10 Best Paintball Elbow Pads – [Ultimate Guide]

Last updated on May 12th, 2025 at 01:54 pm

Most of the paintball players have a venturesome approach having knowledge of the best paintball elbow pads for the game. You cannot predict what can happen on the field, especially in the case of outdoor games like paintball.

You need to have proper safety gear including paintball elbow pads, so your whole focus dedicate to your performance rather than thinking about how to keep yourself safe. One of the most vulnerable parts of the body that are at risk of getting hurt or damaged is the elbows. You can get cuts, wounds, scratches, and paintball hits, and might damage your joint in case of impact.

For all of these issues, you can use elbow pads that can give you the liberty to perform according to your full potential. Elbow pads can protect the players from sudden impact and force that can exert on the field. Whether you fall, veer, or crawl, adding elbow pads can increase your agility, speed, performance, and energy.

Imagine how falling and landing on a stone can cause so much pain. In order to avoid such tormenting pain, you should have an elbow protection pad in your paintball protection gear. Here are some of the best paintball elbow pads options that can help you in selecting any one.

Best Paintball Elbow Pads (2025 Updated)

The Empire Paintball Grinds Elbow Pads are the best paintball elbow pads on the market as these protective gears not only cover the elbow joint but also encompass your whole arm area which is equally prone to get injured. The padding of this elbow pad is made using a thermal molding process, so the foam is not only light in weight but also adds strength to the protection part as there are a number of layers that are fused together to make a layer that can take an impact easily.

The most visible characteristic of these elbow pads is that you will feel energetic and thrilled by only wearing them as it has a quite cool design and upper. Apart from the thermo-molded padding, this protective gear also has an additional layer of EVA foam. This is a much softer foam as compared to the thermal molded one. It adds durability, comfort, and protection without compromising mobility.

There are some small windows in the forearm pad which are covered by a mesh layer to stop any kind of dust, stones, or paint from getting into the internal part of the pad. These windows along with the porous and breathable foam can provide sufficient air circulation, so you can stay on the field easily without getting uncomfortable due to extra sweat. Air will increase the evaporation or drying rate and the player can reduce any risk of rashes or discomfort even if the pad has been worn for a longer time.

The Empire Paintball Grinds Elbow Pads are an all-rounder when it comes to performance, style, breathability, and protection. You can wear these on the paintball field and can protect yourself even if a paintball hits you. The dual padding of thermal molded foam and EVA will give players enough cushioning that the force of impact will cancel out easily. For adjustability, the thumbhole loop and the straps work together.

Related Post: Best Paintball Goggles

Well, the HK Army Crash Arm And Elbow Pads are named accurately as you can truly crash land on your arms and elbow and still come out of the field unscratched. These pads are slightly different in style and built as compared to the Empire Paintball Grind Elbow Pads as these have dual padding in the form of an additional layer on the upper layer of the protective gear. Unlike the Empire Grind Elbow Pads, the HK Army Crash doesn’t have two infused protective layers.

You can clearly see the added foam to these pads as they attach to the pad’s upper layer. The forearm cover is made up of thermo-cloth which is not only resistant to wear and tear, but also has exceptional stretchability. Unlike other stiff materials used in protective gear, the upper of these pads are flexible. This is why there is no need to worry about the size of these great elbow pads.

You don’t have to worry about the size as there are straps that can make these pads adjusted and molded according to the user’s build. There is a padded layer that has the company logo on it attached to the thermo-cloth material. This padding style shows that even if you will fall on your elbow you will definitely not experience any joint pain as the foam will absorb the shock and keep you safe.

The HK Army Crash Arm And Elbow Pads are the top protective pad for paintball as they have a perfect balance of strength and comfort. The padding is thick and tough. Whereas the clothing material is stretchy. There is a velcro strap present at the top part of the pad and the lower end near the wrist area is stretchable. So you can move your wrist freely while playing and shooting with your paintball gun.

The Exalt Paintball T3 Elbow Pads might not be the ones that will give you a light feel and freedom of movement, but they are surely one of those elbow pads that can protect you from bruises and cuts on the paintball field. You might have prior experience of being shot by a paintball gun. The pain can be excruciating and unbreakable. So in order to keep oneself protected you will definitely need to have them.

The Exalt pads that are known to be the best ones because of the triple padding used in making these by manufacturers. If you think that this will reduce the breathability and comfort of these pads then you are entirely wrong. The pads have not only good absorption qualities, but also provide breathability. No need to be surprised as this is possible thanks to the special build of these elbow pads.

There is an inner lining that is thin, breathable, and absorbing. This will allow the users to stay a few extra hours in the field. The lining will absorb and make the moisture go away quickly. You will be comfortable as it is soft compared to the material used in making other pads. The upper is also quite thin and porous. The air enters easily through it and moves in the inner part of the forearm pad.

You won’t be able to believe that it has a triple layer of padding. This is because these foam layers bring together by using precision engineering design. So, there is no misadjustment in the proportion of the padding added. All three layers that fuse together to act as a barrier of protection have an equal contribution. The ratio of the triple-layered padding used is more near the joint and upper arm region.

