A helmet protects one part of you.
When a rider falls, the body also meets the ground with whatever it extends or rolls onto first, and that is usually a hand, a knee or an elbow.
The best pads for riders are the ones that cover those contact points, suit the speed of the vehicle, and are comfortable enough that you put them on for every ride, including the short ones.
This guide organizes protective gear into two categories: cycling, and riding.
It explains what each kind of pad does, so you can judge any specific pad you find, whether you ride a pedal-cycle, a PEV, or a motorcycle.
The best pads for cyclists and the best pads for riders differ in construction and certification, but the same questions decide both.
Why a helmet alone leaves your wrists, knees and elbows exposed
If you have not chosen a helmet yet, start with our guide on what helmet to wear on a pedalcycle, PEV, or motorcycle.
In a typical low-speed fall, such as a front wheel catching a crack, a PEV stopping on a pothole or a wheel losing grip in a turn, the rider rarely lands head first.
Most riders fall forward or sideways, put a hand out, and then slide or tumble on the knees, elbows, hips and/or shoulders.
The helmet matters when the head hits, but the joints hit first and hit more often.
Joints are also hard to protect with ordinary clothing.
The skin over a knee, elbow or wrist has little fat or muscle between it and the bone, so an impact there is felt directly by the joint.
Pavement also grinds away fabric quickly, so a slide of a few meters (Metres) can take off denim or a cotton sleeve and then the skin under it.
Two kinds of injury come from this, and they need different gear:
- Impact injuries, such as fractures, bruised bone and joint damage. Padding that absorbs force and hard shells that spread it address these.
- Abrasion injuries, such as road rash. Fabrics and shells that slide instead of catching address these.
A pad that handles only one of the two is still useful, but you should know which one it is.
A foam knee sleeve cushions a hit and does little against a slide.
A thin abrasion-resistant sleeve does the opposite.
Wrist guards: the pad most riders skip and most falls test
The instinct to throw a hand out when you fall is automatic, and you cannot train it away.
Falling onto an outstretched hand is a well-known cause of wrist fractures, which is why wrist protection is first on the list for falls at low and moderate speed.
A wrist guard has a rigid splint on the palm side; sometimes on the back as well, held in place by straps.
The splint does two jobs.
It limits how far the wrist bends backward on impact, and it lets the palm slide along the ground instead of stopping dead and transferring the whole force into the joint.
Where wrist guards help most
Wrist guards matter most on vehicles with no handlebars: EUC’s, e-skateboards, and hoverboard-style boards.
The rider has nothing in their hands, so the hands are free to reach for the ground, and the fall is often forward or sideways at speed.
On a handlebar vehicle such as a scooter or pedal-cycle, the hands are often still on the grips for the first part of a fall, so gloves with reinforced palms are the more practical choice.
Wrist guards versus gloves
Ordinary cycling gloves have padding in the palm, but it is meant to reduce vibration and pressure on the nerves.
It is not designed for impact.
Protective gloves, such as motorcycle gloves, are built differently:
- A leather or abrasion-resistant textile palm that survives a slide.
- Reinforced stitching at the seams, since seams are where gloves open up.
- Sliders or hard inserts on the palm and knuckles on higher-end models.
- A wrist strap that holds the glove on, because a glove that comes off in a fall protects nothing.
On a fast vehicle, a protective glove is the minimum.
Wearing a wrist guard under or over a thin glove is a reasonable combination for riders of unicycles and boards.
Check that the splint does not push against the throttle or the brake lever if you also ride a handlebar vehicle.
Why riders skip them
The common complaints are that wrist guards feel bulky, restrict hand movement and look unusual.
Those are real, and a guard that is too stiff or too large for your hand will end up in a drawer.
Look for a model with a splint shaped for your hand, adjustable straps, and a design that lets your fingers and thumb move freely.
If you can type on a phone and open a water bottle while wearing it, you will probably keep wearing it.
Knee and shin protection: soft, hard-shell or armored shorts
Knees are the second most commonly hit joint, and the options fall into three types.
Each is a trade between protection and comfort.
Soft knee pads
Soft pads are foam, sometimes covered in neoprene or fabric, and worn as a sleeve.
They are the most comfortable type and the easiest to wear for a commute.
They cushion small impacts and prevent scrapes in a slow tip-over.
