Body Armor: Under vs pads, jackets, hoodies

[Blicky Te⚡️la]

What is the preference ? 

Those that wear under, what do you do when reaching your destination? Take off your coat and walk around in “under-armor”? 

Is it easier to simply wear removable pads?

Or is a motorcycle jacket/ hoodie ideal? 

[eucinsea]

2 hours ago, General Principle said:

What is the preference ? 

Those that wear under, what do you do when reaching your destination? Take off your coat and walk around in “under-armor”? 

Is it easier to simply wear removable pads?

Or is a motorcycle jacket/ hoodie ideal? 

I started with elbow pads and quickly picked up a summer motorcycle jacket. Much easier to take on/off and I feel safer riding with all the armor the jacket gives me and its still pretty light.

I am in need of fall/winter gear and just created new post in this section asking about that.  

 

Oh I did try on an armored hoodie at Cycle-gear but was too bulky for me and the wind around here.  

Edited September 6, 2019 by prasket

[Blicky Te⚡️la]

On 9/5/2019 at 11:27 PM, prasket said:

I started with elbow pads and quickly picked up a summer motorcycle jacket. Much easier to take on/off and I feel safer riding with all the armor the jacket gives me and its still pretty light.

I am in need of fall/winter gear and just created new post in this section asking about that.  

 

Oh I did try on an armored hoodie at Cycle-gear but was too bulky for me and the wind around here.  

Super interested in your winter post!

i just returned the body armor and armored shirt I ordered. Been searching for budget moto jackets that don’t scream “dude I ride” . Also hoodies.

[GMan]

I just picked up a summer Dainese Jacket that I plan on using. I had been using elbow pads but this has shoulder and forearm armor. It’s all black so won’t be a huge standout and I think will be easier and better protection.

[mrelwood]

I also use jackets and pants with internal protection. Although, the protection are a bit on the modest side on mine, so since my riding doesn’t seem to be calming down I will upgrade once I find something suitable.

[seage]

Planning to get a jacket myself, although i do enjoy having the hardshell protection of the elbow pads. 

I wear my leatt kneepads on the outside. Its loud and i like it that way. Lol. But when i travel for work and stuff, id rather wear stealthier stuff, like a sleek black mc jacket and pads under my clothing. 

[DragonFZ]

This Saturday morning, I had a split. Emergency braking, speed wobble... 2 inches below my right ribs, I got jab by the KS16X pedal. Ugly (but painless) bruise 6" long x 2" wide. I feel very lucky I didn't break a rib. On Sunday, I ordered the Demon United Flex-Force X D3O Top Body Armor. It has rib protection. Got it today and had to return it. It's not too comprehensive protection and a one shot deal. If I land on elbows the material will tear. I have 5 motorcycle Jackets and none have rib or chest protection. My leather motorcycle jacket might have protected by the fact its leather and it is too hot to wear in Texas at a top speed of 30 mph. So far, what Marty uses, the Leatt 5.5 Body Protector comes close to what I'm looking for.  Hey @Marty Backe can you comment about your armor? It is kinda pricey at $280.

Edited September 19, 2019 by DragonFZ

[Marty Backe]

8 hours ago, DragonFZ said:

This Saturday morning, I had a split. Emergency braking, speed wobble... 2 inches below my right ribs, I got jab by the KS16X pedal. Ugly (but painless) bruise 6" long x 2" wide. I feel very lucky I didn't break a rib. On Sunday, I ordered the Demon United Flex-Force X D3O Top Body Armor. It has rib protection. Got it today and had to return it. It's not too comprehensive protection and a one shot deal. If I land on elbows the material will tear. I have 5 motorcycle Jackets and none have rib or chest protection. My leather motorcycle jacket might have protected by the fact its leather and it is too hot to wear in Texas at a top speed of 30 mph. So far, what Marty uses, the Leatt 5.5 Body Protector comes close to what I'm looking for.  Hey @Marty Backe can you comment about your armor? It is kinda pricey at $280.

I have no regrets purchasing the Leatt 5.5  You do feel like you're getting your monies worth. Very high quality. From a safety standpoint, I feel extremely safe when wearing it. Shoulders, elbows, chest, back, and ribs. Takes about 3 casual minutes to put it on.

