Enduro21’s long term test review of Leatt’s X-Frame off-road knee braces.

When Enduro21 tests a product we do our best to make sure that it is as thorough as possible. Testing everything that we wear and ride in real off-road conditions is integral to what we do simply because we ride dirt bikes and you do too. If something works or fails, the only way we’re going to find out is by stocking up the hours.

On test for around two years, Leatt’s X-Frame knee braces have had everything thrown at them from hard enduro, cross country, enduro, countless practice days and most recently the Erzbergrodeo. We’ve worn them to the point where, really, some parts are worn out but they’re still tough and protecting the knees from injury and impacts. Here’s how they stood up to our rigorous testing, what’s good and what’s not.

They say:

The X-Frame Knee Brace is manufactured from Injected Carbon Composite and has a 40% slimmer hinge on the inside to provide superior bike feel, the outer hinge has metal gears for durable and precise movement.

A numbered strapping system for ease and different sized hinge pads are included with a low-profile shin plate to ensure the fit is perfect for you and above all comfortable. The X-Frame Knee Brace is made of Injected Carbon Composite and is the top-level cage-type knee brace in our range.

Engineered to help reduce injuries (ACL, Meniscus, and MCL), it is CE certified as a medical device and as impact protection. An alternative would be our C-Frame Pro Carbon knee brace, if you are looking for a stiffer chassis and a single-sided hinge, or for something more cost-effective the Z-Frame is a great option.

We say:

One of a range of knee braces from Leatt (see the full range here), the X-frame is aimed squarely at off-road riders.

From the start, the X-Frames took some fine tuning to fit well and for a while would leave dents in the skin until we corrected the right sized pads either side of the knee.

The braces come with two different thickness pads to adjust how they sit on your knee – 5mm and 7mm – and playing with them adjusts how tight they fit and moves the brace slightly one way or the other and therefore adjusts the pressure on your skin.

Getting that slightly wrong for a while didn’t affect the knee so much as on the shin which could get sore, especially if you also don’t get the top boot straps in the right place.

After a bit of trial and error, we had it sorted for comfort though and, as we said already, have happily worn these in every kind of enduro riding you could think of. Overall comfort is helped by padding on the inside of all plastic areas and straps. We normally use long socks or tights under knee braces (and riding clothing) for comfort and have never worn these directly on the skin.

Thankfully, we cannot say we’ve tested their ability to protect against hyperextension of the knee and prevent injuries to the joint or ligaments. We plan to keep it that way too but can say the lock-out system remains as strong.

Toughness is a virtue in a knee brace and the X-Frames are just that, having taken some serious beatings from posts in enduro tests, earth mover tyres in the inside of corners, and rocks.

By now they look a bit battered but have stood up to impacts really well over the years, and all those certification numbers from the EU and US mean they are officially impact and medical device tested and rated.

One thing we like is the piece of armor ‘cup’ over the top of the kneecap which has prevented plenty of injuries.

A couple of things are worn by now and need replacing. Those are two or three of the numbered straps where the Velcro ends have started to become threadbare (they’re numbered for correct sequence when fitting them to your legs).

One of the side knee pads lost its Velcro too plus the padding inside the leg ‘cup’ has also lost its stick in a few places but this is easily remedied with some strong double-side tape.

You can replace all parts including the complete set of straps for around 50 quid, the same for the padding, plus the little Y-shaped hinges the straps loop through and the knee cup from Leatt’s parts catalogue.

The hinge mechanism each side of the knee joint has had a couple of doses of silicone grease over the years but honestly not as much as you probably should. That said, inside looks good and only a little worn.

In there also are the extension stoppers (the red part) which you also get different sized replacements from new in a bag. They limit the braces at 5, 10, 15, and 20 degrees for ACL injury reduction (basically let you extend your leg a little less as that degree number increases).

We weighed ours at just over 730g each which makes them not the lightest knee braces we’ve ever tested but that’s by a difference hardly worth noting.

Enduro21 verdict:

Knee braces are essential in our view and we never ride without them. Not only are knees vulnerable to impacts they are naturally easily damaged through twisting or hyperextension.

Over what we estimate is more than a thousand hours of use, the Leatt X-frame knee braces have impressed us. Sure, they look a bit battered as you’d expect, and need a couple of parts replacing, but have literally stood the test of time.

Knee braces are an expensive outlay but when they last this well the investment is surely worth it against the protection. With all parts replaceable these just need a service and they’re good to do it all again.

Price? Originally the RRP for the X-Frame was just under 500 GBP (590€/650$950AUD) but they seem to be heavily discounted at the time of writing to 350 GBP (430€/450$/680AUD), so shop around.

More information and stockists: www.leatt.com

Technical information:

Injected Carbon Composite Frame

Asymmetrical Hinges

40% slimmer inner hinge for superior bike feel

Metal geared outer hinge for precise movement and durability

Reduction of forces to limit knee injuries:

ACL, Meniscus and MCL

Certified as medical device:

EU CA014741

USA FDA 10048761

CE tested and certified as impact protection:

Knee EN1621-1

Hyper extension limitations 5º, 10º, 15º and 20º for ACL injury reduction

Low-profile shin bone pad that fits inside all boots

Comfortable and easy fitting strap system

Customized fit with interchangeable hinge padding sizes

Sizing: S - M - L - XL – XXL