Their weakness is that the foam can catch on rough pavement during a slide, and the pad may rotate around the leg or ride up if the sleeve is loose.
Soft pads suit low speeds and short trips: a pedal-cycle in town, or a scooter on roads.
They are a good first choice for someone who has never worn pads, because they are likely to be worn.
Hard-shell knee and shin guards
Hard-shell pads put a rigid plastic cap over foam padding, and they usually extend down the shin.
The cap slides on pavement instead of grabbing, and it spreads the force of a hit over a larger area of the knee.
The extended shin portion also protects the front of the lower leg, which has almost no padding.
Shin protection matters on specific vehicles.
Riders on flat pedals can strike their shins on a pedal if a foot slips.
On an EUC, the wheel casing sits beside the leg, and riders commonly hit the inner ankle and lower leg on it.
Hard-shell guards with shin and ankle coverage address those, and are better suited to faster or more technical riding.
The trade-off is weight and heat.
A hard-shell guard feels larger and warmer than a sleeve, and it can restrict pedaling if it is too long.
Test it in a full pedal stroke or a deep riding crouch before relying on it.
Armored shorts and pants
Armored shorts are tight undershorts with padding sewn into the hips, tailbone and sometimes the thighs.
They protect the parts of the body that soft and hard knee pads do not: the hip bone and the base of the spine, which hit the ground in sideways falls and when a rider slides off the back of a vehicle.
They are discreet, because they sit under normal pants.
Motorcycle pants take this further, with armor at the knees and hips and a fabric or leather outer layer that resists abrasion.
If you ride at motorcycle speeds, textile or leather riding pants with armor are a better choice than pads over jeans.
Pads strapped on top of loose pants can shift, and the pants themselves may tear.
Elbow pads and protective jackets for faster riding
Elbows are exposed in sideways falls and in slides where the rider tries to stay upright with an arm.
A fall on an elbow can cause a fracture at the point of the bone, and the skin there is thin.
Elbow pads
Elbow pads follow the same logic as knee pads.
Soft sleeves are comfortable and suit slow riding.
Hard-shell elbow guards are better for faster riding, and many are sold in sets with knee pads, which is convenient and usually cheaper than buying separately.
Look for a model with a strap above and below the joint so the pad does not slide toward the wrist when your arm bends.
Elbow pads are the piece most often left out of a kit at low speeds.
At scooter and pedaling speeds, they come after wrists and knees in priority.
At higher speeds, they are important and a jacket with built-in armor is more practical than separate pads.
Protective jackets
A protective jacket with armor at the elbows and shoulders is a single garment that replaces several pieces of gear.
A good one combines:
- Abrasion-resistant outer fabric, such as leather or a tightly woven textile, so a slide does not shred it.
- Armor at the shoulders and elbows, held in pockets at the correct position for your body.
- A pocket for a back protector, either included or sold separately.
- Ventilation, since a jacket you cannot stand to wear in warm weather will stay home.
For riding at motorcycle speeds, a jacket designed for riding replaces the pads.
A hoodie or fashion jacket with no armor offers little protection in a slide, even if it is thick.
Visibility belongs in this part of the kit too, because a rider who is seen is less likely to fall or be hit.
Reflective panels on a jacket and lights on the vehicle help, and our night riding page covers that in more detail.
Matching pads to your vehicle: pedal-cycle, PEV, and motorcycle
Speed sets how much protection you need, and the vehicle changes how you fall.
Treat speed bands as general guidance and adjust for your own riding, your local roads and how fast your particular vehicle actually goes.
First, the faster the vehicle, the more abrasion resistance matters as well as impact padding.
At low speeds, a fall is mostly an impact event.
At higher speeds, you slide, and the outer fabric or shell decides how much skin you lose.
Second, the more your hands are free, the more wrist protection matters.
Cyclists and riders on PEV’s benefit the most.
Third, vehicle speed is not the same as top speed.
Many PEVs can travel much faster than their riders usually do, and some riders pick pads for their usual cruising speed and then ride faster on an open stretch.
Choose gear for the fastest speed you ride at, not the average.
How to check fit, certification and comfort before you buy
Protective gear only works if it is in the right place at the moment of impact.
A pad that slips down your shin, rotates around the elbow or loosens under motion is not protecting you.
