RACE FACE COVERT KNEE PAD REVIEW

Review by Nic Hall | Photos by Dusten Ryen

Race Face has been putting out armor since I was a wee grom and has consistently produced what riders are asking for. The new Covert knee pad is no exception, answering the calls of riders looking for a pad they can pedal in while retaining some protection for long backcountry descents. With cold and wet weather, I have been pedaling XC trails in light kits lately and the Covert knee pad has fit right in.

THE LAB

Race Face has designed the Covert knee pad around strategically placed panels to work with your body while pedaling and decrease irritation. The body of the pad is a highly breathable grid mesh to increase breathability, while silicone grip strips have been added at the thigh, calf, and shin to keep the pad locked down.

The protection is provided by a very low profile D30 Ghost insert with an abrasion resistant cover. Rated to EN level 1, the D3O Ghost pad is ultra-thin, with a stretchy backing to keep the pad moving with your knee. It also features tapered edges and a triangle grid layout to both move anatomically and not get hung up during a fall, offering impressive protection for the limited bulk. Race Face offers the Covert knee pads in all black, or tan with a subtle black logo (tested). They are available in sizes XS through XXL, so you should be able to fit your monster calves in them, and retail for $100.

THE DIRT

The Covert knee pad feels like a heavy duty knee warmer on the leg. Once you get the tight fitting sleeve on and the small pad warmed up, it stays on and doesn’t shift on your leg, moving with you as your knee bends. The rear stretch panels coupled with the silicone calf strap keeps the Covert very secure yet comfortable enough to wear all day on long rides. The grid material does a good job of keeping the pad breathable while retaining enough heat to keep your knee warm and mobile in the colder months.

Protection is just enough to keep you confident on the trail. By no means is the Covert knee pad an enduro or DH level pad, but it’s certainly a pad you can keep on all day on the trails knowing that if you go down, you can probably still pedal out. The tapered edges of the D30 provide very little side coverage to the knee, but the protection on offer is still impressive for a pad that nearly disappears once you have it on.

After nearly a month of riding and a few falls, the Coverts are still in great condition. The silicone grips have not come off after several washes and all the seams have held strong, so as long as you don’t spend too much time sliding on the dirt, they should be in it for the long haul.

The Wolf’s Last Word

If you are looking for a pad you can wear all day without irritating the back of your knees on long rides, the Covert knee pad should be at the top of your list. Protection is minimal, but useful to shake off some minor bails while pedaling freely – you can simply pull the pads on and forget about them. We aren’t going to be riding with the Covert in the park any time soon but they are great for just about everything else.

Price: $100
Website: Raceface.com