Review: Bliss ARG Knee Pads

Almost everyone who you come across on a bike will either own or be wearing some kind of knee protection but what do we actually look for in a good set of pads?

If I had it all my own way I would personally want something that provided fantastic protection but would still let me turn the pedals without any obstruction at all. This would obviously be impossible but Bliss, a relative new comer to the protection market reckon their ARG knee pads might be the closest I’ve come to this pipedream yet…

We’ve been running the ARG Knee Pads from Bliss for a while now out on the trail bike, on uplifts and general larking around in the woods so the time has come to share our opinions!

First Impressions

From the second the pads arrived with us I was impressed on the stitch quality and the workmanship that had gone into the pads. Knee pads are well renowned for becoming rubbed up by the Velcro straps and falling apart after what isn’t a satisfactory amount of time.

I was really surprised with quite how supple the “armourgel” insert which is charged with the actual protection was. Bliss may of hit the nail on the head in the protection vs. maneuverability battle.

Styling wise I thought they looked pretty cool… The use of the logo on the front of the kneecap is nothing new and like other pads it stands out from a mile away but I really like the use of the rubber branded tabs on the end of the Velcro straps. They work on both a styling and also on a practicality level as it makes the pads pretty easy to open when your still wearing gloves. I’m partial to a bit of colour on my riding kit so I really liked the use of the blue font that sort of distinguishes these from all the other knee pads.

Fit

I would describe the Bliss ARG kneepads fit as good. Nothing mind-blowing to report on here but they will stay in place like glue through thick and thin.

They use the tried and tested elastic and neoprene sock with Velcro straps at the top and the bottom to hold the pad in place. We see this so often it’s almost an industry standard when it comes to kneepads but when it works so well why would anyone be looking to change it.

If pushed, I would say I have probably worn more comfortable pads in the past but I can’t think of a pair that stayed put quite aswell as the ARG so maybe that’s the price you have to pay.

From time to time the bulk of the material could get a little ruched up in the back of your knee that would pinch, but after a few rides the fabric softened up and I found that I no longer needed to do the straps up as tight and the pinching became nothing more than a distant memory.

Technology

What really makes the ARG knee pads stand out from anything else out there on the market today is the S2 armourgel that the protective knee cap is made from. This holey blue plastic has been in development for the last 5 years and has been molded into what it is today. The concept of “armourgel” is similar to the non-Newtonian liquid of cornflour and water. Flexible when not in use, but stiffens upon impact to provide the desired protection. Bliss claim that “the special structure of Armourgel® allows the material to absorb 80% of the impact energy…” Now I don’t have any scientific proof for this claim but I can say I’ve taken some pretty big knocks while wearing the pads and my knees have come out just fine.

Another reason for the use of Armourgel in the kneepads is its brilliant ventilation credentials. The pad is based on an open Re-entrant Structure that allows good airflow through the actual pad so your knees shouldn’t be getting too sweaty which is a genuine problem if your heading to sunnier climbs this summer!

The armourgel insert is safe to be washed, doesn’t show any impact performance changes at either extreme high or low temperatures and is even self – regenerative meaning the pad can be subjected to multiple impacts on the same point without seeing any loss in protection. I can’t think of any other pads off the top of my head that perform this well across so many different fields as armourgel. There’s a whole lot of technology on show in what appears to be a simple pair of kneepads.

I was nervous of including an entire section in this review on what could be looked upon as marketing hype but I genuinely believe that using materials like this is the way that all mountain bike protection should be heading. For most people and uses it’s the obvious solution for about 90% of the time. Only time will tell in which direction the mountain bike industry chooses to go!

The Ride

The ARG Knee pads are super comfortable when it comes to actually riding in them. First time out the material was a bit on the tough side and I had an issue with rubbing but since then I don’t have a single complaint.

The pads are very low in profile, which has made them great for pedaling and getting the miles in without that heavy knees feeling that you can experience with so many other pads out there. They squeeze under a pair of jeans nicely so would be a pretty good option for the dirt jump fraternity who are still looking for extra protection to the patella.

Crashing in the pads has been a joy! I’ve had just about the full range of imaginable crashes while wearing these in the last few months… I’ve had slide outs in berms, I’ve hit trees, I’ve had numerous trips over the bars, I’ve blown my feet of the pedals and smashed my knees on the floor coming up short on a roadgap at the Forest of Dean and even ended up with my bike hanging from a tree with my feet facing skyward entangled in the frame after flying over the top of a berm… Not once have these knee pads let me down. I’m the type of rider who pushes things like knee protection to the brink and the ARG knee pads from Bliss have really impressed me.

If I was to have one complaint? I would like a little more protection on the side portion of the pad to stop those nasty frame bangs... but thats not a deal breaker for me.

Conclusion

When it comes to packing my gear to head out for a ride I will almost always reach for the ARG pads from bliss. I have found they offer just the right balance between protection and maneuverability for me when riding the trail bike.

They stand up well in a crash situation and offer a decent level of protection from that clever little blue armourgel insert in the front that should keep protecting you hit after hit.

The price is a little on the steep side for a product from what is a reasonably an unknown brand but I wouldn’t let that worry you. With products and technology as good as these it won’t be long until you start seeing the name everywhere.

The Bliss ARG Keenpads are the perfect solution for some semi - lightweight pedal friendly knee protection that not only look great, they’ll stay put in a crash, and protect your knees time after time with the clever armourgel insert.