My son, who has raced DH has tried many different kneepads. He rates ION pads and bought me a pair as he thinks these are most comfortable, stay in place well and have the sort of foam that is soft but goes harder on impact. I had a knee replacement 5 months ago and I wear them all the time. Although I can sometimes feel the scar it’s not painful at all. I also have a Troy Lee pair with hard plastic exterior. These also work well and protect the lower leg better but they don’t stay in place as well as the ION ones. Incidentally, mountain biking (on my Kenevo) is one of the things I can do best after my knee replacement - knee feels very stable standing in the pedals going downhill, even in rocky and technical terrain. Only drawback is I can’t easily pedal with seat in lower position (I think I have about 120 degree of flex now) - I have to raise it but fortunately with dropper post this is easy. I still can’t walk very far without knee aching and still need the occasional pain killer. Everybody is different and you can’t really compare your recovery with others. And it is normal to hurt! For many for quite a long time. Patience, not overdoing it and a good physio really helps