You might be wondering how these Exalt Paintball T3 Elbow Pads fit the player’s arm as there is no velcro strap or other form of adjustment. The two ends have silicon weave work that acts as locking parts that don’t let the forearm pad move. Even if you are in action and moving your arms, these pads will remain in their position and will not slip off because of the flexibility added by silicone.

The Bodyprox Elbow Protection Pads are an absolute steal for individuals who don’t want to limit themselves to any one particular sport. If you want to explore volleyball, tennis, badminton, golf, airsoft game, or paintball, then you don’t need to invest separately in elbow protection gear. The Bodyprox Elbow Protection Pads can come in handy in all of these sports easily.

Although it does not seem to be as tough or thick as compared to the Exalt T3, HK Army Crash, or Empire Grind. But you will surely not regret investing as it is more useful in comparison to its price. The upper of these pads made of polyester. So, the elbow pad will dry right after you get hit by a paintball. The material doesn’t absorb the liquid and will not have any stains.

You no longer have to spend hours getting the paint marks off the pads. The Bodyprox pads are not as rigid because of the polyester. In order to have protection without adding much bulkiness to the product, the manufacturers have added padding in areas where it requires. You don’t even need any strap as the polyester material can increase up to double its size when you slip on them on your elbow.

The Bodyprox Elbow Protection Pads are my personal favorites as there is nothing extra about it. The simple and comfortable design along with its exceptional build will provide the users with all that any other professional protective gear has to offer. You can play more freely as you will not experience any kind of tightness or stiffness. These elbow pads don’t cover all of the forearm structure.

The Dye Paintball Performance Pad For Elbow is a complete beast on the field as you don’t have to look out for anything on the field. You just have to jump into the field with confidence as this elbow protection gear will take care of everything. You don’t need to think before diving, jumping, or crawling as these pads can bear everything without getting damaged or scratched.

Paintball players need to have one of these elbow pads as apart from the structural barriers it involves special agents to increase the impact resistance. Instead of just relying on the padding, upper layer, and inner lining of the Dye Paintball Performance Pad For Elbow, the manufacturers have inserted gel. This gel will act as an absorbing agent that will cancel out the force exerted.

The Dye Paintball Performance Pad For Elbow has a specially designed foam grid that covers the lower area of the forearm pad. The grid is infused into the pads starting from the bicep to the wrist region. These are much affected and prone to getting hurt whether you fell or got hit. The grid in turn has the gel which buffers the impact more leaving no effect behind.

The Dye Paintball Performance Pad For Elbow truly deserves to be the best one out of these as makers have combined a number of techniques to lower the damage and pain. The upper area is stretchable and there is a strap for a better fit. Lastly, the neoprene compression and slider gloves expand the protection of these gloves to the upper part of the hands too.

Related Post: Best Paintball Pants

The Century Armor Elbow And Forearm Guard is the best paintball elbow design for players who don’t want something fancy and expensive. These pads have a minimalist design in comparison to the professional protective elbow gears mentioned before. Many players suggest that the velcro straps can come off during intense battles and can be distracting at times during the game.

In order to cope with this problem the makers of the Century Armor Elbow And Forearm Guard have come up with a design that includes a fast slip-on design that has no fancy work going on. The best thing is that the level of protection, resistance, and fit not compromise in order to provide a simple and affordable elbow guard for passionate players of paintball.

These elbow pads make up of stretchable polyester upper material. This material is a simple black-colored material that has impressive stretching capacity. You can slide them on quickly while entering the game field to boost your confidence and protection. They are super light in weight and weigh around 0.1 kilograms. The dimensions of these pads are 12 x 5 x 2 inches.

The Century Armor Elbow And Forearm Guard not only rely on polyester material for protection. In turn, it also includes an EVA foam layer. This grid is not as complex as compared to the other elbow guards listed in the group but it provides enough protection to the user. There is a white colored logo present on the foam grid. The foam does not decrease the mobility and comfort of the players.

The Exalt FreeFlex Pads are by no means less than the best ones as manufacturers have infused the use of modern technology in the making of these. This increases comfort and reduces the stress that many stretchable designs exert on the player. Such designs can interrupt blood flow by applying more pressure on the player to have a snug fit, but this can instead cause a problem.

The Exalt FreeFlex Pads are not like these other elbow protection pads as these pads have an ideal proportion of both flexibility and adjustability. The material used in the naming of these pads is flexible, but the pass-through retention strap adds more ideal fitting to the overall structure. You don’t have to remove and attach the velcros as the mechanism of the retention strap is different.

The retention pass-through straps are made up of stretchable material that is built in. When the player passes his arm through, this strap material along with the upper material expands. The upper end of the elbow protection pads has padding and compression molding that will help the elbow guards to stay in position even when the player is in full action.

