comfortable knee pads? alternatives to knee pads?

[ohmalley]

hey guys, i'm hoping for a recommendation on knee pads. basically, ever time i do nogi without pads i end the class with raw, bald knees, and it hurts like a bitch for days, and even hinders me in gi classes.

as it stands, i've bought 2 pairs. one pair was a brand i can't remember than name of offhand -- McG------- or something. they were cheap. thin breathable lycra, but pinched at teh top and bottom and VERY uncomfortable. the second was a pair of mizuno volleyball kneepads. different material, seemed comfortable at first, but as i rolled they bunched up and drove me nuts.

so i'm hoping for some guidance on comfortable ways to keep from skinning my knees raw every week. i really think all i need is a thin piece of lycra to cover my knees. does something like this exist? something that's not even a 'pad' per se, but isn't too pinchy and doesn't bunch up. i guess i could go back to wearing gi pants, but i really like my shorts and don't want them to go to waste (like the 2 pairs of knee pads i bought).

i know i know ... "bitch bitch bitch." argh. thoughts?

 

[Reinhard]

SHOCK DOCTOR CRUSHTECH KNEE/ELBOW GUARDS

I've had no experience with them, but I've been eyeing them for a while now and they seem to be good quality, aesthetically pleasing, and in the middle of the price spectrum.

 

[Nameless One]

I've seen some wrestling knee pad designs which seem to try to combat the bunching up by have the center back portion of the knee pad open. I'd imagine they'd be more prone to slipping around though. There are also some designs that strap on as opposed to slip on. Personally I just ignore the bunching up... as its not nearly as bad as rolling with shredded knees was for 2 weeks. I've also found that there are plenty of other things/injuries that happen during grappling that keep my mind off of it.

 

[JKDEastNashvill]

Sounds like you just need wrestling sleeves (neoprene).
They are hot but I find the heat on my knees feels good.

McDavid Hex pads have a thinner Lycra sleeve with a nice thin padding.
Asics wrestling pads are Neoprene and thick

 

[rockhead2046]

The McDavid hexpads are the best. Very light, stay in place, not hot like neoprene. Many places to buy but GoBros seems to have the best price usually. You won't even know the pads are there whether it is gi or no-gi.

 

[ohmalley]

The McDavid hexpads are the best. Very light, stay in place, not hot like neoprene. Many places to buy but GoBros seems to have the best price usually. You won't even know the pads are there whether it is gi or no-gi.

oh man, i WISH! those were the first pads i got. i liked the lightweight lycra, but they pinched pretty badly and drove me NUTS! thanks for the tip tho, and i'm glad they worked out for you!

 

[Nameless One]

Nice, ill have to remember those for when my current pads wear out.

 

[POINT312]

ck wraptors or new skin on the cuts and let them heal and keep repeating until your knees are tough!!