Which Armour Material Is Best?

[Nic]

I recently purchased various pieces of armour pads for EUC riding and they have different types of padding fitted. I have armour with Forcefield, Fox F3 and EVA foam. I did consider buying some gear with D3O armour, but after testing the various armour I have I am beginning to think that many of these over-hyped protective systems are not as good as EVA foam. I have seen the D3O demo where a guy wraps his finger in D3O and rests it on a bench then whacks it with a hammer showing that his finger is protected. All seems good EXCEPT that this is not a fair test as would occur in an accident. In the case of this test the D3O goes stiff and all the force is transmitted through to the bench instead of his finger!

A simple test I did with with my pads is to just rest the pads on my knuckles in mid air and then hit the pad with a small hammer. In this case all the pads that use stiff material seemed to transmit the impact directly to my knuckles and it was not at all pleasant. The EVA foam pads however were the only pads that seemed to cushion the impact and I could barely notice it at all.

This made me question the validity of all the stiff high-tech armour materials and whether their claims to offer superior protection are actually justified in real life use. A stiff pad will no doubt help protect from penetration impacts but in my simple test they do not seem to cushion impacts as well as simple EVA foam does. Maybe a better solution would be to have the D3O bonded to a layer of EVA as the inside layer or just stick to plain EVA?

Am I missing something in my analysis and is EVA actually the best armour material and superior to D3O, Forcefield, Fox F3 etc that really don't perform so well in real life as appears in their demos? I am interested to hear from actual users of these high-tech armours. Has anyone else tried my simple test?

[Denny Paul]

D3o will not feel like pillows when you do simple whack and feel type tests, their protection doesn’t really start until you have a large, bone breaking impacts.

depending on the thickness of the d3o, it can be CE level 1 or 2. These are motorcycle safety standards. 2 is better than one, but is thicker and less comfortable. 

here’s a video that showcases some of the armor types you mentioned. 

The take away here is that you’re sacrificing convenience for protection no matter which way you go. I think for EUC speeds, Ce 1 in the major spots than enough if you’re not pushing it, and gear up as much as you can if you are. Be sure that your armor doesn’t wiggle around much though, if it fits loose it might not be wear you need it when the time comes. 

[euccommuter]

I'm starting to believe that some sort of good interior padding with an external layer of SuperFabric may be the most convenient as it doesn't limit movement and provides penetration and abrasion resistance while being breathable and flexible.

I'm currently using the Leatt double axis for my knees and I don't know what to do with them when going inside buildings and not wanting to look like robocop. They are really big and I need a bag just for them.

[mike_bike_kite]

7 hours ago, Denny Paul said:

D3o will not feel like pillows when you do simple whack and feel type tests, their protection doesn’t really start until you have a large, bone breaking impacts.

depending on the thickness of the d3o, it can be CE level 1 or 2. These are motorcycle safety standards. 2 is better than one, but is thicker and less comfortable. 

here’s a video that showcases some of the armor types you mentioned...

I understand people getting this sort of armour for motorcycle racing or for riding off road riding but it seems a little silly for riding an EUC. The damage you're going to get from falling off an EUC is to your wrists, arms, shoulders, knees and head and the sort of armour in the video doesn't protect any of those bits. Obviously if you have $400 burning a hole in your pocket and you want to look like a storm trooper then go right ahead

[Daley1]

Not really worried about falling off my EUC but get knocked off by a car,bus or truck! I ride on the shoulder of the road with buses/trucks whizzing by at 80kmh so close I can touch them. Everyone  will fall and hopefully u wont get knocked, but that's why I armour up because I see the end results of bike/pedestrian vs car and its not pretty! More is better!!!

[mrelwood]

On 2/20/2020 at 2:54 PM, mike_bike_kite said:

I understand people getting this sort of armour for motorcycle racing or for riding off road riding but it seems a little silly for riding an EUC.

I think the point was to compare the actual materials, not the specific protectors.

On 2/17/2020 at 2:53 PM, Nic said:

This made me question the validity of all the stiff high-tech armour materials

As pointed out by @Denny Paul, the forces in your hammer test were nowhere near what happens when a 220lbs person falls violently on his knee, which is what the advanced materials are designed for. For comfy kneeling, EVA for sure, but falling from a few feet is not something a similiar layer of EVA is able to slow down as much as d3o.

D3o manufacturer claims that with the forces of a typical motorcycle crash, d3o is comparable to four times it’s thickness of EVA.

