Level 1 or level 2, and where the pocket puts it

The best knee and elbow armour for 2026

Limb armour is bought for one of two reasons: to replace the soft foam a jacket or trousers arrived with, or to be strapped on under ordinary clothing. Both are legitimate, and they lead to different products. The figure on every listing is the EN 1621-1 level, and it needs reading as what it is — a measurement of force transmitted through the protector to a sensor beneath it, under a defined impact, on a rig. Level 2 transmits less in that test. It also takes more material to do so, so a level 2 protector is thicker, stiffer and warmer. That is a trade-off between measurable things, not a ranking, and a protector too bulky to fit the pocket it was bought for is not the better choice. Two further published properties matter and are read less often. Type A and type B, which describe coverage area rather than performance: type B covers more, and a protector can be level 2 type A or level 1 type B. And the size, published in centimetres, which decides whether the armour actually spans the joint — a knee protector sized for a shorter leg leaves the top of the shin exposed. Then the practical things. Ventilation, since armour sits against a limb for hours. Fitting: an insert needs a pocket of the right dimensions and that pocket has to hold it over the joint when the limb is bent, while a strap-on stays where it is put. And how the material behaves in the cold, since several soft armours stiffen at low temperature and makers who have tested that publish the range. We compare the EN 1621-1 level and type cited, published size and coverage, thickness, ventilation, fitting method and temperature range where published.

These parts compared, figure by figure

1. 

   Furygan D3O Ghost L2

   A pair of soft, thin level 2 D3O protectors for elbow or knee pockets, published against a standard the other four protectors in this family do not cite.

   Standard cited

   The maker states the protection exceeds EN 1621-3 at the cited level (maker’s bullet). The four other protectors in this family cite EN 1621-1, which is the limb protector standard.

   Level

   Level 2, available in level 1 or 2 (from the title and bullet)

   Material

   D3O — a soft material stated to absorb kinetic energy on impact (maker’s bullet)

   Position

   Elbow OR knee — the title names both (from the title)

   Construction

   Soft and thin, ventilated design for airflow, stated to sit unnoticed in a trouser pocket (maker’s bullet)

   Size

   One size (from the title)

   Amazon reference

   B0CGX28TNZ (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   3435980384869

   • Level 2 in a soft, thin protector that fits a trouser pocket
   • A named material rather than an unspecified foam
   • The standard cited is not the one the four protectors beside it cite

   Best for: Filling the empty armour pockets of riding trousers with something thin enough to forget.

   ≈ £28 / €26

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2. 

   SAS-TEC SC-1/KA

   An ultra-thin 6 mm protector certified to EN 1621-1:2012, usable at four positions, with a patented design stated to keep its flexibility at low temperatures.

   Standard cited

   EN 1621-1:2012, with the year (maker’s bullet)

   Thickness

   6 mm (maker’s bullet)

   Positions

   Shoulder, elbow, knee or hip (maker’s bullet)

   Cold behaviour

   Patented Tripleflex design stated to keep excellent flexibility at low temperatures (maker’s bullet)

   Supplied

   1 pair (maker’s bullet)

   Level

   The maker puts nothing in writing on this — the standard classifies level 1 and level 2.

   Amazon reference

   B082YD42N5 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4045765165560

   • Publishes the standard AND its year, which is more precise than any other protector here
   • Publishes the thickness as a figure — 6 mm — where the others describe theirs
   • The level is not published, and EN 1621-1 classifies two

   Best for: Any armour pocket that will take 6 mm, in a jacket worn through winter.

   ≈ €13

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3. 

   O’NEAL PRO IV Knee Guard

   A strap-on knee and shin guard certified to EN 1621-1 level 1, with removable EVA foam padding and ventilation slots cut into the shell.

   Standard cited

   EN 1621-1, level 1 (maker’s bullet)

   Coverage

   Knee AND shin — the maker states it protects the leg, not only the joint (maker’s bullet)

   Padding

   EVA foam, removable (maker’s bullet)

   Ventilation

   Multiple slots worked into the guard, for cooling knee and shin (maker’s bullet)

   Size

   One size (from the title)

   Stated use

   Motocross and enduro (from the title)

   Amazon reference

   B089T2NWG4 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4046068574714

   • Standard AND level both published
   • Covers the shin as well as the knee, which a pocket insert cannot
   • A strap-on guard is worn over or under trousers — it is not a pocket insert

   Best for: Off-road riding, where the shin takes the hit the knee does not.

   ≈ $76 / £57 / €52

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4. 

   COTOP CO105

   A pair of strap-on knee guards with a rigid PP shell over a shock-absorbing EVA lining, fixed by two 30 cm hook-and-loop straps, cited as CE certified without a named standard.

   Certification cited

   CE, to EU safety standards — no standard number is published (maker’s bullet)

   Shell

   Robust PP (polypropylene) (maker’s bullet)

   Lining

   Shock-absorbing EVA inner padding (maker’s bullet)

   Fixing

   Two 30 cm hook-and-loop straps, stated non-slip and to suit everyone (maker’s bullet)

   Shape

   Matched to the natural knee shape for unrestricted movement (maker’s bullet)

   Level

   The maker puts nothing in writing on this.

   Amazon reference

   B0FVY15KGP (one reference across 4 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   5060861046437

   • The strap length is published — 30 cm — where every other guard describes its fixing
   • Shell and lining named as separate materials
   • CE cited with no standard number and no level — the two things EN 1621-1 classifies

   Best for: A guard that goes on over trousers in seconds, where the certification detail is read on the product.

   ≈ €26

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5. 

   Scoyco K26

   Knee guards published as having passed the EN 1621-1 impact test at CE level 1, with a 3 mm TPU shell over dual-density foam, extended shell coverage and reflective strips.

   Standard cited

   CE level 1 — the maker states the guards passed the EN 1621-1 impact test (maker’s bullet)

   Shell

   3 mm thickened TPU (maker’s bullet)

   Foam

   Dual-density with a reinforced core; the maker states it absorbs 90% (maker’s bullet)

   Coverage

   Widened shell also covering the lower leg (maker’s bullet)

   Flex

   Three-stage structure bending to 180°, with adjustable straps and 3-part elastic bands (maker’s bullet)

   Visibility

   Reflective strips, stated visible at 200 m at night (maker’s bullet)

   Amazon reference

   B09MCMWDBJ (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   6971396209206

   • Names the standard, the level and the shell thickness — the most complete citation in this family
   • Reflective strips on armour, which is visibility where a leg moves
   • The 90% absorption figure carries no stated test condition

   Best for: Riders who want a published standard, a published level and a published thickness on the same guard.

   ≈ $37 / £45 / €50

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