AltaContour Knee and Elbow Pads

Operator7

04 Feb 2013

This will be another review on our Airsoft High Protection Series here at Popular Airsoft, where I have been reviewing gear that provides the Airsofter with an increased level of protection in case you are considering some very tough terrains, or if you’re looking into going rappelling with your AEG.

On the previous reviews we took a look at how we could protect our head in Multicam style with the Emerson Fast BJ Helmet, then we tried the Smith Elite Optics Aegis Arc for ballistic grade eye protection, and in the last review of the series we tested the Rapdom T12 Kevlar Tactical Gloves with Kevlar which offer protection to fire, abrasion and cuts.

Now, it’s time to protect the other body parts that come in contact with the ground more often than we’d care to remember: the knees and elbows.

Whether it’s because we get on our knees countless times, don’t get me wrong here, to provide a stable aiming position and the knee is the first to have contact with the ground; or because we use our elbows as an improvised tripod; or just because when falling these are the areas that usually take the first blow that pads are a good and sensible protection for the Airsofter.

Big thanks to Military1st for the opportunity to review this great piece of protection gear.

DURABILITY, UNIQUE DESIGN AND COMFORT

I have once purchased a kit with knee and elbow pads, you know, one of those more common unbranded ACM. I can tell you that they did protect my knees for a while, but they were uncomfortable and did not last long. Worst, they used to hurt me on the back of my knee because the straps would bend, slide out of place and it would be like a thick string pushing into my leg every time I had to bend my knee. Terrible.

In addition, they lasted two months as they gave away their weakest point: the junction between the pads and the straps. They all got torn off and unstitched themselves.

So longevity is a big concern especially for knee pads because these are the most affected by wear and tear. It took me a little longer to make this review just to see how these would behave after some months of use. After about three months of using them I can tell you that they’ve outperformed my old ACM pads by far. I’ve also noticed that the knee pads don’t hurt me on the back of the knee since the straps never get out of place.

And this is quite easy to understand why. First, because on the inside there is a rubber band that adheres to my trousers not letting the kneepad slip like it happens with many kneepads out there.

Second, because of the very well thought-out Biomechanical design of these kneepads --- they don’t have to bend the straps and the kneepad to adapt to my knee’s position.

If you watch closely, both the elbow and the knee pads are made of 3 pieces stitched together, with a small interval of fabric. This interval will bend its shape and resume its shape whenever you bend or stretch your knees or elbows. This design does not offer any resistance, and all my movements are faster, more natural and more fluid comparing to when I’m wearing other kneepads. This reduces the effort on the operator and the strain on the materials, increasing the lifespan of the product.

Third, the AltaContour knee pads have an interesting dual strap system that prevents the straps from bunching and flapping. This is guaranteed by a loop that holds together the strap excess.

The elbow pads do not have this loop system since they are not affected by the same issues the knee pads are, but the straps are wide enough not to cause any bunching and guarantee a comfortable wear.

So far, comfort wise they are top notch, but how about durability?

Well, I am going to keep this pretty simple, mainly because there’s not much to say, except that all I see on these pads are some marks on the rubber caps, and that is all!

QUALITY AND PROTECTION

Alta chose to use very high quality materials to build the AltaContour line: the cover is made of Cordura® Nylon, which is very strong and resistant and beneath they’ve added foam to protect the user from blows or hard impacts. The soft rubber caps are very well secured with brass grommets, 6 on the kneepads and 4 on the elbow pads. This is where most cheap caps will fail being that they just get ripped away from the grommets that hold them in place.

Beneath the rubber caps, there is neoprene foam on both the knee and elbow pads. This layer of neoprene works kind of like a suspension, absorbing shocks, and believe me, once you start to feel confident and secure with them you will surely get your knees to the ground faster and stronger than ever. I noticed this very well this one time I forgot my knee pads home, and during a game I felt a sharp pain in the left knee: I had just plunged my knee into a small but very hard boulder. Note to self: make a gear check list so I won’t forget the kneepads!

Another detail I liked is the fastening system on the kneepads. They call it the AltaLok Fastening System which is much better that Velcro since it holds the straps securely in place, whilst with the Velcro if there is too much pressure or if the straps get stuck on a tree, it’s very easy to come off. And it doesn’t get worn out fast and they tend to pick up a lot of dirt.

Now for the elbow pads they’ve chosen to go with the traditional Hook & Loop system which works ok, but it’s harder to setup in my opinion.

Both the elbow pads and the knee pads feature a finished brushed tricot liner, which wicks away moisture and keeps out dirt and debris.

CONCEALMENT

Here’s another neat feature of the ALTAContour, they come in several colors (Olive, Black and Coyote) and camos such as the A-TACS pattern, Multicam and ACU Digital.

When used with other A-TACS gear they blend in very well, thanks to the Cordura Nylon cover with the printed camo. Too bad the rubber caps are not in A-TACS as well but I guess this could have to do with the resistance of the material, so instead they went with Coyote color, which looks really good.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, these are the best pads I’ve ever worn for Airsoft. They are comfortable and durable. They’ve won me simply because provide a degree of flexibility and enable me to move more freely than other traditional pads.

Plus, the camo option adds to the cool and concealment factor which is always a plus in Airsoft.

They are sold in separate and you can find them at Military1st.co.uk, being that the AltaContour elbow pads cost £32.99 (around 38€), and the AltaContour knee pads go for £35.99 (around 41€).

A good investment in your protection that I highly recommend.