Buying Sliding Kneepads and Guards and How to Find the Right Balance of Protection and Comfort
Even though the uses of sliding knee pads and guards may seem less significant than other protective gears, they still have their role to play.
When you consider the rough and difficult nature of softball, cuts and injuries become an inevitable prospect. Even with the use of strong clothes and fabrics, you may still get injured especially when you consider the amount of sliding and sprinting that is performed in softball games. So to keep yourself from getting wounded in your game, you should get the best protection available to you.
You have the batting helmet for your head. You have, for your chest, chest protectors. For your feet, you have a pair of cleated shoes. And in the case of your knees, which can take the most injury in slides, knee pads and guards are there to keep them safe throughout the process.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can be less than discerning when selecting these kneepads. So learn how to pick which qualities you need.
In terms of cost, sliding knee pads and guards don’t really cost a lot, mainly because of their size and of their specific purpose. However, like other softball equipment, their price is also determined by their quality and design. In general, the prices for knee pads and guards can range between $10.00 to $20.00.
More costly knee pads are made from several composite materials. The Trace Long Knee Guard 47000 for example, costs $18.99. This particular type of kneepad features a vinyl/nitrile foam pad and Nylon/spandex fabrics to provide better protection. A less costly alternative is the Mizuno MzO Slider Kneepad, which costs $11.99, and it is made out of a simpler Cotton/Polyester/Spandex blend.
In addition to the costs as well as the materials that make up the sliding kneepads, it’s important to consider their design as well. How many layers does it have? Can it protect parts of your legs too? Are they flexible? How many layers of padding do they use?
Although we can’t make broad generalizations, sliding kneepads and guards with multiple paddings and wide designs are generally best. A good example of kneepads that feature multiple padding is the Schutt Universal EZ Sliders II Sliding Pad, which uses 3 separate pieces of Nitrile foam for optimal protection and flexibility.
The Mizuno MzO Slider Kneepad features a contoured protective design to offer a wide base so as to have a wide base so that it can protect the front, side and the lower knee from abrasions and bruises.
And lastly, think about comfort. Although most kneepads are designed to provide maximum comfort, there are also those which cannot be adjusted to the shape of your knees and legs. So only choose those sliding kneepads and guards which you know can be adjusted to be more comfortable.
Take the Louisville Slugger TPS Bionic Sliding Knee Pad for example. In addition to featuring Anatomical Designs with multiple relief components, it also has a combination of multi-density pads for comfort fit and pads which can be adjusted with knee flexion. So with their versatile and flexible design, they will be better suited to accommodate the unique shape of your knees.
Always keep in mind that sliding kneepads and guards are designed to keep you from injury, so select yours carefully. After all, every type of gear has its own unique role to play in keeping you from getting injured throughout the game.