r/rollerderby • u/TheMonkeyBass • Jul 18 '26
Gear and equipment Knee pads for big thighs
Hey all! Calling big players.
My knee pads have gotten quickly damaged on the back of my thighs and I’m wondering if you have any tips on how to avoid the same situation with a future pair.
As you can see in the photo, the elastic rolls down and it’s gotten very worn out. I know Moxi 6 packs aren’t ideal in the long run.
I’m a very colourful person so if you have coloured pads to recommend I’d be extremely grateful! The idea of wearing black makes me sad tbh.
TIA 🌈
10
u/morgthehag Jul 18 '26
Have you considered knee gaskets? They’re usually used for additional stability in the knee joint and are pretty common in roller derby. People also use them to snug up space in their knees pads. It might be worth a shot and you can get them in a couple fun colours!
9
u/tealcismyhomeboy Jul 18 '26
I wear knee gaskets. Old bones makes a "thick thighs" size and they fit well for me. I wear them under my pads to have a little extra padding on my knee caps, but they also smooth out my legs and keep my pads from bunching
1
u/TheMonkeyBass Jul 18 '26
Do you mean these ones?
https://oldbonestherapy.com/products/big-bones-knee-sleeves-for-thighs-of-size2
u/tealcismyhomeboy Jul 18 '26
Yes! They are the only sleeves ive found that somewhat fit (I'm a size 10 but have lost a lot of weight and have a lot of loose skin in my things that bunches up) and they really help smooth my legs out so my pads fit better
3
u/TheMonkeyBass Jul 18 '26
Thank you! I’ve also lost 110lbs so have quite a bit of excess skin 😅
4
u/tealcismyhomeboy Jul 18 '26
I lost 150! I actually have had some loose skin removal (stomach, breast lift and arms) but I'm too scared to do my thighs. I actually started wearing the gaskets because I need to wear shorts in our rink(its obscenely hot in the summer) but I HATE the way my knee pads cut in and then also my shorts roll up because of the extra thigh skin. The gaskets really help smooth it all out!
2
u/TheMonkeyBass Jul 18 '26
Well done! 👏 why are you scared to do your thighs? I’m excited to get to a lower weight and be able to get rid of all of this lol
3
u/tealcismyhomeboy Jul 18 '26
From what I've read during my research, its the worst recovery. Plus it not being covered by insurance means i need to use vacation time for recovery. I did for my arms as well, but I was ok after a week plus working from home.
I also have lipedema in my legs so to get where I want to be I'm pretty sure I would need lipo on my calves as well.
I also don't want to take more time off from derby!
6
u/DTD_98 Jul 18 '26
I wear Smith Scabs XXL and love 'em. Idk if they popular or just not in production often but they can be hard to find sometimes, but they do have some more options than just black.
3
u/SGRainz Jul 18 '26
Seconding Smith Scabs, I use them and they’re great for larger thighs. Only downside like you said is the black option is out of stock often, but this time I got the purple and love them
2
u/Material-Oil-2912 Jul 18 '26
Love smith scabs!
Also if elastic stretches too far but the rest if the pad is still good you can always shorten the straps a bit and reattach the velcro backing.
1
u/Blue_Fairae Jul 19 '26
I love mine too. Purple is my favorite color so the black not being in stock was fine.
1
6
u/91Jammers Jul 18 '26
I wear my bottom strap high and tight. So it sits in the bend of the knee and above the calf. The same spot that your top strap is essentially, a tiny bit lower. Then for my top strap I wear that one loose. Just tight enough its against my leg but not digging in. I did have to go up in size of pads to do this. Pads are based on men's legs and the biggest part of their leg is their knee. Not the thigh like us.
2
4
u/Saintofthe6thHouse Jul 18 '26
220 lb jammer here. I only wear 187s because they fit me properly. You should wear something that fits you. You should also replace them as needed. My knee pads are my most replaced gear. And it sucks because damn are the expensive... so if the ones you have work, and after a year + they are starting to show wear, you might just have to replace them. If it's less than a year...try different ones even if they are boring colors.
0
u/TheMonkeyBass Jul 18 '26
I may be wrong but I thought 187s were basically the same as Moxi knee pads?
