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Possibly great if they fit; vendor charts no helpJan 25, 2009
We got some of these pads for an eight-year-old to use with a Scooter. I tried to research the sizes before buying, but Viking is just basically a marketing brand slapped onto a variety of products, and the company website doesn't say much. So, we tried both the X-small and Small sizes, but neither set worked completely. It was very frustrating.
First, understand that these pads are designed like "sleeves" that slide over the arm or leg. The back side of the sleeve is a thin elastic panel that holds the pad in place at the knee or elbow, while you fine-tune the fit using wrap-around velcro straps. Although the sleeve approach requires removing shoes before putting on kneepads, it is easier to get a pad in place this way than by holding it with one hand while fighting individual straps with the other. That's the theory, at least.
What we found is that the "sleeve size" (the amount of space between the front pad and the elastic backing) -- which should have been the primary way of fitting to the body -- was a bit inconsistent, either from knee to elbow within one size, or the overall fit between one size and the next. It's hard to describe and I apologize for not having more precision.
The sleeve thing would not have mattered too much, except that the velcro adjusting straps were really sized inconsistently. On the X-small size, they seemed very short, and our kid was complaining about how tight the pads were overall. But on the next larger size, the straps were too long and and we couldn't get the pads situated firmly in position. Perhaps there could have been a workaround, but I was losing patience by that point.
The plastic impact surface seems (visually at least) to be sturdy, and it is formed in a good shape to protect each joint -- if you can get it to stay in place. I noticed that the plastic surface piece was not precisely centered on both knees, or both elbows -- perhaps a few millimeters different from one to the other. Yes, out on the playground this might not matter, but when you're struggling to get something to fit at all, QC stuff like this catches your eye.
For scooter use we could not use the hand guards -- they make it impossible to grip the handlebars. But for a skateboarder, these might be useful enough to make one put up with the other size problems. Although there's no impact absorbtion (padding or gel or whatever), they include a hard plastic insert that would (I assume) keep the wrist from turning or bending the wrong way in a fall, and of course reduce scrapes.
The X-small is probably better suited for toddlers up to 6 or 7 perhaps. With kid-to-kid variations it's hard to say where the line is drawn. The Small size could fit some kids at age 6 or 7, but probably is better for older kids (8 and up) or very small adults. Perhaps somebody can pester the manufacturer to go to a little trouble and publish more information about these and other sizes.
When we were shopping around, these seemed to be a reasonably good value for a three-part set of pads, compared to what we were seeing at local stores, etc. The storage bag is probably too flimsy to last really long but it is handy as a way of keeping the set together.
We finally got a set of Mongoose pads for our child, and while they are not all that easy to put on or adjust, and they slip around more than I like, we figure they will make do for now. What I learned from all this is that, if you really, really want proper sizing and top quality, you probably have to go to a local store, try stuff on, and pay a whole lot more money. Otherwise, these might be an okay choice if they happen to fit your needs (and your body).
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