Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've found these knee pads to provide the ideal balance between PROTECTION, COVERAGE AREA and FIT & FEEL. And all of this at what I believe to be an excellent price point. Although I'm writing this review from the perspective of a soccer player, I think my critique would be helpful for other applications: home improvement projects, automotive repair, construction, hunting, snowboarding, volleyball, among others. As my team's soccer goalie, I've cycled through several different brands of knee pads to protect myself from hard dives to the turf. What I've discovered is that each brand of knee pad presents varying trade-offs between three factors: 1) PROTECTION. If your primary concern is protecting your knees from impacts with the field, turf or hardwood playing surfaces, then you'll want to select a bulkier knee pad -- either one with very thick padding, or perhaps even one with a hard outer shell. Those types of bulky knee pads do a great job with protection, but the trade-off is that their bulk tends to affect your freedom of movement, your overall mobility. 2) COVERAGE AREA. Sometimes the impact will occur right above or below or to the side of your knee cap. Ideally, you want the knee pad to provide at least some degree of protection to the immediate area surrounding your knee cap. 3) FIT & FEEL. This is a key factor that is often overlooked. The last thing you want to be doing is readjusting the position of your knee pad after every sprint, slide tackle, or impact with the ground. And what if the play is continuing and you don't have time to readjust them? In that instance, with your knee pad askew, it won't even provide you with proper protection and coverage -- which defeats the entire purpose of wearing them! After several practices and games using the "McDavid Hexpad" knee pads, I've found them to provide the best balance between PROTECTION, COVERAGE AREA and FIT & FEEL. Their design is unlike any I'd previously seen. They utilize several nickel-sized pads that are spaced slightly apart to allow for a better range of motion and flexibility. The rest of the fabric is 80% Nylon and 20% Spandex, which allows for excellent flexibility as well as conformity to your body. They hardly ever slip around even after hard impacts and slide tackles. In sum, these knee pads protect you, while also allowing for freedom of movement and a lot of "give." [FYI: I am 6'1 & 185 lbs. I purchased the Size X-Large, and they fit me perfectly. Also, I should note that I've used this product exclusively for knee padding; the manufacturer says they're also functional as elbow pads.] Previously, I'd been using the "Reusch Adult Kevlar Knee Guard," which placed a greater emphasis on protection. And although they protected my knees quite well, they were bulky and limited my movement, range of motion and kicking power. Also, they tended to slip and slide around after nearly every impact, resulting in my having to constantly readjust them mid-game. To reiterate, I've found that the "McDavid Hexpad" knee pads provide the best balance between PROTECTION, COVERAGE AREA and FIT & FEEL. And all of this at what I believe is an excellent price point.