Why I don't wear it all the time:

• If it's very hot I won't put it one because there's no getting around the fact that all of the plastic armor acts as an insulator.
• I don't wear it for most of my dirt trail riding because that kind of riding can be strenuous and tiring. Although the armor does not restrict your movement it does tire me out much more when using it in situations where I'm doing a lot of activity (stopping, getting off the wheel, lifting the wheel over rocks, etc.).

For where I live, it's my fall, winter, and spring gear, and sometimes summer wear.

I've bought the Leatt Body-T for shoulder protection in all weather and trails. I'm pretty sure I going to buy some additional armor too so that I'm covered in all scenarios. It's a journey that will never end 

But I want to emphasize that the Leatt 5.5 has to be the best full upper body gear available and you truly feel invulnerable when wearing it.

Hope this helps.

[DragonFZ]

1 hour ago, Marty Backe said:

I have no regrets purchasing the Leatt 5.5  You do feel like you're getting your monies worth. Very high quality. From a safety standpoint, I feel extremely safe when wearing it. Shoulders, elbows, chest, back, and ribs. Takes about 3 casual minutes to put it on.

Why I don't wear it all the time:

• If it's very hot I won't put it one because there's no getting around the fact that all of the plastic armor acts as an insulator.
• I don't wear it for most of my dirt trail riding because that kind of riding can be strenuous and tiring. Although the armor does not restrict your movement it does tire me out much more when using it in situations where I'm doing a lot of activity (stopping, getting off the wheel, lifting the wheel over rocks, etc.).

For where I live, it's my fall, winter, and spring gear, and sometimes summer wear.

I've bought the Leatt Body-T for shoulder protection in all weather and trails. I'm pretty sure I going to buy some additional armor too so that I'm covered in all scenarios. It's a journey that will never end 

But I want to emphasize that the Leatt 5.5 has to be the best full upper body gear available and you truly feel invulnerable when wearing it.

Hope this helps.

Thank you very much for the review... I've narrowed it down to Leatt 5.5 or Demon Hyper X Vest D3O https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0065H3A7W/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

$280 is still a heavy price tag... Don't want to get stuck with a bunch of cheapy armor which end up at the same price as $280. I have 3 set of knee pads to prove it.  LOL

[Marty Backe]

19 minutes ago, DragonFZ said:

Thank you very much for the review... I've narrowed it down to Leatt 5.5 or Demon Hyper X Vest D3O https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0065H3A7W/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

$280 is still a heavy price tag... Don't want to get stuck with a bunch of cheapy armor which end up at the same price as $280. I have 3 set of knee pads to prove it.  LOL

Just keep in mind that padding mean for snow activities won't necessarily translate into protection for hitting cement.

[fryman]

13 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Just keep in mind that padding mean for snow activities won't necessarily translate into protection for hitting cement.

You also want to look for gear that has a CE rating.

[Darrell Wesh]

11 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Just keep in mind that padding mean for snow activities won't necessarily translate into protection for hitting cement.

Well technically they are all CE rated level 1 or higher so the impact resistance should be similar. It’s the abrasion resistance that differs. Most body armor is developed for off road and not street and thus has no hard plating.

Street body armor has the hard plating for sliding and abrasion resistance. So it’s not an apples to apples comparison for the demon vs the Leatt 5.5 hard plating. Not sure why he even wants that Demon vest when the demon x2 flexforce is the only suitable comparison to the Leatt 5.5. 

Body armors without hard plating are designed to be worn underneath clothes to not abrade the often delicate surfaces the padding resides under in a crash. 

[Darrell Wesh]

23 hours ago, DragonFZ said:

On Sunday, I ordered the Demon United Flex-Force X D3O Top Body Armor. It has rib protection. Got it today and had to return it. It's not too comprehensive protection and a one shot deal. If I land on elbows the material will tear.

You’re supposed to wear it underneath clothing. Preferably at the very minimum nylon clothing for some abrasion resistance in a crash.

if you got the x2 d30 flexforce I can’t see how you would say it isn’t “comprehensive” protection when they’ve got every angle covered. I use that body armor all the time. 

[DragonFZ]

28 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

You’re supposed to wear it underneath clothing. Preferably at the very minimum nylon clothing for some abrasion resistance in a crash.

if you got the x2 d30 flexforce I can’t see how you would say it isn’t “comprehensive” protection when they’ve got every angle covered. I use that body armor all the time. 

How do you like the X2? Are you wearing a jacket or hoodie over it?

