Not Just For Show
The world’s first technical dance knee pad.
Built over 2.5 years to absorb the impact of every kip, flip, drop and knee spin, on hardwood, sprung dance floors and concrete. So you can dance pain free and fearlessly, today and in ten years.
we see you. we hear you.
HOW MANY KNEE PADS HAVE YOU BEEN THROUGH?
As an instructor, professional pole dancer or a hardcore pole addict, we would assume at least 10 times to date right?
And how many times have you had to cancel out of pole classes because your bruises haven't healed?
What if we told you there was technology our there beyond EVA foam or gel knee pads that actually contained science to protect you?
D3O® Impact Protection
SuperFabric® Outer
Two technologies most dancers have never heard of. Here’s the simple version.
D3O®: the impact bit (the orange padding)
Remember mixing cornflour and water as a kid? Stir it slowly and it runs through your fingers like liquid. Smack it hard and it goes solid for a second. D3O® works on that exact idea.
At rest it’s soft and bendy, so it moves with your knee while you climb, spin and dance. The instant you land a kip on studio floorboards, it stiffens for a split second and distributes that force across the padding instead of your knee. Then it goes soft again, ready for the next one.
Normal EVA foam or gel knee pads can’t do this. They just squash, and once squashed they stay squashed. D3O® is the same protection trusted in motorbike armour, ski gear and military kit. We are the first brand to put it in a dance knee pad.
SuperFabric®: the floor-facing bit (the outer shell)
The outside of the knee pad drags across the floor every time you slide, kneel or spin. On most knee pads that fabric wears through, pills and tears within a term of classes, because studio floorboards, sprung floors and concrete are brutal.
SuperFabric® is different. Picture thousands of tiny armour plates printed onto a flexible base. They shrug off cuts and scrapes, so the pad keeps gliding smoothly for floorwork without wearing through. Invented in 1996 and used in military and extreme sports gear, trusted by soldiers and athletes across the world.
Put simply, the floor gives up before the pad does.
Ultimate Knee Pads, available in Black or Latte. From $130.
We asked 250 dancers what they wanted. Not one asked for the thing they needed most.
From the founder. Hi, I’m Tatiana. I’ve been pole dancing for over 12 years, and for most of that time my knees hated me for it. I tried everything: medical knee braces, stickies, gel knee pads, EVA foam knee pads, volleyball knee pads and supposedly ‘dance knee pads’, the lot. They all had one thing in common: they didn’t last, and they didn’t really protect anything.
So before I made these, I surveyed more than 250 of you. You wanted a knee pad that looked good, wasn’t bulky, let you still do your tricks and didn’t wear out. Here’s the part that stopped me: not a single person asked for impact protection. We’d been sold flimsy pads for so long that we forgot to ask for the one thing that actually saves our knees.
Then I trained as a snowboard instructor and discovered impact-protection shorts for hard falls. That was my ah-ha moment. I spent the next 2.5 years, countless failed samples and more supply chain headaches than I’ll admit to, bringing that same science to a knee pad built for pole.
If you’re an old-school pole dancer like me, you were taught that your knees will just get used to the floorwork. That bruising was part of it. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to. Look after your knees now.
Tat x
Us vs Them
Why they cost more than the knee pads you’ve tried before.
We’re not going to pretend these are cheap. Here is exactly where your money goes, and what you’re actually comparing them to.
| Feature | Tatiana Active | Other Brands |
|---|---|---|
| D3O® active impact protection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Option to add higher impact protection | ✓ | ✗ |
| SuperFabric® abrasion-resistant shell | ✓ | ✗ |
| Withstands rough pole dance studio floorboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sewn-in elastic to stay up | ✓ | ✗ |
| Extended shin bone coverage | ✓ | ✗ |
| Replaceable padding | ✓ | ✗ |
| Built to last years, not weeks | ✓ | ✗ |
Quick maths: one pair of seriously good knee pads, or a drawer full of dead ones and a stack of physio appointments?
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAYS
The knees that swore by them.
From dancers who’d been fighting the same knee battle for years.
