The best tactical knee pads for rough terrain

Crye Precision is one of the mainstays of the modern tactical gear world, and the company’s genre-defining designs don’t just set the standard for body armor, but pants, as well. Crye’s approach to ergonomically-designed tactical pants with slots for integrated kneepads shook the world of combat uniforms and became all but synonymous with the latter half of the Global War on Terror. The G3 Combat Pants, when combined with Crye’s Airflex knee pads, make for durable protection that can be adjusted to your body on the fly and stay out of the way.

The G3 pants offer fantastic mobility, owing to adjustment straps on the waist, knees, and cuffs of the pants, as well as four-way stretch panels around the knees, below the waistband, and in the crotch. The Airflex knee pads themselves feature a two-stage design that includes a protruding rubberized plate that extends past the trapezoidal opening to protect from abrasion and an internal soft anti-impact layer that’s protected by the fabric of the pants. Both elements are easily removable and the knee pockets can be closed up for comfort, which is great on long hikes where you don’t anticipate suddenly taking a knee into rocks or gravel. Finally, there’s an undeniable cool factor to owning a pair of Cryes since, up until recently, they’ve been the exclusive purview of elite units.

The choice to use Velcro on the kneepads makes for easy deliberate removal, but it also means that I’ve personally had the kneepads get partially torn out when taking a knee in swampy ground, or when the lip of the protruding rubberized plate got caught on a rock while moving. The prolific use of Velcro on all pockets also means that opening your pockets is not only noisy for those who fancy themselves stealthy, but also that sand and dirt can foul the Velcro. I personally prefer buttons. Finally, several users have reported burst seams around the stretch panels, especially the one in the crotch, which can lead to embarrassing results.

Popular high-end outdoor brand Arc’teryx isn’t usually cited as being the best budget option anywhere. However, its Law Enforcement and Armed Forces (LEAF) sub-brand includes some of the best external tactical knee pads I’ve ever used. These aren’t your father’s Blackhawk(!) knee pads. They’re designed for maximum mobility and protection while avoiding a lot of the slippage and mobility limits that affect other, less-refined brands.

The biggest advantage of these kneepads is that they’re totally independent of any pair of pants, making these arguably the best tactical knee pads for Marines, in particular, since most are not authorized to wear the unobtanium Crye Precision G3s in MARPAT. Furthermore, these are supremely comfortable and impact-resistant knee pads, so far that I tested them by strapping them on and having a friend take a stick to my knees, which they stopped handily. Finally, the design is ingenious, with a protective plate that tapers below the knee to flex naturally, a non-elastic lower strap to prevent movement, but an elastic upper strap to further enable knee mobility, and porous foam that doesn’t smother your knee but which still can take a beating.

Despite the fact that the foam is porous and the padding narrows right below the kneecap to not cover more space than is necessary, these are still very hot on warmer days, and you will get sweaty knees. Additionally, the clips have failed on multiple users after prolonged use, and they’ve taken to doing their own swaps of more durable buckles. Finally, the porous foam, after being exposed to human sweat and various impacts for long periods of time, will break down, so these won’t last forever.

UF Pro is a brand that most buyers in the United States may not know, but really should. Hailing from Slovenia, the company has provided tactical clothing to some of the most elite special operations units in Europe, and its momentum is catching on here. Unlike many other tactical brands, it totally eschews copying Crye pants and instead radically departs with innovative, if controversial designs. I personally own a full set of the Striker X combat uniform in French CCE camouflage, and have found it to be the best for my body type, in spite of its bizarre appearance.

The Striker X uniform is designed to be nearly indestructible and to be easily repairable in the event that you do tear something. A large part of that is due to features like reinforced “Canadian buttons” that are held in with ribbon rather than string, dense double stitching around every seam, and 500D cordura belt loops, cuffs, and knees, among other unique features. In addition, the Striker X is fantastically comfortable, with the entire seat of the pants being made of stretch material, meaning that the ass, at least, fits like yoga pants. Finally, the kneepads can be scaled to what you need at the moment. I usually take mine out if I’ll be walking long distances, which can be easily done through a top-loading zipper, but you can add puncture layers, your choice of an impact-resistant tactical knee pad or a soft tactical knee pad that focuses more on cushioning, or a combination of these.

Whenever people compare UF Pro to Crye, their biggest complaint is that, unlike Crye pants, the Striker X knee pads cannot be adjusted for height, only width. Some people have unusually long shins or femurs and their knee is at a different spot on their leg, and this is very important. Another large issue is that this brand is relatively unknown in the United States, so asking someone to spend hundreds of dollars on their pants (not including the knee pad inserts and thermal liner) is a big ask. Finally, and frankly, a lot of people find UF Pro’s styling to be ugly and overdone, and they lack a lot of the sleek coolness of Crye for some.