KPL-12 Twins Deluxe Curved Leather Kick Pads Review
Brand
Twins Special is one of the largest Thai manufacturers, and despite only being a registered company since 1992, they’ve been producing top level Thai boxing gear and equipment for 60 years. They export their equipment all over the world, and have become well known as a very reliable and well-made brand, with their boxing gloves growing in popularity with western boxers as well as Nak Muay.
About the Pads
Twins offer serval different ranges of Thai pads, all slightly different. The KPL-12’s are the top of the range, similar aesthetically to the KPl-10’s but with a couple of differences that I’ll get to later. Only available in red and blue they’re available in medium or large, large being 5cm longer, and marginally wider and deeper.
Aesthetics
I love the way these pads look, the front and back is the chosen colour (in this case red) and round the sides is a black and white design featuring the Twins brand name. The straps and grip bar on the back are (on the red set) black with red trim, and feature the Twins logo on the strap. There’s also another Twins Special logo in a white oval on the front of the pads, making a great target for punches. Overall I’d describe these pads as having a modern look, compared to the Sandee flat kick pads which we’ve previously reviewed for example.
Materials
This section is going to be fairly short for these pads – leather, and lots of it. The Twins pads are made from 100% Thai leather, and it shows, they feel amazing and only get better as they’re broken in. Packed with what Twins describe as top-of-the-range padding, and it is dense. It soaks up impacts and keeps the pad holder protected, and provides some good shin conditioning for fighters too.
Craftsmanship
These pads are incredibly well made, the pair I used have seen some serious punishment and aren’t showing any signs of wear, not even a stitch out of place. This probably comes down to the fact that they’re handmade in the Twins factory, which they spent over a year building and filling with top of the range manufacturing machinery. If these pads are anything to go by then Twins products are some of the best made on the market.
Use – When Holding
This is the main difference between the KPL-12’s and the KPL-10’s – on the 12’s the straps at the back of the pads are fully padded making these some of the most comfortable pads to hold. The first thing I look for in a pair of pads is the strapping, I want it nice and tight so the pad won’t slip on my arms when it’s hit, and the Twins loops and strap style Velcro mean they don’t budge in even the hardest training sessions. The deep, thick padding of the pad coupled with this great padded strapping means you can absorb the impact of strikes without any discomfort, meaning you can hold pads for a fighter all day without and trouble.
Use – When Striking
I’ve used these pads since new, so I can vouch for the fact that they need some breaking in. The very first thing I noticed using these was how hard they were! However the more I’ve hit them the more I’ve fallen in love, and now they’re always the first set I go for. They are a hard set of pads even with some breaking in, which might put off beginners, but this makes them good for shin conditioning and there’s no denying that you get amazing feedback from every connection to them. As a set of pads I highly recommend them to everyone.
Cost
This is where the pads get painful. They’re the most expensive Thai kick pads Twins Special stock, coming in at £160 on their UK website. However, this isn’t a horrific price for high quality striking pads, and these are some of the highest quality ones I’ve come across, and the durability means you’re going to get your money’s worth out of them.
Pros/Cons
+ Very well made
+ Comfortable to hold
+ Great feedback from strikes
– Expensive
– Limited colours
– Fairly hard even when broken in
