Specifications:
- Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Adjustment: None, compression fit with silicone grippers
- Ventilation: Breathable, moisture-wicking fabric, UPF 50+
- Pad Type: Full length
- Washable: Machine washable
Pros
- SmartFlex – Flexible but hardens on impact
- High level of impact protection
- Well ventilated
- Compression-fit
- Moisture wicking
Cons
- While compression fits without chaffing, straps would have better adjustment
Our Verdict
The G-Form Pro X2 knee pads are one of the best mtb knee pads out there. They have high level of protection, they are comfortable to wear, and they are budget priced.
The Pro X2 knee guards have SmartFlex technology. It’s very effective at protecting your knees to say the least. These are good lightweight knee pads that are excellent for on-road cycling, cross country, and trail riding. These are excellent when you want strong protection but without the bulk.
The fabric of the sleeve is both moisture-wicking and mesh so that it breathes well and is a big factor in what makes these comfortable knee pads to wear.
Product Evaluation
These are excellent lightweight knee pads with many riders in the industry using these. Let’s look at the various parts of the knee pads and look closer at them.
Design
The G-Form Pro X2 are a simple and effect mtb knee pad design. They are a compression sleeve with SmartFlex impacts pad over it to provide the impact protection.
The full-length sleeves are ventilated so they provide plenty of airflow for those hot days. The material is comfortable and appears to be nylon-based. For this pair black is the only color they come in which is common.
The ample knee protection still allows plenty of movement and is idea for cycling, cross country, enduro, or trail riding.
Probably the most interesting thing is the SmartFlex material which is flexible yet provides amazing protection in a crash. I go into that more in the next section.
Protection
The big protection feature of the G-Form Pro X2 is the SmartFlex impact padding. It’s the key to what makes this one of the best knee pads you can get.
According to G-Form, SmartFlex is a flexible material that moves with you. The pad stays soft and pliable, but upon impact it hardens. G-Form states that upon impact, the molecules bind to each other to create a very hard shell. Afterwards, they go back to their flexible self.
What this does is creates a light, flexible, breathable protection pad that is comfortable to wear but will take most common impacts with ease. The impacts are disbursed throughout the pad so that the entire area has general pressure but nothing acutely in one area which is how all knee pads protect you properly. It is very similar to the D30 protection in the Fox Racing Launch D30 knee pads.
These SmartFlex pads are sealed as well, which is a major reason that these are machine washable on the delicate cycle after those sweaty runs.
The SmartFlex pads extend a couple of inches above the knee to well below the knee. They also cover the sides of the knees well as you can see in the picture.
With this much protection, these are intended for enduro, XC, and trail riding. They are more than enough for cycling on the road, though they are a little larger and have a larger protection area than many common knee pads for cycling on pavement. They provide high level of protection without being bulky.
Fit and Use
The G-Form Pro X2 slides on like most mountain bike knee pads. It is a sleeve that has silicone grippers to keep them in place. It is important to measure you legs so they are sized properly and stay in place during rides. G-Form has a chart to reference after you measure the circumference of your leg 8″ above the knee cap on the thigh, and measure around the largest point on your calf. Then just pick the recommended size for a perfect fit with plenty of comfort.
If you are partway between sizes, choose the small measurement so that they fit and won’t move while you’re in motion.
These are compression sleeves and they are comfortable to wear for hours. There is no discernible seam and the material feels fine against you and has no skin irritation. The material breathes well and the fabric is moisture-wicking, even behind the knee. The material also doesn’t creep behind the knee and bunch up.
Ventilation
The Pro X2 knee pads have a ventilated knee sleeve that goes a long way to keeping legs comfortable. Couple that with moisture-wicking material and these are excellent for hours of use.
The backs of the Pro X2 pads are a mesh fabric that is both moisture-wicking and UPF 50+. UPF is Ultraviolet Protection Factor and UPF 50 blocks 98% of UV rays.
The SmartFlex padding itself is also ventilated so that the pads feel fine even directly under the impact padding. These are lightweight enough that they are fine for virtually all temperatures and are fine for warm-weather riding.
When you’re out riding full force, these knee pads are going to get drenched in sweat. Washing some knee pads is a bit of work, but one really nice thing is that these are machine washable. That makes it really easy to toss them in after a ride.
Washing machines can be rough on equipment. A little secret is to get a mesh wash laundry bag like this one on Amazon that is big like that one that has a 20″x 24″ bag. Just put the knee pad in the bag and put them in the washer and the bag goes a long way to prevent wear or damage in the washer.
Riding Performance
The G-Form X2 knee pads allow you to move around freely while pedaling. Both the sleeve fabric and impact padding are flexible and feel more like riding with a knee brace on. In fact, that’s one of the bonuses – that these are also a brace more or less.
The G-Form knee pads are lightweight and low profile. They can easily fit under pants and they are flexible enough to walk around with them under pants or shorts and be comfortable enough.
These won’t work their way down or bunch up over long rides despite only having the silicone grippers and the compression of the sleeve itself to stay in place. They work just as you’d expect.
Product Value
G-Form makes some of the best knee pads, and the G-Form Pro X2 is one of their top mtb knee pads. They have very good protection while staying lightweight and at a budget-level price. Most mountain bike knee pads in this range have EVA foam and not the more advanced impact material Smartflex which is similar to D30 which is common on the more advanced knee pads.
If you’re looking for knee pads at this price level, this is one of the best lightweight ones for trail and enduro and it should be in your final list of choices. They have great customer reviews for good reason.
If these are a little out of your price range, the Demon Enduro MTB knee pads are a good alternative with a little lighter protection but a little cheaper.
Conclusion
The G-Form Pro X2 mtb knee pads are among the best knee pads you can get for enduro, XC, and trail riding. They are lightweight, flexible, and on crash provide high levels of impact protection. The price is very reasonable so these are within reach of most riders, leaving no excuses not to have good knee protection. These are one of the better deals for knee protection of this level and is recommended.
