POC’s VPD Air kneepads were my go-to knees for quite a while, as I liked their minimal leg coverage and how well they stayed in place. Given that experience, I was stoked to try out the new VPD Max kneepads. I’ve been riding them since June and found they are very secure on the leg, offer zero restriction of mobility, and have remained perfectly comfortable the whole time.
VPD Max Kneepads – Construction
POC recommends the VPD Max kneepads for downhill, enduro, or technical trail riding. Their main feature is the two-layer VPD construction on the knee padding, which provides level 2 protection. This new protector allows for some movement between the layers, helping the pad stay properly positioned on your leg during a crash. POC’s VPD (Visco-elastic Polymer Dough) protectors stay soft enough to hug the shape of your leg when they’re warmed up, but they harden upon impact. The VPD protectors are perforated to allow airflow, and ergonomically shaped to ensure comfort while you’re in the riding position.
Aside from the knee protector, there’s just a simple sleeve and some grippy hems on these slip-on knees. The pads’ soft Lycra sleeves stretch and move with your leg, and basically provide zero resistance as your leg bends. A more durable outer fabric covers the knee padding itself.
Keeping these pads in place are silicone-printed hems. The upper hem is 2” wide, but the silicone printing covers 1.5” of that. POC ensured the upper sleeves were nice and long so the upper hem can grab your thigh and stay put. The rear half of the lower hem features the same silicone print to grip the upper calf.
POC says these pads can be washed on a gentle cycle… but the fine print says: “This product’s performance has been verified up to a maximum of five washes at 30° C.” I guess if you wash your pads often, it might be best to hand wash them. On that note, the VPD protector is not removable; it’s fully sewn in.
If you ride with elbow pads, POC has a matching set of VPD Max Elbows which also feature the two-layer protector.
Ride Impressions: Fit/Comfort
Following POC’s sizing guide, I requested size medium pads, and they fit me very well. Due to the sleeves’ long upper sleeve, the top hem of these pads sits very high up my leg. They sit so high up that I almost had issues pushing certain shorts up enough to get the hems properly positioned. Some of my slimmer-fitting shorts’ legs were getting tight on my thighs by the time I had them pushed out of the way.
Thankfully, every pair of shorts I tried did accommodate the VPD Max kneepads, so I never had to put the pads on first, then pull my shorts on over top.
The bottom of the VPD padding doesn’t extend far below the knee, but it does cover about 3” beneath my kneecaps. If shin protection is a priority for you, the VPD Max kneepads don’t offer much, but the minimal leg coverage is nice for hot weather rides. The dual-layer knee padding sits right over my kneecaps and never shifted around while I rode.
Right away I found the VPD Max’s top hems are pretty snug, but they do their job and keep the pads in place. The first time I wore the pads, it immediately felt like having two rubber bands wrapped around my thighs. I hoped this wouldn’t be annoying or uncomfortable, and thankfully the hems were easily forgotten on the trail.
While the hems left well-defined impressions of their silicone grippers around my legs, they’re not tight enough to cause any muscle-related discomfort. By the third time I wore the pads, the upper hems were becoming less noticeable. So far the hems haven’t loosened up noticeably, which is a good sign for the pads’ longevity.
On the bottom end, the VPD Max’s knee padding does sit right on your shin, but I never found the bottom edges pushing against my leg enough to be uncomfortable. I also had no comfort issues with the lower hems, which don’t fit quite as tightly as the uppers. After all my rides over the last month and a half, I have no complaints about discomfort of any kind from the VPD Max kneepads.
Fit with Pants
Since I tested these pads in the summer, I almost forgot to try riding them with pants. The knee protection on the VPD Max kneepads is a tad bulky, but I went right for my slimmest-fitting MTB pants and the pads were totally fine underneath. I had no issues with the kneepads feeling tight inside the pant legs, and they never got hung up or tugged on them as I pedalled. Since these pads stay in place so well, you’ll probably never have to shift them back into position mid-ride, and that’s ideal when you’re wearing pants.
Security
From my first test ride, the VPD Max knees provided a secure fit. Those snug upper hems and grippers work very well, as I’ve never once had to readjust these pads during a ride. The lower hems help hold the pads in position, too. While putting them on, you can feel the silicone printed backsides of the hems gripping your calves.
Throughout hot, sweaty rides, three-hour-plus pedals, and all my other test laps, the VPD Max knees simply stayed put. I even rode them with a budget-friendly chamois that doesn’t have tight-fitting legs, and despite no extra support from the chamois, the pads didn’t budge at all.
After a few rides, I noticed some minor stretching of the sleeve fabric on the backside of the pads, but the fabric has not stretched out considerably and it never bunched up inside my knees.
Mobility/Warmth
The VPD Max Kneepads are possibly the best knees I’ve ridden in terms of pedalling mobility. As soon as I bent a leg in them, I was impressed with the unrestricted freedom of movement. The only thing that flexes when you bend your knee is the Lycra sleeve, so there’s pretty much zero resistance. The VPD knee padding itself is fairly short, so it doesn’t have to flex as your leg bends.
As for warmth, it’s nice to know the VPD padding is perforated, but I can’t say I felt air flowing right through it during rides. As mentioned, most of your lower leg remains exposed in these pads, but the upper sleeves do cover a lot of the thigh. The sleeves don’t allow wind to breeze right through, but overall these pads aren’t excessively warm, so I’ve had no problem riding them in mid-summer temperatures.
The VPD Max Kneepads are available in sizes XS-XL, and come in Black only. MSRP is $170. POC includes a mesh carry bag with each pair.
