Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Gear Review: Demon United Soft Elbow and Knee Pads


As a blogger and adventure athlete I am asked to test drive gear from a range of companies and this year I was contacted by Demon Unites to join their growing team and try out their gear.  I was excited to do so - thank you to Demon United for inviting me to the team!
*Disclosure: I was provided with a significant discount on these items as a Team member.  This is my personal review of these products and my reviews are never influenced by sponsorship- I give the straight up goods.


Demon United is based in Salt Lake City, UT, and they feature protective gear for many different sports and athletes.  From full faced bike helmets to knee pads for roller derby, they offer gear for any sport you might crash and burn playing.  "Keeping you from an early grave" spells out their mission lol.
http://demonunited.com/index.html


I ordered a set of their small coverage soft elbow ( Soft Cap Pro Elbow) and medium coverage knee  (Hyper Knee X D30) pads to use mountain biking but if I ever take up roller blading again they would save my skin in that 'sport' too😉.  I gave up on wearing pads while mountain biking a few years back.  I found that they were cumbersome, hot and overkill for the style of riding (low risk lol) I was doing.  My old hard plastic, wide coverage pads got shelved and I haven't worn pads in years.  I was keen to try a smaller, lighter pad style so the timing to connect with Demin Saves was perfect.  The ordering process was smooth but unfortunate the gear was back ordered and took months to arrive.  Likely just bad timing.


The soft elbow pads are perfect for what I need.  Small coverage, snug but not constricting and very soft on the skin, I wore these pads on my climb up and hardly noticed they were there- perfect!  The knee pads I ordered were more coverage including down the shin area for a little extra protection but I think the smaller knee coverage only pads would be just right for less aggressive riders like me- especially in hot weather.  

The knee pads were super comfy as well and fit like a glove.  Other than learning the hard way that you can't pull this style on over your bike shoes (LMAO) they went on easily and snugged into place with two straps of Velcro to ensure a good fit.  The sizing info on the site was spot on and I was very happy with the fit of the gear I received.  On the way up I simply strapped the knee pads to my bike and forgot about them until it was time to descend.  On the way down I didn't notice the pads at all!  It was a warm day but the pads didn't cause me any grief.  


Now I didn't actually test drive them as they are meant to be used- by crashing lol!  So I can't vouch for the real life protection but I'll be sure to update this post if that ever happens haha- I'm not a stunt woman!  I have only tested them on two rides so I cannot comment on their longevity yet either but they do appear to be well constructed with good materials and solid stitches.  


Overall I am very happy with my Demon United pads and would recommend them for riders looking for lightweight, minimalist protection without the bulk of large pads.  You can check them out here:  
http://demonunited.com/index.html

Let them know Sarah sent you as I am sure they would like to know how you found them!


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