Crash shorts (yes, butt pads) are a great piece of safety gear for both beginner skaters who are new to rollerskating and worried about falling, as well as veteran skaters who want to preserve their body as much as possible while trying out the gnarliest of tricks. Crash shorts are not a substitute for learning how to fall safely while skating, but they can help give you confidence and extra security in case of an accident.
Three of the most popular brands of crash shorts marketed at skaters are Triple8 Bumsavers, Tortoise Pads, and Steaks Contact wear. I’ll be reviewing the first two, but I hope to get my hands on a pair of Steaks shorts soon to compare them as well.
TL;DR: Both Tortoise Pads and Triple8 Bum Savers are great options, but Tortoise Pads offer far superior protection and well worth the price difference.
A Look at the Triple8 Bumsavers
Available from Triple8 for $65 USD. I think the product photos online are a little misleading, and the padding is much flatter in real life.
front outside 
back outside 
Front inside 
Back inside 
Actual pads are soft foam
A Look at the Tortoise Pads T2s
Available from Tortoise Pads for $83 USD.
Back — padding is so stiff, I can’t even lay them flat for photo 
Super substantial side padding with no gap 
Front — breathable mesh 
Inside pad housing is also mesh for maximum breathability 
Mix-and-max padding options, made of stiff foam 
Scuffs around the pad edges, as shorts material is thin
I wore both the Triple8 Bumsavers and the Tortoise Pads for a year each individually so…
How do they compare?
- Tortoise Pads offer better coverage. Even while wearing the Triple8 Bumsavers, I’ve gotten some nasty hematoma sliding on my side, as there’s a gap on the side of the thigh. This area is well-covered in the Tortoise Pads.
- Tortoise Pads come with 3 layers of padding. You can either leave in all 3, or mix and match to have the shorts as thick or thin as you like. Triple8 Bumsavers only come with one level of padding.
- Tortoise Pads padding is made of a stiff foam that means the shorts are quite structured, and the pads maintain their shape better after hits. Triple8 Bumsavers padding is made of a soft foam, which allows for a little more mobility, but also flattens out more with hits. That being said — I usually bring my Triple8 Bumsavers when traveling because they roll up smaller since they’re more malleable, and they take up less space in a suitcase.
- Triple8 Bumsavers are a little easier to wear under clothing because they are softer and have less structure.
- Both can get quite warm while wearing them, but the Tortoise Pads have a mesh front, which allows for a little better breathability.
- The shorts of the Triple8 Bumsavers are made from a slightly more durable material than the Tortoise Pads, and handle concrete scuffing a little better than the Tortoise Pads. But the BumSavers also are far from indestructible and are still prone to tearing (note the giant hole in the crotch in the photos above).
The bottom line: Both Tortoise Pads and Triple8 Bum Savers are great options, but Tortoise Pads offer far superior protection and well worth the price difference.
Bonus: How do you wear crash shorts?
- When possible, I recommend wearing them under your clothing. If you wear them over your clothes, the shorts could scuff or rip, cutting down their longevity.
- If you’re comfortable skating in denim, crash shorts are hardly noticeable under denim, though you’ll likely need stretchier denim pants to fit over them.
- Crash shorts don’t look great under leggings — you might get a bit of diaper-butt or bumpy-butt look. But they also don’t look great over leggings either, haha…
- If you wear skirts, they hide great under skirts, and since they double as shorts, you don’t have to worry as much about accidentally flashing people as you skate.
- When you’re done skating, try to take them off as soon as possible and let them air out so they don’t get smell, just like any other piece of safety equipment.
The Wheel Nicole 