Swiss manufacturer SCOTT offers a wide range of outdoor sports equipment. Their huge and versatile portfolio includes hard and soft goods for various sports disciplines, from skiing to trail running all the way to mountain biking. The Soldier 2 knee pad enters our 2022 knee pad group test with a discreet and simple design. It’s made entirely of a light, stretchable material and renounces Velcro fasteners altogether, relying on a silicone-printed retention strap on the thigh instead.
Click here for an overview: 14 trail knee pads in test
Fastening System Elastic strap | Lab Test Results 18 kN at 3.0 ms | Manufacturer’s website
At the front, the removable D30® insert is tucked away under a firm, abrasion-resistant plastic mesh. Retailing at € 79.95, the Soldier 2 is one of the cheaper pads in this test, while the Level 1 protection and residual force of 18 kN at 3.0 ms places it in the midfield for protection. The 181 g weight is average too.
The SCOTT Soldier 2 on the trail
The compact dimensions make it easy to slip your legs into the SCOTT Soldier 2 but at the same time make for a tighter fit compared to the other models in this test. However, this is not a problem, because the sleeve is made of a flexible material. Once the pads are in place, they sit firmly on the legs and stay there even on longer rides with rough trail sections – which is awesome considering that SCOTT forgo any kind of Velcro straps! Despite the wide weave mesh on the front plate, ventilation is sub-par, which is mainly due to the firm mesh material and the lack of perforations in the D30® insert. As a result, the Soldier 2 is one of the warmest knee pads in this test, and on top of that the mesh holes proved to be the perfect dirt catcher. Nevertheless, the SCOTT offers excellent wearing comfort and doesn’t cause pressure points or unpleasant chafing, even after a long day in the saddle.
Tops
- High level of comfort
- Doesn’t slip
Flops
- One of the warmer knee pads in test
You can find out more about at scott-sports.com.
The test field
Click here for an overview: 14 trail knee pads in test
All kneepads in test: 100% Teratec Plus (Click for review) | Alpinestars Paragon Plus (Click for review) | AMPLIFI Havok (Click for review) | Chromag Rift Knee Guard (Click for review) | Fox Launch D3O (Click for review) | Ion K Lite (Click for review) | iXS FLOW EVO+ (Click for review) | Leatt AirFlex Pro (Click for review) | Ortema GP5 Knee Protector (Click for review) | Pearl Izumi Elevate Knee Guard V1 (Click for review) | POC Joint VPD 2.0 Knee (Click for review) | Rapha Trail Knee Pad (Click for review) | Scott Soldier 2 | Troy Lee Designs Stage (Click for review)
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Words: Simon Kohler Photos: Mike Hunger
About the Author
Simon Kohler
Simon loves speed. He has many years of racing experience as a longboard downhill skater, blasting down alpine passes on his board. In the meantime, he’s swapped four wheels for two, charging down trails and bike park lines aboard his mountain bike instead. He’s savoured some of Europe’s finest trails on various road trips through the Alps. Having lived in Austria for some time, he knows the local Austrian bike parks like the back of his hand. He’s a tech nerd through and through, using the skills and know-how from his engineering degree and his attention to detail to put the latest bikes and components through their paces for our reviews. As an early riser and self-declared muesli connoisseur, he lives his life powered by oats and the strength of his legs.