Fit
- Position: The cap of a knee pad should sit over the kneecap, with the knee at about a right angle, and an elbow pad should sit over the point of the elbow.
- Movement test: Put the pads on and mimic the riding position. Bend, crouch, pedal or stand on a board. They should stay put without being tight enough to cut off circulation.
- Straps: Look for adjustable straps above and below each joint. Elastic sleeves alone tend to slip.
- With clothing: Try pads with the clothes you ride in. A pad that fits over shorts may not fit over thick pants.
- Size range: Many sets list sizes by limb circumference, so measure before ordering instead of guessing.
Certification
For motorcycle gear in Europe and many other markets, look for labeling that refers to recognized standards:
- EN 1621-1 covers impact protectors for limbs, including the armor used in elbows, shoulders, knees and hips. It has two performance levels, and Level 2 transmits less force than Level 1.
- EN 1621-2 covers back protectors.
- EN 17092 covers protective garments such as jackets, pants and gloves for riders, and grades them by class according to abrasion and seam strength.
Standards differ by country and by product type, and many pads sold for pedal-cycles and/or PEV’s carry no certification at all.
If a pad has no label, you have only the manufacturer’s description to rely on.
When two pads seem similar, the certified one gives you a tested baseline.
Check that the label is on the actual product or its documentation, and be skeptical of marketing language that only suggests protection.
Comfort
Comfort is the factor that determines whether you wear the gear after the first week. Check:
- Ventilation: Mesh panels and perforated foam help in warm weather.
- Weight: Heavy gear tires you out and you will start leaving it behind.
- Putting it on: Pads that take five minutes to put on are skipped on short trips. Look for designs you can fasten quickly.
- Washing: Pads absorb sweat, so removable liners or washable materials last longer.
- Skin contact: Rough seams or stiff edges can chafe on long rides.
When to replace pads
Armor and foam wear out.
After a serious impact, the foam compresses and the shell may crack, even if the damage is hard to see, so a pad that took a hard hit should be replaced.
Over time, straps stretch and foam hardens, so check older pads for cracks, loose stitching and weakened elastic.
Building a full kit in the right order if your budget is limited
Few riders buy everything at once.
If you are building the kit gradually, buy in the order that matches how falls usually injure riders, and favor the pieces you are most likely to wear.
- Helmet. The head injuries are the most serious, so this comes first. Our helmet guide covers how to choose one.
- Protective gloves or wrist guards. The hands hit first in most falls. Gloves suit handlebar vehicles, and wrist guards suit all other PEV’s.
- Knee protection. Soft pads for slow urban riding, hard-shell pads with shin coverage for faster or more technical riding.
- Elbow pads or an armored jacket. At higher speeds, a jacket with armor and abrasion-resistant fabric does the work of several separate pieces.
- Armored shorts and a back protector. These protect the hips, tailbone and spine, and matter more as speed rises.
- Visibility gear. Lights, reflective strips and bright or reflective clothing reduce the chance of the crash in the first place.
Where you spend money matters as well.
A mid-priced pad that you wear every ride protects you more than an expensive one that stays in the closet.
If your budget allows only one upgrade over what you already own, choose the piece that fits your vehicle’s typical fall: wrist protection for a PEV, knee protection for cycling, and a full armored jacket for a motorcycle.
Buying a set can reduce the cost per piece, but only if every piece in it fits.
A set with a good knee guard and an elbow pad that slips is worse value than two pieces you chose separately.
You can wear normal clothing; but gear is required
Nothing stops you from riding in jeans, a hoodie and ordinary shoes, and many people do on short trips.
Laws on protective gear vary by place and by vehicle, and in many places the rules cover the helmet and little else, so check the rules where you ride.
Legal requirements and protection are different questions, though.
Ordinary clothing has no impact absorption, and it gives way quickly in a slide.
A knee in jeans on pavement takes the force almost directly, and a bare palm has no defense at all.
Protective gear is required in the sense that matters: it is what stands between your joints and the surface when something goes wrong.
You do not have to look like a racer to wear it.
Armored shorts sit under normal pants, slim soft pads fit under loose trousers, and riding jackets now come in everyday styles.
The aim is a kit light enough that you reach for it every time, covering the places that hit the ground first.
Pair your pads with the right helmet: read our helmet guide, then browse the protective gear and rides in the shop.