When it comes to the list of safety equipment for off road riding, you should certainly be putting a tick against the elbow guards option. While there's a multitude of ways in which to come in contact with the ground, and no two crashes really happen the same, the likelihood of your elbows taking some of the impact as you come a grinding halt is pretty likely. And while the consequences might not be massive, the discomfort from the all too typical elbow graze can be easily avoided with a set of elbow pads. It's no longer only full face helmets, goggles, knee braces and neck braces that are receiving the latest technologies when it comes to protective gear. Many brands such as Troy Lee Designs, Alpinestars, G-Form and Fox Racing (just to name a few) are striving to bring the most comfortable and effective knee pads, padded vests and elbow sleeves to the market - ones that fit with t-shirt like comfort, but keep you safe on your moto, MTB or BMX. Recent refinements include more modern materials in construction to ensure improved ventilation, widespread use of D30 evo impact protection foam layers (which are soft to touch and mold to the shape of your body, but then provide a reinforced impact protection) and entirely ventilated impact areas. The Leatt Airflex elbow guards feature this flow through impact layer, as does their knee guard offering. While certainly a fickle item to get right, the sheer variety of options that can go onto a rider's wishlist nowadays should ensure that you come up with an ideal match - whether you've gone full enduro on your mountain bike, got your race face on waiting for a gate drop on the motocross track, or even when your kids are attacking the skate park on their scooters.