The Exalt FreeFlex Pads are the best ones as they make of thermo-molded elbow and forearm pads. The Thermo molding technique makes it easy for manufacturers to increase durability and decrease discomfort. High temperature uses to combine the pads in such a way that the thickness is less and the durability is more. These pads are a little bent as there is an elbow cup inside. The cup is the internal barrier and the EVA padding is the outer barrier.

The Exalt is one of the leading brands among the other competitors in the market as it offers a large variety of protective gears that are all exceptional, efficient, and durable. Similar to other impressive protective gears offered by Exalt, the Exalt Paintball Alpha Elbow Pads are also the ones with performance and longevity, let’s sink into the details in order to find out why these pads are the best.

The Exalt Paintball Alpha Elbow Pads are a little different from the Exalt free flux and Exalt T3. The two discussed before were having a more complicated design with thick padding for protection. Even though these protection pads have made for paintball players many cyclists can also use them. These pads have a lighter build with a pattern on them which make these pads unique.

The inner lining of the Exalt Paintball Alpha Elbow Pads has an increased capacity for absorbing the moisture that can build up in the inner part of the paintball elbow pads and cause uneasiness. But not in the case of Exalt as the moisture cannot stay there for longer. The porous upper lets the air circulate as well as dry out the moisture that has accumulated inside.

The Exalt Paintball Alpha Elbow Pads don’t cover only the joint area as the foam extends from the bicep region towards the wrist. Although the upper material is stretchable, there is a silicon weave present on the bicep area. This weave apart from protection plays more of a role in keeping the elbow pads in position. The padding allows the player to move because it has molded into a shape with the help of relief cuts that is suitable and encourages mobility.

Paintball players who are slightly more fearful of elbow injury or either has any previous history of elbow joints can use the Virtue Paintball Tampa Bay Damage Pads For Elbow. These pads considered the most reliable because they are super thick and have higher-density EVA foam. The pressure absorbing capacity is more and can prevent any type of damage.

The Virtue Paintball Tampa Bay Damage Pads For Elbow has a quite different build. The inner fabric made up of fiber which has quite exceptional features. The lining has impressive absorption and breathability. The overall structure of these damaged pads for elbows is that there is an internal layer of lining and a thick foam for padding or protection in the middle.

The outermost layer is porous and allows the air to enter. The moisture enters from the inner layer and the air enters from the upper layer. The air dries up the sweat of any form of moisture that remains inside the elbow protection pads. There is a velcro strap at the upper bicep area. There are also small windows present on the upper grid of the foam which increases the breathability.

The Virtue Paintball Tampa Bay Damage Pads For Elbow are affordable, easy to wear, easy to carry, and maintain elbow pads. There is an inner neoprene layer near the elbow which helps in support and comfort. The thick foam out of which the whole structure made is a gel foam that provides safety without making mobility difficult for the player wearing it.

Many players love to have full arm protection, while some are only worried about their elbow and upper hand region. There are also some people who are interested in only protecting their elbow joint rather than wearing some high-end full forearm protective gear. If you are also not much worried about getting hit by a paintball gun, then you can use the BlackHawk Tactical Elbow Pads.

These pads are small in size and don’t have much going on. There is no triple layer of protection or padding. The inner lining and the base structure are what matters in the case of the only joint-focused guards. These elbow protection gears are not stretchable and flexible. Even though there are no release cuts, these elbow guards also do not compromise mobility and performance.

The BlackHawk Tactical Elbow Pads are made up of Polyurethane caps. These caps act as a shield that keeps away all the negative forces. The caps stay in position and do not come off easily. Above the Polyurethane cap, there is a shell attached. This shell is made up of nylon which has a 600 denier value. The 600 denier Nylon lasts longer as compared to other materials.

The BlackHawk Tactical Elbow Pad truly deserves to be listed as the best one in terms of elbow protection as this little pad can compete with the full forearm protection pads for sure. Inside the polyurethane cap, there is a padding that allows the absorption of any type of shock. But the issue is that the straps that are used for adjustment are not velcro. The straps used are the ones with loops and hooks that will keep the pad securely in position.

Related Post: Best Paintball Helmets

FAQs

Conclusion

If you think that you can survive the audacious paintball game without using protective gear, then you are in a mistake. Not all paintball fields consist of smooth grassy land. Many are filled with pebbles and rough surfaces. Either you fall or crawl on such a surface your elbows and knees are more likely to get scratched. In order to avoid this pain, you can simply choose any one of the top picks for the best paintball elbow pads. Keep on reading to find out.

• Empire Paintball Grind Elbow Pads are the top paintball elbow pads that make with thermo-molded foam, have a stylish upper build, are durable, and have EVA foam padding.
• The HK Army Crash Arm And Elbow Pads stand out among the others because of their dual protective layers, Velcro straps adjuster, stretchable upper material, and soft padding.
• The Exalt Paintball T3 Elbow Pads are my personal favorites because of their exceptional protection, triple-layer safety design, proper ventilation, silicone weave, and highly absorbing inner lining.