I was trying to save some money (mistake)... The X retails for $180, found a deal for $116, and it had lower rib protection. Took a chance to try it out. No deals on the X2 straight $200. This is where the math keeps adding up for another $70, I can get the Leatt 5.5

Edited September 20, 2019 by DragonFZ

[ir_fuel]

I tried the Leatt, but the shoulder protection is lacking IMO. My motorcycle vest covers the top part of my shoulder a lot better.

 

I do use their knee/shin protectors. They are great.

[ir_fuel]

 

It will be hard to cover even more IMO  

 

How do the sleeves work in combination with wrist protectors?

[ir_fuel]

3 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Street body armor has the hard plating for sliding and abrasion resistance

I don't really think sliding is a necessity for street riding, except for wrists and knees.

[Darrell Wesh]

2 hours ago, ir_fuel said:

I don't really think sliding is a necessity for street riding, except for wrists and knees.

 Street body armor has the hard plating to help your pads avoid getting destroyed from abrasion. And so you can wear it as an outer layer. 

 

2 hours ago, ir_fuel said:

the Leatt, but the shoulder protection is lacking IMO. My motorcycle vest covers the top part of my shoulder a lot better.

My thoughts exactly. For some reason shoulder coverage is hit or miss on body armor. Some only cover the top and some like the x2 flexforce cover the entire top and side. The Leatt definitely looks lacking and is one of my biggest criteria for body armor is that essential wide/long shoulder coverage. 

 

2 hours ago, ir_fuel said:

do the sleeves work in combination with wrist protectors

I don’t know don’t wear wrist guards. I wear regular clothes over top the x2.

[Marty Backe]

2 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

 Street body armor has the hard plating to help your pads avoid getting destroyed from abrasion. And so you can wear it as an outer layer. 

 

My thoughts exactly. For some reason shoulder coverage is hit or miss on body armor. Some only cover the top and some like the x2 flexforce cover the entire top and side. The Leatt definitely looks lacking and is one of my biggest criteria for body armor is that essential wide/long shoulder coverage. 

 

I don’t know don’t wear wrist guards. I wear regular clothes over top the x2.

When you guys are saying the Leatt doesn't have very good shoulder protection, are talking about the 5.5? Because IMO the shoulders feel very protected.

[Marty Backe]

9 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Well technically they are all CE rated level 1 or higher so the impact resistance should be similar. It’s the abrasion resistance that differs. Most body armor is developed for off road and not street and thus has no hard plating.

Street body armor has the hard plating for sliding and abrasion resistance. So it’s not an apples to apples comparison for the demon vs the Leatt 5.5 hard plating. Not sure why he even wants that Demon vest when the demon x2 flexforce is the only suitable comparison to the Leatt 5.5. 

Body armors without hard plating are designed to be worn underneath clothes to not abrade the often delicate surfaces the padding resides under in a crash. 

I'm really conflicted about the hard vs soft padding. Just not sure what to believe or which is better. I've been led to believe that the soft padding will "grab" the ground when you hit and that could make things worse. I'm talking about elbow/shoulder, not knee protection. Maybe the shoulders are never expected to slide? But then why is some shoulder protection offered in the hard shell?

And if you wear the soft protection under clothes, are the clothes really going to protect the gear? I mean, any shirt that you wear over it will itself instantly get ripped to pieces on impact and the armor will still get destroyed. No?

Edited September 20, 2019 by Marty Backe

[Darrell Wesh]

1 hour ago, Marty Backe said:

I'm really conflicted about the hard vs soft padding. Just not sure what to believe or which is better. I've been led to believe that the soft padding will "grab" the ground when you hit and that could make things worse. I'm talking about elbow/shoulder, not knee protection. Maybe the shoulders are never expected to slide? But then why is some shoulder protection offered in the hard shell?

And if you wear the soft protection under clothes, are the clothes really going to protect the gear? I mean, any shirt that you wear over it will itself instantly get ripped to pieces on impact and the armor will still get destroyed. No?

haha that is true that any normal clothing will not offer much abrasion resistance to these soft armor options like the demon x2 flexforce.

You’re supposed to be wearing nylon or textile or leather jackets over the body armor depending on your sport. Snowmobile jackets usually have pretty good abrasion resistance, dirt bike has unarmored cordura nylon jerseys to wear over top armor, and motorcycle riders can wear unarmored leather jackets etc. 

Soft padding absolutely shouldn’t be worn as an outer layer (please don’t wear the demon x2 as an out layer unless you want to replace $200 after one crash). 

