Along with Top King, Fairtex and a few others, Sandee is one of the best makes out there for Muay Thai gear. Their level of quality is so consistent that its hard for me, who's someone that likes a bargain, to be able to admit that they are worth the money. That's because they are not cheap. However, they will most probably outlast many of the cheaper pairs by a number of years.
So they are a good investment if you're someone who's serious about Thai Boxing and knows with some certainty that you won't be calling it quits any time soon. Anyone that's been doing Thai Boxing for a number of years will no doubt know all about Sandee and how good their products are. The Sandee pads featured in this post are straight, extra thick kick pads, but there's also Sandee curved examples available.
Versatile Striking
They are both referred to as "kick pads", but this is a bit of a misconception. Go to any Thai Boxing gym, either here in the UK, the Netherlands, and even Thailand, and you will see that these straight "kick pads" are effectively being used for every strike in the book. Punches, elbows, knees, hi kicks, low kicks, front kicks, flying knees, spinning back fists, superman punches, you name it.
If you want to see this first hand just look up some videos on Youtube of Nopparat Keatkhamtorn, who is a Two time Lumpini Champion + Thailand Champion, for a quick example of someone using these pads for a lot more than just kicking. They are extremely versatile, tough and very long-lasting.
Design
This design has the three hand / arm handles at the back. Two of those can be adjusted (velcro + belt buckle fastening) for a perfect fit. If you've ever held these types of pads for someone you will be aware of how secure they feel on the arms when taking a battering. The force is extremely well absorbed, specially for big power strikes like side-on hi kicks.
For low kicks the holder would use only the top handle, which is fixed (not adjustable like the other two), and hold it against their leg. If you're a newbie, be sure to always have the knee bent on the receiving leg to prevent either serious injury to the leg / knee, or being kicked straight off your feet.
Are they suitable
Also, if you're new to Muay Thai training, and your legs aren't very well conditioned to taking low kicks, it would probably be best to use the gyms bigger pad for low kicks. All decent Thai Boxing Gyms will have one. Some refer to it as a Banana pad, which is a much bigger and thicker curved pad that does a really good job of protecting the receiving leg from people who have tree trunk legs and kick like Tong Po from Kickboxer.
Sandee Quality
Sandee Muay Thai pads are made in Thailand using the highest quality Cow hide leather. They are used by professionals, as well as amateurs and those just starting out who want a top end product. Sandee offer a full range of Thai Boxing equipment. Including boxing gloves, shin pads, flat / curved striking pads, hand wraps, ankle supports, groin protectors, stomach / body shot protectors and shorts.
Price
The one area which can be a deal breaker when it comes to buying these pads, is their price. They are expensive. But if you want the best, you have to pay the price. However, not everyone will need such high quality pads. A much cheaper pair will do the job for someone who goes Thai Boxing one or two times a week.
Thankfully, there are some excellent, much cheaper alternatives out there for sale. Some of the RDX pads are really good for the price, but they are sold individually, so the cost will shoot up to double if you're after a pair. A cheaper option worth considering is a pair of pads from the Maxx brand. Much cheaper, and you get two for the price.
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