I spent a lot of time figuring out which shorts to get. My criteria were it had to have a CE-approval, had to fit under jeans, had to have some kind of tailbone protection, and had to be comfortable enough that I would want to wear them for every street and dirt bike ride. Using them on a mountain bike would be a bonus. It meets them all (I'll have to report back after a mountain bike ride).
Its not CE level 2, a compromise I can make. Most of the other shorts appeared to have bulky pads with flat edges. If not, they had no CE approval. The MK3 Defenders have CE level 1 pads with tapered edges so they're hardly noticeable with jeans on.
I was skeptical about the hinged pad design, figuring the hinge wouldn't line up right and they'd flex and bulge. This is not the case, I can bend my leg with full range of motion with no binding. Its actually a very well thought-out design that covers a critical area. The hinge itself doesn't protrude and press on the hips. Whether the hinge wears out after repeat use, time will tell.
Pads are a little stiffer than I expected but still flexible enough. I can walk around normally without any discomfort.
The tailbone pad is not CE-rated but seems well-placed. I can tell that on long rides it might press on the back of my street saddle and become uncomfortable, but its removable if it gets annoying.
Fit, finish, and quality are excellent.
I'm a 38 waist and the XXL fits perfect.
Made in the UK, not China! Overall, excellent value.

I'm 5'8.5". 200lbs. Bought size XL, fit well, seem to be tough and of course, very stretchy. Used under pair of 35 waisted Defender jeans (along w/Dainese elbow and knee pads) and that worked\looked as expected. Pads were more substantial than just pants - having never worn them before. A week or so ago out above the Thunder Rock Recreation Area\Ocoee River, I took a quick low side slam on the dirt\gravel road with just a very little amount of slide and wound up with a good sized bruise that is still a bit sore and not even a mark on the shorts. Maybe it was a pointy stone I landed on at the right place where the pads overlap. Obviously it would have been much worse without them. What I was surprised at was the butt\crotch padding and how darn uncomfortable it became after an hour whereas without it, I rode for hours with no problem on my little wr250r woods play bike. Would I buy them again? Yeah, probably based on the existing crop of similar products.

As an older rider, (64) it dawned on me that I have to protect my hips and thighs at all costs at my tender age! Living in downtown Atlanta the ability to mitigate any fall is of prime importance. Great fit, great quality and very sleek fit under regular jeans, better than I had hoped, have made me very happy with my recent purchase of this item. Hope I never have occasion to find out their effectiveness but from close examination of this product I feel I have taken a big step in protecting myself.