What Does Level 1 vs Level 2 Protection Mean? MTB Pads with D3O

The terms “Level 1” and “Level 2” get thrown around when talking about mountain bike protection, but what do these terms mean? And more to the point, why should you pay attention to them when you’re selecting your next knee, elbow or body protectors? During our visit to D3O to film our recent Dissected feature, we took the opportunity to learn more about protection classifications, with the goal of helping you decide which is appropriate to protect you on your rides.

Do you have any questions for us or D3O? Leave them down below!

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[deisen]

Do you have a list of level 2 pads available?

[rocketrb]

What brand offer level 2 protection using d30? I can’t find any in Australia. 7idp offer level 2 using sastec this seems to be the only option.

[jessehill]

When the heck are the Diablo 2 pads coming? Seems they were announced earlier this year and there is still nothing.

[sandy_knight]

I wish Evoc would bring out a D3O upgrade for their Protector back packs, or D3O could just make one independently, it is easily removable. Without Evoc's collaboration/permission there might be legal issues I guess...

[NobleWizard]

Still waiting on Diablo L2 pads. Unless I'm mistaken, please let me know as I'm in the market for some new pads

[Justin-nyun]

Is D3O safe to eat? My cat decided to eat both of my inserts from my Fox pads whilst the sleeve were in the wash😂. Didn’t eat the whole thing, just snacked on 5% of each. He has some kind of silicone/rubber fetish

[vanabondmoto]

I ride dirt bikes as much as pedal bikes. Mtb protection is over priced in my opinion. I just get dirt bike pads that are comfy so I can wear them for either.
Plus mtb pads generally have fabric over the impact areas, kinda makes them single use. Hard shell outers are the only thing I get

[KarlMaldenarino]

D3O is a terrible material on it's own for protecting the kneecap. You don't want a material that hardens on impact to be the only thing between your kneecap and the ground. You need a layer of foam, preferably with a thicker ring around the outside of the kneecap to take more of the force, then the hard/hardening layer outside that. If you wear these thin non-pads because it's "better than nothing" you're either holding back or you're shredding with a false sense of security. Invest in some real pads, don't half ass it and blow up your knees.