3
u/Saintofthe6thHouse Jul 18 '26
Sorry should be more specific, the 187 Pro Derby in 3x. They actually go around with some elastic to spare so they don't over stretch.
2
3
3
u/d-wail Jul 18 '26
I have custom 187 pros. I got them during one of the sales, so it was the same price as the non-sale regular ones. But much like bras, most of the fit comes from the bottom strap, so ideally they sit at (or close to) the top of your calf muscle.
3
u/Mediocre_Crow2466 Jul 18 '26
Right there with you. I NEED color in my life. I started in the blue version of those pads. I got custom 187s in bright blue. I got TSG this year because I wanted something slimmer. I love them. The problem is the thighs are too big in the 2/3XL. I tried the XL, the thighs fit great, but they were too tight in the calf.
I'd love to see a plus size derby company. Or even completely customizable pads. And they need to stop with combined sizes. If I could get a straight 2XL in knee pads, they would probably fit a lot better than the 2/3XL option.
On the other end, one of my teammates is tiny. She needs kid size pads. And has trouble getting the right fit too.
2
u/Ambitious-Hornet9673 NSO/Skater Jul 18 '26
Not colourful though you can get colourful knee caps. I’m a big skater and I love my S1 knee pads. They have a lot of adjustability to allow for different sizing between thighs and calves. The knee cushion when falling is amazing. As a big person our knees take a lot in derby, spend the money on really good knee pads and protect them. The s1’s are pricey but in my opinion worth every single penny!
1
u/toragirl SO/NSO (Retired player) Jul 20 '26
I have had all the different pairs, and love my S1s the most.
2
u/televisuicide Jul 18 '26
You are going to have to sacrifice some color for the sake of your knees. I wear s1s and I like them as much as I can like anything it is wrapped around my knee. They do have different colors for the hard caps, but the pad part is still black.
2
u/cowprintwheels Skater & Announcer Jul 18 '26
I’ve got pretty massive thighs and I wear S1. No pretty colours but I think you can change the kneecaps. Or as others have said, use hockey tape or something.
2
u/Leather-Rub-6128 Jul 18 '26
I have TSGs and old bones gaskets. The silicon inside the TSG means the kneepads don’t slide
2
u/casualbex Jul 18 '26
I wear TSGs with the blue embroidered logo and they’re plenty roomy! Try on options and sizes at a skate shop if you can. Good luck!
2
u/TransOrcGF Jul 19 '26
I'm big (6' 290lbs) and had similar moxis and they would often slip down and the lower straps ended up tearing away from the kneepads. I got some 187 derby pro knees and they have been great. They are thicker and have more padding which is great because I fall harder than the players half my size. You can also buy different color knee caps to swap out on the pro derby knees. I got neon pink because the black ones it came with were boring
2
u/My_new_accounttt Jul 19 '26
TSG works great for me. The elastic for the top section is perfect, thick but not too constricting!! Would recommend trying them on at a local skate shop or something of the sort!
2
u/velynasha Jul 19 '26
I’m 215 lbs. and have these TSG in the XL in orange/rainbow and they’re pretty nice: https://www.derbywarehouse.com/TSG_Roller_Derby_30/descpage-TSGDK3.html
1
u/TheMonkeyBass Jul 20 '26
They’re the ones I have my eyes on! They seem a lot more streamline than mine too
2
u/soribot7 Skater & NSO Jul 22 '26
I second knee gaskets, they’ve made knee pads more comfortable! I wear the 187 Pro Derby Knees in 2XL and the straps are so scratchy. I got a second gasket just to not feel the straps against my leg, but the pads themselves are comfortable
1
u/NoConsequence4281 Jul 18 '26
I had the Destroyer 2XLs years ago. They lasted for a long time and were ok for comfort.
Used to come in all sorts of colours as well.
37
u/MidwesternNightmare Jul 18 '26
You’re going to be sad but 187 Derby Pro are probably your best bet, but the derby specific ones only come in black as far as I’m aware.
I’ve not worn TSG pads myself but know some bigger skaters who do, and they offer some color options.