Hard plated padding absolutely is better than soft padding for impact protection and abrasion resistance. But it comes at the cost of being much hotter, much less mobility, and more bulky so you can’t wear layers over top it.

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, Darrell Wesh said:

haha that is true that any normal clothing will not offer much abrasion resistance to these soft armor options like the demon x2 flexforce.

You’re supposed to be wearing nylon or textile or leather jackets over the body armor depending on your sport. Snowmobile jackets usually have pretty good abrasion resistance, dirt bike has unarmored cordura nylon jerseys to wear over top armor, and motorcycle riders can wear unarmored leather jackets etc. 

Soft padding absolutely shouldn’t be worn as an outer layer (please don’t wear the demon x2 as an out layer unless you want to replace $200 after one crash). 

Hard plated padding absolutely is better than soft padding for impact protection and abrasion resistance. But it comes at the cost of being much hotter, much less mobility, and more bulky so you can’t wear layers over top it.

So if I normally wear a large jacket and  I buy this armor, I should then buy an extra large jacket go over it?

I wonder if the combination of armor and jacket is not just as warm as the hard shell stuff without a jacket? Serious question. Not that you  may know the answer. Just pondering a loud 

[Darrell Wesh]

33 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

So if I normally wear a large jacket and  I buy this armor, I should then buy an extra large jacket go over it?

I wonder if the combination of armor and jacket is not just as warm as the hard shell stuff without a jacket? Serious question. Not that you  may know the answer. Just pondering a loud 

Two layers will be warmer than one. 

But I never have to worry about how hot it is. I can wear any of my moto Jackets in the heat because of this:

Klim Aggressor Cool -1.0

You drench it with water, wring it out and wear it. You get ice pack cold cooling for 45+minutes. Then when it dries up and stops cooling, all you do is get it wet again and you start the ice pack cold cooling all over again. They make long sleeve pants as well which I use. I have like three pairs of the long sleeves just for other people. 

It works so ridiculously well my friends call it “A.C. shirts”. They make a bandana/head/neck sleeve as well to keep even cooler.

I put it to the ultimate test about a month ago in the sweltering heat and humidity of Richmond, Virginia where it was 101 degrees outside. The thing with these Coolcore base layers is that you don’t want direct ventilation on them or they will dry out too fast. So you actually put on a jacket that doesn’t have mesh or much ventilation in order to keep the fabric wet for a longer period of time which equals more cooling time to your body.

It’s nothing short of game changing. I thought I would have to settle for zero gear in weather that hot but now I can wear all the gear. 

Edited September 20, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[Marty Backe]

2 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Two layers will be warmer than one. 

But I never have to worry about how hot it is. I can wear any of my moto Jackets in the heat because of this:

Klim Aggressor Cool -1.0

You drench it with water, wring it out and wear it. You get ice pack cold cooling for 45+minutes. Then when it dries up and stops cooling, all you do is get it wet again and you start the ice pack cold cooling all over again. They make long sleeve pants as well which I use. I have like three pairs of the long sleeves just for other people. 

It works so ridiculously well my friends call it “A.C. shirts”. They make a bandana/head/neck sleeve as well to keep even cooler.

I put it to the ultimate test about a month ago in the sweltering heat and humidity of Richmond, Virginia where it was 101 degrees outside. The thing with these Coolcore base layers is that you don’t want direct ventilation on them or they will dry out too fast. So you actually put on a jacket that doesn’t have mesh or much ventilation in order to keep the fabric wet for a longer period of time which equals more cooling time to your body.

It’s nothing short of game changing. I thought I would have to settle for zero gear in weather that hot but now I can wear all the gear. 

Very cool. I'll have to think about trying something like.

Added to my Revzilla wish list ...

[DragonFZ]

7 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

But I never have to worry about how hot it is. I can wear any of my moto Jackets in the heat because of this:

Klim Aggressor Cool -1.0

I've something similar to this that I got 20 years ago... Its a Joe Rocket Vest filled with that dry powder gel stuff. Dunk it in water, let it turn to gel and it will cool you down as you ride. I wear underarmor beneath the vest.

Found it on Google: https://picclick.com/Bilt-Evaporative-Motorcycle-Cooling-Vest-Size-XL-Blue-372693216669.html

Back then it was made by Joe Rocket.  Klim looks more current and in style

Edited September 21, 2019 by DragonFZ