The Fox Enduro Pro Knee Guards are lightweight pads that slap a large D3O protector over a good portion of your knee and upper shin. While pleasant to pedal in to start with, comfort deteriorates slightly when deeper into a ride, and the pad can move around.
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Fox’s Enduro Pro Knee Guards are designed for those who want knee protection without sacrificing mobility while keeping bulk low. Taking the reigns of protection duties are a couple of slabs of D3O (certified to EN1621 - 1 Level 1) built into moisture-wicking, micro-Lycra sleeves. At the back of the sleeves are mesh panels to keep things cool, along with silicone grippers found both around the top and bottom, helping the pads stay in place.
On test, we have the knee guards in a medium size, and the fit was certainly comfortable once the D3O warmed and moulded to the knee. The sleeves are seriously long, reaching easily up to the thigh, eliminating any pad/shorts gap.
Later into the ride is where some comfort problems begin to arise. While the elastic straps at the rear work to make the pads sit securely, they tend to rub, which can get pretty sore. It’s a similar story at the tops of the knee caps too, where the pad shifts over the skin. This is hours into a ride, though, so this shouldn't be much of an issue if you’re not one for long rides. Thanks to all of those silicone grippers, the pads certainly stay in place.
The big D3O pads offer pretty decent coverage, ranging from the top of the knee cap to mid-shin. It wraps around rather nicely, too, but I’ve found that this part of the pad can move around a little bit. So on some occasions, after some periods of pedalling, I’ve had to grab the D3O and move it to sit better on the knee. It’s not ideal, but it’s not a terribly regular occurrence.
Fox Enduro Pro Knee Guards | Value & verdict
At £90, they're not too pricey, but they aren't as well priced as other options such as the Rapha MTB pads. Those will set you back £80, and they come with RHEON Labs' active polymer tech. There's then the well-reviewed Dainese Trail Skins 2 at £70 that Jon liked for their great airflow, decent protection, and good comfort.
The Fox Enduro Pro Knee Guards are great if you're looking for something light to pedal in. Though comfortable to start with, the pads begin to rub later into a ride, and the D3O pad can move on the knee. While a bit pricer than the competition, they are mighty secure.