Issue #053, Review - November 24, 2022

Pearl Izumi Elevate Knee Guard V1 – In our 2022 trail knee pad group test

American cycling and outdoor gear manufacturer Pearl Izumi has its roots in the road bike sector but also offers a wide MTB-specific product range, including clothing, shoes and protectors. The Elevate V1 knee protector features a thin, stretchy sleeve material with light mesh at the rear. The front is reinforced with a thin plastic skid plate, which is meant to increase durability while at the same time improving the sliding qualities of the pads in the event of a crash.

Click here for an overview: 14 trail knee pads in test

**Weight per pad** 174 g | **Price** € 129.95 | **Certification** Level 1 | **Removable Insert** Yes
**Fastening System** Velcro strap below the hollow of the knee | **Lab Test Results** 21 kN at 2.7 ms
Manufacturer’s website

The Elevate V1 retails at € 129.95 and tips the scales at 174 g, thus ranking in the mid field of the test both in terms of weight and price. The D3O® LP1 insert is CE Level 1 certified and measured a residual force of 21 kN at 2.7 ms in our lab test – which puts it in the middle of the field. The insert is removable and complemented by smaller additional pads on both sides of the knee. However, these are made of thin foam and offer little additional impact protection. Printed silicone strips on the inside of the tension band hold the knee pads in place, both on the thigh and calf, while a Velcro fastener at the back of the leg provides additional stability.

The fit is good even without using the Velcro fastener below the hollow of the knee. However, the latter tends to rub against the inside of the trousers.

The perforations on the sleeve and insert promote ventilation, ensuring a good inner climate.

The upper section of the sleeve extends far up the thigh, which makes it a bit tricky to pull the pad over your thigh. However, once the Elevate V1 sits in place, it’s pretty comfortable to wear.

The Pearl Izumi Elevate V1 on the Trail

Thanks to the thin, lightweight fabric, the Pearl Izumi Elevate V1 is easy to put on and take off. While the top section stretches far over the thigh, the lower part is rather short, only covering a small section of the calf. The long top section makes it hard to put on the pad if you’re already wearing shorts – and that’s quite annoying! However, if you wear liner shorts, the protector is long enough to tuck under the cuff for extra security. The sleeve’s thigh-end is relatively wide, causing the knee pad to slip if you have thin legs, especially when riding actively and on rough descents. That being said, most of our testers got on well with the fit and the knee pad stayed in place at all times. When pedalling, the Pearl Izumi Elevate V1 stays exactly where it should be, so you don’t have to fiddle around with the pads on long climbs. The Elevate V1 is comfortable and light throughout, adapting well to the shape of the knees and offers a far better inner climate than most protectors in this test. However, the Velcro strap at the back of the knee is too long and doesn’t provide any additional stability, even when tightened properly. On top of that, the prickly side of the Velcro strap protrudes a little, rubbing against the trousers and chafing the material.

Tops

Very comfortable
Well ventilated

Flops

Tricky to put on
Velcro closure in the hollow of the knee doesn’t add any stability

You can find out more about at pearlizumi.com.

The test field