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Body Armor: Under vs pads, jackets, hoodies


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12 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

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.

I've been looking at Leatt 5.5 HD Pro Chest Protector and Leatt 4.5 Pro Chest Protector, both have flank rib protection.  I figured if its too hot I will not wear the Leatt 5.5 Body Protector. Most likely, I will not need the elbow and kidney Protection built into the jacket. If it gets cold enough, I can take off the shoulder armor and just wear the chest and flank protection under my Motorcycle Jackets (5 to choose from), which all lack chest and rib protection.

The 4.5 has no hard plastic at the flank. Might be better for wearing a Jacket.

Screenshot_7.jpg

Edited by DragonFZ
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On 9/20/2019 at 6:02 PM, Marty Backe said:

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.

Yes the 5.5.

The top part of the shoulder isn't covered on my body. I think the armor doesn't go high enough

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On 9/20/2019 at 8:59 AM, Darrell Wesh said:

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. 

Something to notice about the flexforce which I didn't get at first but I understood after a few more reviews (and videos from their website).

Their jacket is not entirely filled with d3o padding. The tailbone, back protector, elbow and shoulder are d3o. All other parts of the body are covered with another material (all the padding on the sides/ribs).

 

Since I worried about the compatibility with wrist guards and I have separate elbow protectors (G-Form) I ordered this one:

SSJ-10110_COMBI_SKETCHED.jpg

 

I've also ordered their shorts:

SHO-30110_COMBI_SKETCHED.jpg?lossy=0&str

 

as I use leatt knee/shin protectors so no need for long pants with integrated knee pads (and I still have my G-form kneepads too if I want to go lighter wrt protection).

 

 

It also doesn't help that getting the latest Demon stuff is a PITA where I live, so I had to look for alternatives (this is made in The Netherlands).

 

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On 9/20/2019 at 6:07 PM, Marty Backe said:

I'm really conflicted about the hard vs soft padding. Just not sure what to believe or which is better.

It's easy. 

The best protection is hard plating. No doubt about that. But you pay for that protection with less comfort (plastic doesn't breathe, isn't flexible and it's bulky). So people searched for solutions using materials that are soft, thin and flexible, but harden on impact. So now we can have protection without looking like an NFL player, some which you can wear all day without really noticing it, under your clothing.

Same with a helmet. The best protection is a full face closed motorcycle helmet, but it has the same issues. That's why not everyone wears one and some people resort to simple bicycle helmets.

The disadvantages are pretty clear. Your clothing will tear up on a serious impact, especially since it's made to be worn underneath other clothing. Now if this is a problem depends on how much you will fall. If you are a vert skater that kind of stuff makes zero sense since it won't survive one day of riding. In our case it's more to protect us from the few times we have a bad spill, and not because we know that we are stunt riding and will fall 20 times a day (in that case, get the bulky plastic stuff). If your plan is to go Chooch style off road blasting at 25mph, by all means, wear the hard stuff.

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I just received my Xion stuff. Pretty nice I must say (but so is the price ...). 

I was surprised by the thickness of the padding. It's a bit more bulky than I would have thought, but it's flexible and therefore very comfortable to wear. The top part you just put on like a shirt. It's all 3DO material, so no normal foam to be found anywhere. The shoulder covering is also very good. A lot better than the Leatt 5.5 I tested (goes higher over the shoulder). Chest is protected with 2 pieces, so not one big chest piece. If that bothers you it might be considered a disadvantage.

The shorts are very impressive, with big 3do padding on the hips and the tailbone. 

 

I can advise this stuff to anyone who doesn't want to buy hard plated armour.

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  • 9 months later...

Thinking about modest hip & rear surprises, I just got Xion "Protective Shorts Lite - D3O", which I read about here, for sailing around on a V8 in respectable street clothing.  I would recommend them for that purpose.  Unobtrusive,* and inspiring of confidence.  Of course, I won't really know until I have an accident in my new undershorts.  

* Particularly unobtrusive compared to the Demon "FlexForce Pro V2 Padded Short".  There almost wasn't room on the V8 for both me and the Demon padded shorts.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Believe it or not, Elbows are not that critical... meaning it is usually secondary impact and need road rash protection. I had cheap fabric Hard shell with little foam (like thinner than a mouse pad) and it worked great, until the 106 degree Texas Heat.  It has neoprene double layered as wide Velcro straps. So, I just ordered the Alpinestars Sequence Elbow Guards

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1 hour ago, Al.Cash said:

I was thinking about ordering them too, can you please post some feedback after they arrive?

Those alpine stars don’t look like they’ll slide. So they’ll just get snagged off in a crash and expose your skin and you’ll get road rash. It’s really quite simple; if you’re going to be wearing padding ON TOP of your clothing it needs to be hard shell. Non hard shell armor needs to be UNDER abrasion resistant clothing. 
 

Most of these body armors are meant for off road where you don’t have to worry much about abrasion, just impact. 

Edited by Darrell Wesh
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4 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Those alpine stars don’t look like they’ll slide. So they’ll just get snagged off in a crash and expose your skin and you’ll get road rash. It’s really quite simple; if you’re going to be wearing padding ON TOP of your clothing it needs to be hard shell. Non hard shell armor needs to be UNDER clothing. 
 

Most of these body armors are meant for off road where you don’t have to worry much about abrasion, just impact. 

My wrist and knee will slide... Elbows doesn't matter if they slide. It hard to land just for the elbows to slide, physically very hard to do. Just looking for comfort and air. My current ones stink from sweat

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6 minutes ago, DragonFZ said:

My wrist and knee will slide... Elbows doesn't matter if they slide. It hard to land just for the elbows to slide, physically very hard to do. Just looking for comfort and air. My current ones stink from sweat

Those aren’t just elbow pads, they have coverage for the forearms as well. Forearms are always getting road rash and are pivotal to cover as well. 