Training Through Injury
“I’ve had an LCA reconstruction plus my meniscus is gone. Post healing, I threw myself into a kneeling position for the first time and it felt like heaven.” – Livi
“Had a knee injury last year and was worried about going back to flipping and dropping. These are so comfy and have great shock absorption.” – Elly
Chronic Flare-Ups & Recovery Days
“I had to take so many breaks from pole to save my knees from bursitis inflammation, and ever since I bought these I haven’t had a single flare up.” – jspolediary
“They’re comfortable, durable and stay in place no matter the routine. They’ve helped me advance in my lessons because I no longer have the anticipation of my pads slipping.” – Hayley
“I have nerve issues in one knee and these are the ONLY knee pads that don’t aggravate it.” – the.polerbear
Finally Trying The Scary Tricks
“It really covers my knees smoothly and absorbs shock so well. Since using these I’m no longer afraid to try new skills.” – Anonymous
“I do heels choreo and so much of it trashes your knees, from rolls to kips to drops. No matter how hard I land, I don’t feel the pain. I’ve lent mine to other girls in class and they bought their own after trying them.” – Alissa
Lasting, And Invisible On Stage
“I was sceptical about paying so much. I was wrong. Best knee pads I’ve worn in over four years of dancing. They fit perfectly straight out of the packaging and don’t slide down.” – Claire
“No other knee pad has made me feel this weightless and supported. They’re now in nude too, so they work with any outfit. No obvious knee pads on the gram for me.” – Carla
Trusted by the pros
The dancers you follow train in them too.
World-class pole athletes put these through 20 to 30 hours a week.
DANCE FEARLESSLY
D3O® Impact Protection
SuperFabric® Abrasion Resistant
Why these knee pads are worth it
We have used D3O® material for the padding which is like a foam but tougher and longer lasting. Upon impact, the foam hardens to protect you from the point of impact by distributing the force throughout the rest of the material and quickly softens up again. Current knee pads on the market use EVA foam (generally deflates quite quickly) or gel (no impact protection).
The knee pad cover is made from SuperFabric®, an abrasion and cut resistant technical fabric. SuperFabric® is created with a base fabric overlaid with tiny hard guard plates organised in a specific and intentional pattern. Due to the spacing, the pattern allows a degree of flexibility and breathability, however, is small enough to keep most sharp objects from penetrating. Current knee pads on the market use s stretchy elastane or knitted fabric - in which both are prone to tearing over time when subject to abrasion against dance floorboards.
No other dance or volleyball knee pad currently offers this level of protection or durability and we're so proud to deliver something innovative to our pole and dance industry.
Are you a kip lover or a dancer with sensitive knees?
Boost+ Protection [$35]
A slim extra D3O® insert that sits inside your pads for even more impact absorption, with a thinner yet harder profile than the stock padding. Not a must, but if you:
1. Love training kips, flips and drops
2. Have bursitis, knee reconstructions or general knee issues
3. Are prone to bruising
It’s the upgrade your knees will thank you for.
Bundle and SAVE $10 when purchased together with the Ultimate Knee Pad in Black or Latte.
Replacement Stock Padding [$55]
Think of your pads like a helmet. The shell lasts for years, but if you train serious hours the padding eventually does its job and needs refreshing. Pop in new padding and your pads are back to full protection.
Best for: instructors, heavy users, if you sweat more than average
CHOOSING YOUR SIZE
Let's not overcomplicate things and keep the instructions simple with our dedicated Knee Pad Size Help Page.
The golden rule of thumb is to go as tight as you can to minimise the knee pad from moving during critical moments. Yes, it will feel tight at first but it will mould to the shape of your knee over time.
If in between sizes, choose the smaller size however, if still unsure, submit your measurements on link below and we'll get in touch.
How long will they actually last?
Honest answer: it depends how hard you train, and we’d rather tell you the truth than overpromise. Think of them like a helmet. The D3O® has a finite amount of impact it can absorb beautifully before it’s done its job.
Train a couple of times a week and you can expect years of protection from a single pair. Put in twenty-plus hours a week as an instructor and the padding breaks down faster, which is exactly why Replacement Padding exists. Either way, the SuperFabric® shell keeps going long after lesser pads have torn through.
