Best Thai Kick pads?

[BIGJson]

Hi Everyone:
I've read all of the threads in here and reviews I could find about Thai pads, and I'm still not convinced as to which product is the best.
I don't mind spending $150, or slightly higher if the pads will hold up and provide a good experience for both holder and striker.

Fairtex and Boon seem to be popular brand names, with other ones such as Top King and Hyabusa getting positive mention by some.

Recently the gym I train at has been doing rotation drills where we switch partners and strike someone else's pads. I notice that the pads vary greatly (some have more/less give, while others sting the skin a bit). There are a variety of pads among the students, but nothing that really stands out enough for me to buy them.
My gym provides Twins or Windy, but they are getting worn out, and I want something for myself, for both convenience and hygiene reasons.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[nomilkforsanta]

Stick with kick pads that have two handles and are laced closed. I have only tried boon, fairtex, twins, and windy and they all preformed the same...it comes down to what price you can find.

Another option are fairtex thigh pads (tp3): http://www.fairtexusa.com/products/fairtex-thigh-pads.

I personally do not use kick pads, I use fairtex thigh pads (tp3) when I work with guys and their old thigh pads (tp1) when I work with gals.

 

[TeamVamos]

I'd say as long as you stick with thai brands you should be fine. I have two pairs of Fairtex pads and they last a long time but i wouldnt say $150 is justified for them when twins/Top king can be had for around $100. As long as they are all leather and have solid/firm handles you should be good for some time(not a big fan of CSI or Hayabusa pads, synthetic twins aren't good)

 

[nomilkforsanta]

I'd say as long as you stick with thai brands you should be fine. I have two pairs of Fairtex pads and they last a long time but i wouldnt say $150 is justified for them when twins/Top king can be had for around $100. As long as they are all leather and have solid/firm handles you should be good for some time(not a big fan of CSI or Hayabusa pads, synthetic twins aren't good)

Fairtex pads are not leather http://www.fairtexusa.com/collections/training-pads/products/fairtex-leg-kick-pad-black-white

Never get this design http://www.fairtexusa.com/collections/training-pads/products/fairtex-front-shield it will be destroyed in a month of serious work.

 

[TeamVamos]

Fairtex pads are not leather http://www.fairtexusa.com/collections/training-pads/products/fairtex-leg-kick-pad-black-white

Never get this design http://www.fairtexusa.com/collections/training-pads/products/fairtex-front-shield it will be destroyed in a month of serious work.

I have these and i could swear they are leather at least the striking area but i could very well be wrong.
http://www.fairtexusa.com/collections/training-pads/products/fairtex-extra-thick-thai-pads-red
I had Twins synthetic pads for a 2-3 days but did not know it as i bought them at OTM but after a few workouts i felt there just was something wrong about them other than their semi-flimsy handle. I returned them and picked up the Fairtex's. I have some pretty old Fairtex pads which have lasted quite awhile which i got from my friend around 4 yrs ago and he used them for a few yrs and they are still going strong, thought those were leather also

If both of my pads are synthetic then Fairtex's synthetic leather and overall construction of their pads are bounds ahead of Twins's synthetic

 

[Wes Wasmer]

Best bang for your buck is Twins. Its just a plain ond basic thai pad but they are built to last and have very firm handles.

Boon are high quality but the handles are very flimsy and they pinch the tips of your fingers (Except for their new contoured thai pads, those handles are great).

Windy and fairtex are good as well but are usually a little higher priced for the same quality as twins.

To clear up the leather thing:

These pads have leather on them but the striking surface is synthetic: http://store.titleboxing.com/fairtex-super-contoured-thai-pads.html

These are all leather: http://store.titleboxing.com/fairtex-advanced-thai-pads.html

I really like the Fairtex Advanced thai pads because they have padded straps on the back and provide extra comfort. So, if your willing to shell out and extra 50-60 bucks for that luxury, go for it.

The new hayabusa ones that are black/yellow are comfortable, but they are not going to last longer than a year of regular use in my opinion. They are also a little too small in my opinion.

 

[BIGJson]

I was looking at these two pairs recently; the price seemed somewhat reasonable.
Didn't buy, as my primary concern was quality, as neither of them had been reviewed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Triumph-Unit...item53fa01bfca

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIGHTING-SPO...item58a1494148

What stinks for me is that I can't handle any of the stuff in person.
The gyms around here order from Thailand, but the shipment takes months to arrive by boat. I'd rather just order something then wait that long.

 

[no fat chicks]

in the same dilemma atm, this appears to not have as much info as I thought.

 

[no fat chicks]

Stick with kick pads that have two handles and are laced closed. I have only tried boon, fairtex, twins, and windy and they all preformed the same...it comes down to what price you can find.

Another option are fairtex thigh pads (tp3): http://www.fairtexusa.com/products/fairtex-thigh-pads.

I personally do not use kick pads, I use fairtex thigh pads (tp3) when I work with guys and their old thigh pads (tp1) when I work with gals.

why only two handles? aren't they going to be smaller then?

 

[Kanka]

I prefer the standard twins pads (size small) and fairtex KPLC2. The small twins are light and feel awesome to kick but your arms will hurt if you're a newbie and catch some hard kicks. The bigger sizes are kinda heavy. The Fairtex KPLC2 is expensive but absorb the impact from the kick really well and they still feel light.

 

[Travs]

You can't go wrong with twins. Topking are also good quality but take a long time to wear in.... at first it is like kicking a paving slab!

My old instructor preferred fairtex, and my new instructor likes his years old pair from Thailand with no discernible make to them....

Same as with gloves, it's a question of taste, but if you stick with the trusted makes you won't go far wrong.

 

[TBK117]

I see this thread got dug up, my vote goes for twins as well hands down. I own Fairtex Thai Pads right now and would prefer Twins, Boon Sport Thai pads were a total disappointment.

Don't know where to buy them though, they are ridiculously overpriced everywhere I look online, will probably just have someone I know ship me a pair from thailand via boat (how I used to send stuff back). Takes a while but I don't need them ASAP

 

[Dustondo]

I can vouch for the top king kick pads as being seriously great. I run a Muay Thai gym and have gone through literally hundreds of thai pads since opening years ago and those are fantastic and will last the longest. A bit heavy if you're going to be holding all day etc, but they'll save your arms especially when dealing with huge people, especially good with that wrist pad. The other end that I like are the fairtex medium sized super contoured thai pads, those are dense, light and hold up pretty well.

 

[Hammad]