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Tactical Kneepad Review and Comparison


dragon

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Thus far I have owned several different brands and styles of kneepads, and it seems like each has its major advantage and disadvantage, one thing is consistent. The need for protection and comfort when playing in various terrain indoor or outdoor. I know we all strive to have a bit of comfort when we play because we all want to walk away from a game feeling beaten up from having fun, and not from kneeling on rocks all day long.

 

I'm going to give a brief overview and comparison of three different types of kneepads I've owned and used in this write-up.

 

I'll begin with my first for airsoft. The Hatch Centurion Kneepads by Hatch Corporation. You can get a look at them here.

Hatch Centurion Kneepads

 

These kneepads were very rigid and fairly comfortable, doing a great job of protecting the knee and never had an issue of them coming undone while low crawling through underbrush or creekbeds. If you're a bigger guy, this fit would be ideal and you may never have a single issue using these for a very long time. However you smaller guys out there may run into the same issue I did, sliding kneepads!! Nothing erks me more than dropping to a knee without a second thought only to feel a hard or sharp object piercing into your flesh and your kneepad is riding down your shin uselessly. This is the major flaw to this style of kneepad, and solid protection being their major advantage.

 

The next kneepad on my list is the Dexter Meadows Clip-On Kneepads.

Clip-On Kneepads

 

These looked great when I first saw them. We ordered them as a set of four and all of Modsquad got a pair. I was so excited to use these and Blind Fury VII was my first chance, perfect timing. So 15 minutes into the game without taking a knee once, I'm moving through some very high, thick grass near the airbase when I get caught up and have to high knee and push harder into the grass. The kneepad pops halfway off without my noticing, and then the next step gets torn away from my pants completely and falls off. Luckily I saw it happen and picked it up and shoved it into my hydration carrier on my back.

 

These kneepads would be VERY good in a low-impact type of play or use, but I cannot forsee these catching on majorly among operators due to their huge change in design. It is ultimately the same kneepad as the Hatch Centurion, but with a clip system held onto the kneepad with velcro. The clips have these VERY rigid and strong rubber things that hold the clips closed once you've slid them over the clip. The problem can go one of two ways in my experience. One that they get caught on something in which case the clip is stronger than the velcro holding them on and the kneepad comes off of your pant leg leaving the clips behind, or the clips don't get a good enough grip and end up popping off completely. I found that if you can get your pants situated perfectly they will hold on very well if you have the clip on the seams on either side of your leg. However using the seam to grip will leave the kneepad loosely dangling from your leg. Overall, their improved design is also their flaw, but if you can get them clipped on perfectly, they are great.

 

The final set of kneepads I will touch on are the Blackhawk Hellstorm

Blackhawk Hellstorm

 

When I ordered these kneepads I expected them to be a slide-on style of softer kneepad, but I was sadly mistaken when i removed them from their package. I saw velcro straps and figured I had wasted my money by buying them instead of something else. Upon further inspection I was proven wrong, they use a double velcro strap system that velcros one side to the other, and then an overlapping piece velcros over that giving double the surface contact from side to side. The strap system is very strong, and impressive.

 

The comfort level of these kneepads is tremendous, and sadly I've not had the chance to use them in major movement or a game but I forsee them having major advantages over the previous two styles of kneepads because their straps are better than the Hatch, and are more comfortable and easier to use than the Dexter Meadows. The one downfall I see is that they are neoprene based, with a very grippy contact pad on the surface that may fall to major abuse. I got these mainly for indoor use where being more quiet will be to my advantage with no kneepad smacking the ground if I need to kneel or brush up against something metal. I would say these kneepads will do very well in CQB style of movement/combat but not as good in field play.

 

Time will be the final test of which will end up working the best for me, and many others I'm sure. Having the chance to try different styles has helped in finding what matters the most to me whether it be comfort, protection, or just how silently I can operate with them on. In the end I doubt I will find one perfect kneepad, but rather several with different levels of function and areas of use. As with most things, we can either choose missions specific of a happy medium, and both options have their pros and cons.

 

Enjoy!

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Very nice man, thanks for posting this.

 

I might add some more to this later if I ever get the chance to use some of the knee pads I have around here.

 

~Joker out....

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I'm not a huge fan on Condor Tactical knee pads. Although they have good padding, they already are falling apart after about four games. The hard outer shell on it is ripping off the soft padded part that goes against your knee.

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