Whether your kiddo is racing BMX, hitting up the bike park, or just learning to ride, you are going to want to find good-fitting child-specific protective pads. Until recently, these were nearly impossible to find, with many young riders wearing XS adult versions that didn’t fit well.
Luckily, as more and more kids enter the sport, increasing numbers of options are entering the market. Here’s a round-up of the best kids knee pads and kids elbow pads for toddlers to pre-teens.
We’ve included elbow and knee pads for casual riders (the vast majority of folks reading this), as well as the more intense members of our community–mountain bike and BMX families.
(Note: This is a bike website, so we’re clearly focused on protective pads for biking. That said, these knee and elbow pads also work great for scootering, skateboarding, and other wheeled sports).
Knee and Elbow Pads For Toddlers
Let’s face it: toddlers fall a lot. Poor little things. A pair of pads can make a big difference between a minor fall and a traumatic accident.
We don’t think all toddlers need pads to ride a balance bike, but if you know your little one is a little wild and accident-prone it’s not a bad idea to throw some knee and elbow pads on them.
Just keep in mind that many toddlers are also really sensitive to anything sensory, and may not like wearing them.
Strider Pad Set
Strider builds great balance bikes for toddlers, so it makes sense that they would make a great pad set for toddlers as well. For kids under 5, the Strider Pad Set is probably your best bet for pads that actually fit.
These velcro-on knee and elbow pads have a hard plastic exterior and are appropriate for little ones as young as 18 months.
Price: $19.99
7iDP Transition Kids Pads
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These are a bit more spendy, but in our opinion, worth every penny. The soft sleeves with foam padding are far more comfortable than hard-shell pads and they stay in place without slipping.
These are the best fitting pads we’ve found for little ones. The size small fits toddlers as young as 2 years old.
Read Our Review: 7iDP Transition Pads
Price:
Pads For Young Kids (Casual Riding)
We don’t necessarily recommend making your kids wear pads for riding around the neighborhood. (Although they should ALWAYS wear a helmet).
Protection for the pump tracks, bike parks, and dirt jumps are a great asset though. The following pads can be worn out on the trails or around town.
Woom NEEBOWS
The Woom NEEBOWS are our top pick for the vast majority of kids. They are flexible, comfortable, and stay in place.
The pads also come in 3 sizes so you can ensure a perfect fit. Assuming you pick the correct size, the silicone grippers help keep the pads firmly in place so your child can focus on biking not on re-adjusting their pads.
Read Our Review: Woom NEEBOWS
Price & Where To Buy: $39
Fox PeeWee Titan Pads
The Fox brand oozes “coolness” and kids love their stuff. The knee pads have all around great reviews; some parents complain about the fit of the elbow pads and say that they are hard to keep up.
These pads fit kids in 3T to 4T clothing to about 8 years old.
Price: Price not available (Last updated: 2023-03-08 at 01:21 – More Info)
Protective Pads For Mountain Bike and BMX Families
If your child is doing serious riding, they need good quality protective gear. Here are some of our top picks for trail riding, downhill days, the BMX track, and even the skate park.
These options are significantly more expensive than our “casual” picks above, but they also offer more protection and more comfort.
G-Form Pads
While a little pricey compared to the other pads listed here, the quality of the G-Form pads make the price tag worth it. These are grown-up quality pads for kids who are serious riders.
The pads are soft, machine washable, and stay in place. The youth pads sold by G-Form are best suited for older kids, while the Prevelo branded G-Form pads work well for younger rippers.
Read Our Reviews: G-Form Youth Pads AND Prevelo G-Form Pads
Price & Where To Buy:
- Youth Pro-X Pads: $64.99 (knee) / $54.99 (elbow) at GForm.com
- Prevelo Kids Pads: $40 (elbow) / $45 (knee) at Prevelo.com*
POC POCito Joint VPD Air Protector
The POC POCito pads are relatively new to the market, but have quickly become a favorite of many families we know.
