POC Joint VPD 2.0 Knee Pad

POC has known to make some of the highest level of protective products for snow and dirt sports. This being said, the POC Joint VPD 2.0 is no different. I've owned these knee pads coming up on two years now and couldn't thank POC enough making the best Enduro/DH knee pad I could ever think of. With it's game-changing VPD padding technology, I've never been in a situation where I felt my knees weren't completely protected.

A little of my background:

Picking up mountain biking more than 15 years ago in Southern Utah, I found myself constantly looking for the next big thing to send me and my bike off. Being friends with people like Logan Binggeli helped a lot too. The only problem with all of this was when I crashed, I more than likely would cut my knees open. It wasn't because I was free-floating my patellas around. Whenever I was jumping something bigger than a standard size pick-up I always made sure to wear protection. Starting with Denise and later moving to 661, I found myself cutting my knees open, even if the knee pad stayed in place during the crash. With all this said, I was constantly on the hunt for the best knee pads out.

Tech for the Joint VPD 2.0

As mentioned at the beginning, the Joint VPD 2.0 comes with the VPD padding technology. POC describes it as "VPD adapts to the shape of the body, but when exposed to impact, the material stiffens and has extreme impact absorption properties." I describe it as flubber. I'm sure you've seen the movie where Robin Williams creates this green goo that changes the world forever.

Well, that’s kinda how VPD is. It's moves around freely while pedaling but the second it hits something hard, it stiffens up and protects you. The Joint VPD 2.0 has the thickest layer of this stuff which gives it the best protection. That being said, because it's so thick, it can get pretty toasty on XC climbs and may not be the best option for every rider.

POC has realized this so they have two other models to choose from; the Joint VPD and Joint VPD Air. With these two other models, every riding style is covered for knee protection.

The Joint VPD is the original VPD style knee pad and slightly thinner than the 2.0 version. It offers great protection and is very breathable for true AM and Enduro riding.

The Joint VPD Air is the latest model in the VPD knee pad family. It's very slim and very light weight. As the name implies, these knee pads are light as air and offer basic protection for XC and AM riders.

On the Trail:

When pedaling with the Joint VPD 2.0 pads, the first thing I noticed was how natural they felt. This is most likely due to the contouring characteristics of the VPD padding. They became so comfortable that I often times would leave them on my knees even after returning home from my ride.

As mentioned in my background, I have owned knee pads before that have still failed to protect me. In the midst of a crash, the pad would either fall down, exposing my knee to the elements, or the material just wouldn't protect. The thing I love most about the Joint VPD 2.0 is the exceptional cup the pad offers around my knee. After a long ride, I find it almost difficult to even pull of my pad. I love this because that means that the chances of this happening in a crash are near impossible. The velcro straps, especially the top strap really help in holding the knee pad in place. The top strap is over an inch wide and has about 4 inches of attachment so I know its not going anywhere during a crash.

The back of the pad is thin elastic material that hugs the back of the knee but also allows the back to breath nicely. The front of the pad can get hot during more AM trails but the back being so breathable really helps with that. I also noticed the lack of pressure points or bunching up of material when going through a full pedal rotation which is a huge plus for a knee pad that offers so much protection.

Although this hasn't happened to be, but because the outside of the knee pad is fabric, I could see how this could get caught and tare on jagged surfaces like trees and rocks. The fabric is somewhat thick so I wouldn't imagine it would happen often which is good. POC has amazing customer service as well so even if it were to happen, I'm sure you could get in contact with someone that can help fix the defective pad.

Bottom line:

I have been very impressed with the POC Joint VPD 2.0 knee pads. They offer all the protection I want when on the big bike but are light enough that I don't mind throwing them on for a good old AM ride. I've been so impressed with the VPD material that my next pair of knee pads will most likely be the Joint VPD Air. Having these pads will protect my knee a lot better on XC trails where I normally don't have any protection at all. Anything VPD from POC is more expensive but with the protection and functionality it offers, it is well worth the price. I would recommend these pads to anyone!