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8 minutes ago, Daley1 said:

Have a look at the EVS g6 body armour,hard stuff on the shoulders,chest, back,elbows and soft padding on delts and around waist/kidneys.Lightweight an cool. 

It has no CE ratings though.  I'm considering the Alpinestars A10 right now but still weighing my options.  Someone compared it to the Leatt 5.5 HD and said they preferred the A10 because it wasn't as heavy.  It also looks to be more breathable.

Edited by WebDev
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On 8/17/2020 at 9:44 PM, Al.Cash said:

I was thinking about ordering them too, can you please post some feedback after they arrive?

Alpinestars Sequence Elbow Guards ($60) :  I got them on Wednesday night and returned them on Thursday.

Pros: It has a flexible hard shell with thin cushion and very breathable (will not hold heat)   

Con: The hard shell is not that flexible. Your arm will be straight with slight bent (like you're riding a dirt-bike) in neutral muscle strength. Yes, you can bent your arm, but you will be using minimal muscle. But will be annoying for long rides. I want to be neutral. Most likely will slide off my arms during a crash.

Alpinestars Vapor Elbow Guards ($20 Deal) : I got these for $30 a few months back and returned them. Saw them on the shelf at Cycle Gear

Pros: Lightweight, breathable, Hard Shell with thin cushion

Con: The word come to mind is flimsy. I don't think it will stay in position if I fall.

To be fair, I'm comparing with my daily Elbow pads... Webetop Motorcycle Elbow Pads Adult 1 Pair PE EVA Motocross Elbow Guards Gear see pic

I've crash in these several times and they protected my elbows and forearm and stayed in place with wide 4 inch Neoprene flaps. The Hard Shell has a cloth material glue to it and it is cheap.  The negative is they are hot and stink absorbing sweat with the overlapping neoprene Velcro flaps. So, I ordered the Leatt Contour Elbow Guard, someone in the riding group had them and they felt sturdy.

Elbowpads.jpg

Elbowpads2.jpg

Edited by DragonFZ
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  • 1 month later...

I had a high speed crash the other night on my 16X with full motorcycle gear on other night and it rattled my cage. I couldn't sleep for 2 full days. Luckily no permanent damage, but I was in intense pain for 48 hours and after 84 hours I am still a little sore.

So, I just ordered an AlpineStare Tech-Air 5 https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/motorcycles/alpinestars-tech-air-5-review/ar-BB15Y76U automatic air-bag vests.

It supposed to deploy at crashes over 10 miles an hour and work in a rear end collision standing still. It is supposed to deploy in 20-40ms after detecting a crash. It's pricey, but if it works I think it is worth it. I don't want to go  through getting  my cage rattled again.

Does anyone have any experience with this jacket?

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I have an Armored Hoodie and a Leatt 4.5 Hydra, I love them both and combine them whenever weather permits (if it's under 21c which is most of the year up here). I feel super safe with one and even better with both, they pair well.

But I mostly just wanted to add one thing to this thread:

Padded Shorts

They are very under rated here. They are super easy to put on and comfortable to wear. They literally saved my ass, and my hips, during a recent high speed cutout. My jeans were shredded, but I didn't even have a scratch, or a bruise.

Worth every penny!

 

Edited by Tryptych
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20 hours ago, GreyRider said:

I had a high speed crash the other night on my 16X with full motorcycle gear on other night and it rattled my cage. I couldn't sleep for 2 full days. Luckily no permanent damage, but I was in intense pain for 48 hours and after 84 hours I am still a little sore.

So, I just ordered an AlpineStare Tech-Air 5 https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/motorcycles/alpinestars-tech-air-5-review/ar-BB15Y76U automatic air-bag vests.

It supposed to deploy at crashes over 10 miles an hour and work in a rear end collision standing still. It is supposed to deploy in 20-40ms after detecting a crash. It's pricey, but if it works I think it is worth it. I don't want to go  through getting  my cage rattled again.

Does anyone have any experience with this jacket?

I was just looking at that (or something similar) a couple days ago but it was supposed to go with a moto suit...didn't seem like anyone had used it before. Looks cool but I wasn't thrilled with the idea of sending it back for a $300 refill if/when it deployed. Let us know what you think though! Might be a cheap price to pay vs what it saves you from.

4 hours ago, Tryptych said:

I have an Armored Hoodie and a Leatt 4.5 Hydra, I love them both and combine them whenever weather permits (if it's under 21c which is most of the year up here). I feel super safe with one and even better with both, they pair well.

But I mostly just wanted to add one thing to this thread:

Padded Shorts

They are very under rated here. They are super easy to put on and comfortable to wear. They literally saved my ass, and my hips, during a recent high speed cutout. My jeans were shredded, but I didn't even have a scratch, or a bruise.

Worth every penny!

 

Nice, thanks...I have some alpinestars shorts but ordered them in my pre-quarantine size so a cheap pair to fill in until I get back in shape is helpful.

 

You put your Leatt right over the armored hoodie? I've got the long sleeve Fox pads, guess that wouldn't work.

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16 hours ago, Tryptych said:

I have an Armored Hoodie and a Leatt 4.5 Hydra, I love them both and combine them whenever weather permits (if it's under 21c which is most of the year up here). I feel super safe with one and even better with both, they pair well.

But I mostly just wanted to add one thing to this thread:

Padded Shorts

They are very under rated here. They are super easy to put on and comfortable to wear. They literally saved my ass, and my hips, during a recent high speed cutout. My jeans were shredded, but I didn't even have a scratch, or a bruise.

Worth every penny!

 

agreed!!! i wear the Leatt 3DF 5.0 Impact Shorts

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