the skin, and it's easy to forget you are wearing pads after a few minutes. Like D3O, it takes a little while for the protector material to warm up and conform to the shape of your knee, but once it does, fit is great. I was expecting the open design to gather a ton of mud, but so far it has actually stayed quite clean.
The protector itself stays nicely in place during riding, but it takes some finess to adjust the top strap so that it doesn't bunch up after a few kms of riding. Once adjusted, and provided the pads have been pulled up high enough, they stay in place relatively well and only require some adjusting after an hour or so of riding.
Sizing and fit
I have had problems with other "sock" type pads, like the Fox Enduros, and sadly while this pad does better, it doesn't quite match the comfort offered by the POC VPD Airs on 2h+ rides. I still get some chafing at the back of my thigh and ligaments at the back of my knees. This may be caused by the opening these pads have at the back of the knees, and the material getting ever so slightly bunched in this area if the top of the "sock" droops at all from its initial position.I recommend you size these carefully according to the Dainese size chart. I normally wear size LARGE in POC pads, but the MEDIUM Dainese ones fit me better and provided a more snug fit, which is essential in keeping the pads in place during rides. The low profile of the pad is nice and makes these compatible with all but the tightest trousers. The top of the pad sits quite high up your thigh, so interference with some bib shorts or liners is possible, should you choose to wear them.
Conclusion
Despite the slight comfort issues on longer rides, the breathability still overcomes this for shorter rides, especially during the summer. Pricing is similar to POC VPD Airs and much cheaper than the super expensive POC VPD Lite pads, warranty seems to work well and the quality is good.
The looks can be polarizing, but myself I think these look rather good and I'm glad Dainese have gone all-black without any strange accent colors.
Value for money: 4/5 (Slightly on the expensive side, but still acceptable)
Finish: 2/5 (Torn stiching with my first set, which was quickly remedied)
Fit: 3.5/5 (subjective, but generally not suited for long rides)
Function: 5/5 (Good protection where you need it)
Finish: 2/5 (Torn stiching with my first set, which was quickly remedied)
Fit: 3.5/5 (subjective, but generally not suited for long rides)
Function: 5/5 (Good protection where you need it)
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