Caring for them (the short version)
- Take the orange D3O® padding out before you wash the sleeve.
- Machine wash the sleeve cold, inside a wash bag.
- Air them out after every single session. Sweat is the enemy of the padding.
- Line dry in the shade. Never tumble dry.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Sizes run XS to L, and you size by the widest part of your lower thigh, not your knee. Measure there, check it against the size chart and recommender, and if you land right between two sizes, message us or order both and keep the better fit. We’d rather you got it right.
Yes, and that’s by design. They should feel snug out of the packet so they stay put. Over the first couple of weeks of wear they soften and mould to your knees. As one dancer put it after a year: “they did in fact stretch as promised and now fit perfectly.”
Yes. The back of the pad is left open precisely so you keep skin-to-pole contact behind the knee for climbs and grips. Some dancers take a class or two to adjust, and most tell us the protection is well worth it.
They’re shaped to protect the kneecap and the impact zone you actually land on for kips, drops and knee spins. If you do a lot of very wide or side-of-knee floorwork, add Boost+ for extra absorption across the pad.
Boost+ is a thin extra D3O® insert that adds impact protection inside your pads with less bulk than the stock padding. It’s not essential for everyone. If your training is heavy on repetition, kips, drops and hardstyle, it’s the upgrade worth having.
Both are D3O®. The stock padding comes inside every pair and protects most dancers beautifully. Boost+ is a thinner, higher-impact insert you add on top for heavy, repetitive training.
Explainer video here from Tatiana.
I just wanted to share a little about my decision release the latte variation first and I hope you can see where I'm coming from. As a small business, our funds are limited and so, releasing even just one new colour is a significant financial investment.
It was a really tough decision to make as inclusivity is at our core brand values (all our loyal customers have witnessed this this). My intention/dream is to eventually release a variety of colours to suit various complexions and I hope you know that I genuinely mean that.
There are quite hefty minimum orders of custom coloured fabric that we need to meet with 2x key suppliers (1 - the knee pad sleeve and 2 - the SuperFabric) when we release new colours. If minimums are not met, the production is just not viable for our suppliers.
At this stage, we need more demand warrant additional colours otherwise, we would go out of business :( So please look our for our polls on insta or send us an email/DM so we know you're after different shades!
Remove the orange D3O® padding first, then machine wash the sleeve cold inside a wash bag. Air them out after every session, line dry in the shade, and never tumble dry. Keep liquids off the padding itself.
Please try not to. Water and detergent break the D3O® padding down and shorten its protective life. Always pop the orange padding out first, wash the sleeve cold in a bag, and let the padding air separately.
We have run tests and are continually running tests on this. Existing tests have
found that the padding becomes a 'softer' texture and we have felt the impact protection diminish slightly.
Airing them out after every session does most of the work. A light spritz of anti-bacterial on the fabric sleeve is fine; keep it off the orange D3O® padding.
Train a couple of times a week and you’re looking at years from one pair. Train heavy hours as an instructor and the padding wears faster, at which point Replacement Stock Padding ($55) brings them back to full protection. The SuperFabric® shell outlasts the floor either way.
Because there’s real engineering inside them: D3O® impact protection and a SuperFabric® shell, developed over 2.5 years specifically for pole and dance. Cheaper pads use foam that flattens and fabric that wears through, so you replace them again and again.
We ship worldwide for a flat $20, with free shipping on Australian orders over $200. Full-priced items can be returned within 14 days. Need a different size? Reach out and we’ll sort an exchange.
Your knees do every rep with you. Protect them properly.
The world’s first technical dance knee pad. Engineered to last, loved by dancers who’d tried everything else.
Shipping to the United States
US duties are payable on this order
Since the US changed its import rules, all parcels from overseas attract import duties. We collect these upfront so there are no surprises at your door.
Within 24 hours of placing your order, we'll email you a separate Duties Invoice with a secure payment link.
Your order is held and won't be dispatched until the Duties Invoice is paid. Keep an eye on your inbox (and junk folder) so nothing slows you down.
Something went wrong. Please try again.