ION Products K-Lite Zip Knee Pad 2022
Reviews / Body Armour
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At a glance
The K-Lite zip knee pads are a slim fitting, enduro oriented pad with a side zipper making it easy to put on or take off. Price: 119,90 EUR
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The product
The K-Lite zip is the brother of the original K-Pact pads. Unlike the K-Pacts, the Lite version has no hard shell inside the kneecap area. This makes it a lot more comfortable to wear when pedalling, and slightly more breathable.
Like the K-Pact, the K-Lite is available with and without a zipper. The EVA foam protection on the side of the knees makes sure no matter how creative you bang your knee, it is well protected.
Three velcro straps keep the pads in place even with the highest speed crashes.
The tightly woven Aramid materials guarantee a long life, even if you do hit the deck regularly and because the outer is completely seamless, there is less chance of hanging up when sliding down the hill.
Out on the trail
ION pads are some of the most comfortable pads I’ve ever had, especially for the protection they offer. The K Lite is no exception, and the slightly thinner pad construction makes them lighter and more breathable than most pads out there. The zipper works a treat and really comes in handy when you have longer climbs and shoes with regular laces. It’s definitely a bonus to not take your shoes off every time you want to put the pads on or off.
One thing we did notice is there are three velcro straps holding the pad in place and protecting the zipper. Of course it is a first world problem, but less straps to undo would make undoing the pads a little easier. They do stay in place without budging though.
The flexible material made it easy to stash the pads in the backpack for the climb, and even in this hot summer we managed to keep them smelling fresh.
Verdict
The K-Lite Zip pads are great pads. They offer a lot of protection while maintaining a low weight and staying breathable. The price of 119,90 is a lot of money, but nothing compared to knee surgery! The ION’s will last you a long time and as they are so comfortable, you have no real excuse to not wear them.
This review was in Issue 71 of IMB.
For more information visit ION ProductsRelated
By Jarno Hoogland
Jarno's life has revolved around two wheels ever since he swung a leg over his first BMX at age 4. After a BMX and DH racing career, he moved on to work for bike shops, distributors and brands before ending up in the editors seat at IMB. Based in the ultimate testing ground in the Swiss mountains, he runs his guiding operation and makes sure every IMB issue is filled with top notch content.
