MXA TEAM TESTED: SCOTT SOFTCON HYBRID KNEE GUARDS

WHAT IS IT? Scott Sports began back in 1958 with Ed Scott’s invention of tapered aluminum ski poles. Scott didn’t jump into the motocross market until 1970 at the beginning of the motocross boom in America. Scott is best known for its goggles, but the company has expanded into lock-on grips and protective apparel as of late. The Scott Softcon Hybrid knee guard is Scott’s only protective option for knees, and it’s designed to meet the needs of riders of all shapes, sizes and skill levels. 

WHAT’S IT COST? $131.95

CONTACT? www.scott-sports.com or (800) 893-5294. 

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Scott Softcon Hybrid knee guards.

(1) Concept. Motocross racers fall into two camps when it comes to knee protection; they either prefer knee pads or knee braces. It’s all about personal preference, and the MXA test riders aren’t united on this topic. Usually, if a rider has had knee problems before, he wears knee braces; however, plenty of our test riders wear pads. The Scott Softcon knee guards are by no means braces, but they offer much more protection and peace of mind than your run-of-the-mill knee cups. The padding is segmented around the guard to offer a snug fit with impressive protection. 

(2) Design. The Softcon knee guards are specifically designed with a mix of ergonomic and flexible D3O padding and a co-molded plastic shell. The D3O padding offers a great spread of protection around the knee and shin area, while the hard plastic shell and knee-cap protection cover the D3O padding and handle the initial impacts from roost and crashes. Two straps wrap a full 360 degrees around the guards to offer a snug fit above and below the knee. Also, the main D3O knee pad is removable, allowing you to wash the pads without compromising their protective integrity. Finally, the segmented padding on the inner and outer knee is flexible yet strong, which helps when gripping the bike. 

(3) Ventilation. Every knee guard, no matter how small, lightweight or ventilated, will cause your legs to sweat. The entire Softcon knee guard is thoughtfully constructed with lightweight and breathable materials, which we appreciate, but our legs were still sweaty after a moto.

(4) Performance. Our testers were very impressed with the fit and function of the Scott Softcon knee guards. They quickly became a test rider favorite. The size is nice—not big and bulky, but also not so small that they lack protection. For some reason, it’s always hard to find a knee pad with Velcro straps that will close tightly enough, but for MXA, the Scott straps were great! Best of all, they didn’t slide down during a long day of riding and walking around in gear at the track. 

(5) Fitment. The Softcon knee guards come in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes. We tried the medium and large options, and found the size differences to be very minimal. Our 6-foot-tall, 165-pound test rider preferred the medium size, but could make the large size work just fine. The pads feel secure yet move freely with your leg, not binding at all. We loved them! 

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? Our only complaint is that we didn’t have these sooner. 

MXA RATING: The Scott Softcon Hybrids are our new favorite knee pads! It’s not easy to create a protective pad that doesn’t bind when bent, doesn’t slide when walking and doesn’t compromise in a crash. The Softcon Hybrids met or exceeded our expectations in all areas.