The POC VPD Air Flow knee pad takes its design cues from roadie bib shorts, it’s the lightest and most minimal knee protection offering from the Swedish brand and targeted at trail riders rather than full-on DH. So just like the best mountain bike knee pads out there, the Air Flow is a balancing act of weight and breathability… this time with the scales firmly tilted in favour of minimalism.

POC’s VPD Air Flow knee guards are like two sleeves of Lycra, perfect for those wanting an unobtrusive fit

Design and specifications

The Air Flow shape is basically a lengthy tubular sleeve with internal gripper panels at either end, much like the many road cycling Lycra bib shorts that have fed into the design. POC’s material is very stretchy and thin like a modern Lycra short too and extends further up the thigh than some similar sleeve-style pads. The minimal design means there are no straps or tensioners and therefore less bulk or potential for scrunching up excess material and fasteners. That’s not a unique design to POC of course, the 7iDP Sam Hill Lite knee pad works in much the same way.

POC deliberately chose a lightweight and airy fabric and there are also only two seams per side on the entire pad to ensure the fit is as close to the leg as possible. The front knee guard has EN1621-1 (CE Level 1) certification and is also very slimline, and pre-formed to the shape of the knee cap.

VPD is Poc’s own brand D3O, it hardens instantly on contact and should protect you from scrapes and bar impacts

The padding part itself is covered in a coarser, abrasion-resistant fabric on the front panel. It’s formed of a hexagon or honeycomb layer about 1.5cm thick and made from VPD impact-hardening material, which is essentially the brand’s equivalent of D30. Standing for Visco-Elastic Polymer Dough, the VPD part stiffens up in the event of an impact to become much more protective than standard padding.

Performance

Just like the thicker POC Oseus knee pads I use a lot, these Air Flow knee guards simply don’t budge while riding. The longer length and the very effective silicon gripper panels inside seem key to this aspect of performance, but the pre-curved shape of the knee cup clearly also helps the pads stay firm.

The Air Flowa a properly minimal, without straps or adjusters

Case in point was wearing them for a frantic and pedal-heavy three-day enduro race, I wore the Air Flows underneath riding trousers for two days and in shorts for one day and barely had to ever touch them. I then followed this with 10 days riding lifts and severe Alpine trails non-stop and can count on one hand the number of times I fiddled with them or pulled them up, which is seriously impressive.

I’m not a massive fan of bulky knee pads so these thin and seamlessAir Flows are a win for me because I’m much more likely to wear them. POC’s fit is so invisible, in fact, you might find yourself forgetting to take them off at the end of the day, and another bonus is when you do, you’re not greeted by stinky knees.

The thin Spandex-style fabric in the main leg tube breathes well and also dries quickly when, and being so close to the body, never holds on to mud or splashes too much or gets heavy and droopy. The overall weight is very low too at just over 200g a pair, so you’re not dragging any extra bulk around. The Air Flows have also lasted well after multiple washes without looking scruffy or getting torn.

The coolest kneepads on the trail? Quite possbly, although the Same Hill Lite Kneepads give them a run for their money

Obviously, these pads aren’t going to offer the same level of protection as a bulky, hard capped DH knee guard if you slam into some rocks. But the impact-hardening knee guard material will definitely take the edge off the kind of impacts and knocks you get banging against the frame or sliding on the ground in a smaller crash or wobble. If you want something more than a slider sleeve and still get the absolute lightest and most pedal-friendly thin knee pads I’ve tried, these Air Flow guards are highly recommended but do come with a hefty price tag.