The RED Women's Impact Short is the choice for riders who plan on going huge and want to pop right back up if they bail. Providing you with an extra level of defense against rocks and rails, the Impact Short's low profile is designed to fit underneath any pants without making it look like you're wearing any padding. The removable ergonomic pads absorb, disperse, and minimize the shock and damage associated with sudden and unforeseen impacts so you can keep riding and pushing your limits. - Fall 2008.
I bought these crash pads about a year ago. A snowboarding instructor recommended wearing them when learning, trying tricks, etc. The thing is, there really isn't enough padding to make much of a difference. Granted, they are very sleek and work well under pants ...especially if you're a chick-a and don't want to look like the Stay-Puft man out there on the slopes! A friend of mine had on some thicker pads(brand/type???) that were much bulkier but left her feeling less abused at the end of the day. Don't mistake, they did work on an occasion to shield my hip from an icy patch. Mostly, work for when you're boarding & kind of flop to your bum while waiting/resting, and they kind of take the edge off of the really hard hits. However, by day 3 of having them they were already retired. In short, little return for my $$$. Do yourself the biggest favor ever as a boarder & invest in some knee pads!!!
These might be better than nothing, but definitely not worth the money. The shorts need to be tighter to keep the pads in the right place when you fall and the pads are too thin and not in enough areas to make much difference. I went with Skeletools, though you may need to go up a size in your pants to fit them!
Just bought these for my sister, and after seeing them they are horrible! Your better off going down with nothing. Cause the one pad that is in it is a hard thin plastic shell that focuses all the impact to one area...THE TAILBONE!..DON'T BUY!!
