I use HWK gear and find it to be pretty good. Something is better than nothing, and while you get what you pay for, you also get diminishing returns as you move up the cost scale. Plenty of people ride squid (no gear) all the time. Some of them crash, get road rash, heal, and continue to ride squid. It’s all about your personal tolerance for risk, your personal financial situation, etc. Just know that every day clothes like denim jeans offer pretty much no protection at all.