The Importance of Knee Pads for Staying Safe When Riding a Scooter

Whether we like it or not, we live in a modern world where technology is starting to consume us slowly but surely. The phone addiction in children is real which is why parents should do everything in their power to stop this madness.

The easiest and safest way to keep your children away from this new trend is by helping them develop love and a habit for spending more time outside with friends and family. While playing with a ball is one of them, let’s not forget about the fun that comes from riding a scooter.

Nowadays, you can choose from a large selection of scooters differing in type, size, model and colour which makes them appropriate for little children as well. What’s better, you should take your children with you when choosing a scooter for them and see how their little faces start to glow once they see their scooter.

Now, while this is super fun and good for their development, don’t forget about their safety. Even though not that common, accidents can happen when riding a scooter, so stay on the safer side of the story by pampering your little ones with proper protective gear. Aside from elbow pads and helmets, you shouldn’t forget about investing in knee pads. In the end, they are as essential as the former.

What Are Scooter Pads for Knees?

Well, just like the name implies, they are specially designed protective gear created to cover the knees and protect them from injuries from falling to the ground when riding a scooter. To give you an idea, statistics from a study conducted in 2019 by Michael Schwarze published in the Nature journal state about 56% chance of reduction in knee injury from impact when using pads.

Usually, they come in different types and sizes, so you can treat yourself as well with one pair. That way you can give your children a good example that staying protected while riding a scooter is paramount. Just like choosing a helmet and elbow pads, flexible knee pads for scooters should fit snugly yet comfortably without causing any discomfort.

How Do I Choose Knee Pads?

Well, just like with everything else, in order to choose the right scooter knee pads for yourself and for your children, you should take into account some of the most important considerations.

Types of Scooter Knee Pads

Generally speaking, there are two types of knee pads for scooters available on the market. Both of them can provide you with the needed protection, however, the one you choose should mainly depend on personal preference.

Pads with Straps

These are one of the most commonly used types of pads for knees among both adults and children. The main reason is that they’re considered heavy-duty, and the straps help them stay in place all the time. Even though coming with straps, these knee pads also come in numerous sizes which gives you the chance to choose just the right ones for your needs. The greatest downside of these pads is that some people find it quite uncomfortable when they rub and chafe when riding.

Strapless Pads for Knees

These pads are basically sleeve-like pads made from an elastic material and padding on the knees. Unlike the ones with straps, these pads rely on the fabric’s elasticity to keep them in place which makes them lighter. Having no straps behind your knees means that they allow for greater freedom of movement, however, some people can also feel that uncomfortable rubbing when riding a scooter. The greatest downside of these knee pads is that you can’t take them off with ease which is something that you can do with ease when wearing pads with straps.

Knee Pads Materials and Technologies

Plastic Shell

The plastic shell on knee pads is usually placed over foam padding and they’re designed to offer greater protection against bigger impacts. Even though it’s said that these knee pads don’t allow you to use your knees’ full articulation, this won’t be a problem since you’ll be using them when riding a scooter and not when riding a bike for instance.

Engineered Foam

Almost all types of knee pads have foam as a form of protection. This foam can be used on its own or covered with a plastic shell like the aforementioned type. Either way, the used foam for pads is super lightweight and breathable, providing you with great protection against smaller impacts. That being said, pads with engineered foam won’t provide you with the needed protection against bigger impacts, especially impacts into sharper objects.

D30/Non-Newtonian Materials

These materials are pretty new on the market and they represent a combination of hard shell and soft foam knee pads. The beauty of these materials is that they can stay soft all the time when riding a scooter, but they can get instantly hard on impact. In simple words, these pads can provide you with the needed softness and ease of movement all the time while providing you with the utmost protection.