The pads can be used on either knees or elbows, so it’s fairly easy to get a good fit. And once kids are ready to size up, they can move the knee pads to their elbows.
Price: Price not available (Last updated: 2023-03-07 at 19:22 – More Info)
Troy Lee Speed Sleeves
Troy Lee offers quite a good line-up of youth protective gear for young riders. The Speed knee sleeves are our favorite.
These are the same great design as the adult Speed pads, but sized down for little riders. Their youth pads are appropriate for 5+, but may be a bit large for petite kids.
Price: $49
Leatt 3DF 5.0 Mini or Jr
The Leatt 3DF 5.0 knee pads offer plenty of breathability making them our top pick for summer riding. They are flexible and have a Velcro strap around the thigh to help hold them up on small thighs. They come in two different size options: mini or junior and should fit most kids ages 5-6 and up.
Price: $79.99
IXS Carve EVO Pads
The IXS EVO protective pads have quickly become a favorite of ours because they fit our small-sized son so well. Many pads are overly bulky or don’t fit the youngest downhillers.
The IXS pads are rated for downhill riding, so they are our go-to pads when heading to the bike park or on a shuttle run.
Read Our Review: IXS pads
Price & Where To Buy:
- IXS EVO Knee Pads: $115 at JensonUSA.com*
- IXS EVO Elbow Pads: $99 at JensonUSA.com*
Comparison Chart
| Brand | Model | Best Use | Recommended Age/Sizing |
| Strider | Pad Set | Casual | One size (ages 18 months- 5 years) |
| Troy Lee Designs | Speed Knee Youth Sleeve | MTB | Youth Medium (10.5”-12” measure 4” above knee cap center) Youth Large (9.5”-11” measure 4” above knee cap center) |
| Woom | NEEBOWS Elbows | Casual | Small (7 – 7.5in) Medium (8 – 8.3in) Large (8.3 – 8.7in) |
| Woom | NEEBOWS Knees | Casual | Small (10 – 11in) Medium (11.5 – 12.2in) Large (12.2 – 12.5in) |
| Fox | PeeWee Titan Knee Pads | Casual | One Size (3+) |
| Fox | PeeWee Titan Elbow Pads | Casual | Small (Ages 3-5) Medium (6+) |
| G-Form | Pro-x Youth Knee Pads | MTB | S/M (10”-12” around thigh) L/XL (12”-14” around thigh) |
| G-Form | Pro-x Youth Elbow Pads | MTB | S/M (8”-9.5” around bicep) L/XL (9.5”-11” around bicep) |
| G-Form | Prevelo Elbow | MTB | One size (ages 2-5+) |
| G-Form | Prevelo Knee | MTB | SM/MD (7″ to 9.5″) LG/XL (9″ to 11.5″) |
| Leatt | 3DF 5.0 Knee Pads | MTB | One size (10.5″-12.5″ around thigh) |
| IXS | Evo Knee Pads | MTB | S (30-32 cm around thigh) M (32-34cm cm around thigh) |
| IXS | Evo Elbow Pads | MTB | S (18-20cm around bicep) M (20-22cm around bicep) |
| POC | POCito Joint VPD Air Protector | MTB | S (14-20cm) M (16-24cm) L (20-34cm) |
Our 5 yr old has been using the Raceface knee and el ow pads since he was about 4.5yrs. Great product, good fit, above average protection.
My 6 year old is using my small troy lee speed doctor elbow pads as knee and shin pads. Perfect fit
Good morning, can I ask what shin protectors your son is wearing in this picture (is it is? If so, do you have a model and thoughts on it)?
https://rascalrides.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2772-1-1024×768.jpg
Ty,
N
Yup, that’s my son. They are IXS brand, but a model that isn’t made anymore I’m afraid. The closest thing would be the IXS Cleaver pads in size small depending on if your kiddo is big enough for them.