[FreeRide]

37 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

I think the point was to compare the actual materials, not the specific protectors.

.....

Well there is no "best" ...

[mike_bike_kite]

1 hour ago, mrelwood said:

I think the point was to compare the actual materials, not the specific protectors.

Sorry, I thought the OP had bought the protectors and was now quietly wondering how useful they'd be in an EUC crash.

[Darrell Wesh]

On 2/17/2020 at 7:53 AM, Nic said:

I recently purchased various pieces of armour pads for EUC riding and they have different types of padding fitted. I have armour with Forcefield, Fox F3 and EVA foam. I did consider buying some gear with D3O armour, but after testing the various armour I have I am beginning to think that many of these over-hyped protective systems are not as good as EVA foam. I have seen the D3O demo where a guy wraps his finger in D3O and rests it on a bench then whacks it with a hammer showing that his finger is protected. All seems good EXCEPT that this is not a fair test as would occur in an accident. In the case of this test the D3O goes stiff and all the force is transmitted through to the bench instead of his finger!

A simple test I did with with my pads is to just rest the pads on my knuckles in mid air and then hit the pad with a small hammer. In this case all the pads that use stiff material seemed to transmit the impact directly to my knuckles and it was not at all pleasant. The EVA foam pads however were the only pads that seemed to cushion the impact and I could barely notice it at all.

This made me question the validity of all the stiff high-tech armour materials and whether their claims to offer superior protection are actually justified in real life use. A stiff pad will no doubt help protect from penetration impacts but in my simple test they do not seem to cushion impacts as well as simple EVA foam does. Maybe a better solution would be to have the D3O bonded to a layer of EVA as the inside layer or just stick to plain EVA?

Am I missing something in my analysis and is EVA actually the best armour material and superior to D3O, Forcefield, Fox F3 etc that really don't perform so well in real life as appears in their demos? I am interested to hear from actual users of these high-tech armours. Has anyone else tried my simple test?

D30 is the best and actually studied unlike other “imitators”. But the BEST protective armor would be hard plated like the fox Titan body armor everyone wears looking like a Halo character. Hard plated sacrifices flexibility, comfort, aesthetics and is bulky. That’s why soft armor like d30 was invented, to give riders back all those lost characteristics. If it’s not comfy, you won’t wear it. Nowadays a lot of knee protectors use soft armor like d30 and then a hard plate shell overtop it for sliding and penetration protection/abrasion resistance. 

[Leucistic]

On 3/9/2020 at 6:45 AM, Darrell Wesh said:

D30 is the best and actually studied unlike other “imitators”. But the BEST protective armor would be hard plated like the fox Titan body armor everyone wears looking like a Halo character. Hard plated sacrifices flexibility, comfort, aesthetics and is bulky. That’s why soft armor like d30 was invented, to give riders back all those lost characteristics. If it’s not comfy, you won’t wear it. Nowadays a lot of knee protectors use soft armor like d30 and then a hard plate shell overtop it for sliding and penetration protection/abrasion resistance. 

Yes it is not comfy when riding with hard plated like Fox Titan jacket, but it's more uncomfy when shoulders are busted or tarmac eats soft padding or gets twisted off during impact. Best in my opinion is D30 with hard plate. If you look Vee's clips where Tazz is jamming with that hard plated jacket it does not look unflexible. Best protection would be whole hockey stuff but you would be looking silly and be hot as hell.

Edited March 10, 2020 by FunkyWheeling

[LanghamP]

On 3/8/2020 at 11:45 PM, Darrell Wesh said:

D30 is the best and actually studied unlike other “imitators”. But the BEST protective armor would be hard plated like the fox Titan body armor everyone wears looking like a Halo character. Hard plated sacrifices flexibility, comfort, aesthetics and is bulky. That’s why soft armor like d30 was invented, to give riders back all those lost characteristics. If it’s not comfy, you won’t wear it. Nowadays a lot of knee protectors use soft armor like d30 and then a hard plate shell overtop it for sliding and penetration protection/abrasion resistance. 

One could get both thinness and protection if they make this for the body.

This is just so scary, though. I mean, I'd wear one but the whole idea is bonkers.

[Daley1]

I hear Takata airbags are gonna make these !lol. Also wouldnt be much fun for my grandson who rides on my shoulders if i was to stumble wearing one of these!

[Darrell Wesh]

21 hours ago, LanghamP said:

One could get both thinness and protection if they make this for the body.

This is just so scary, though. I mean, I'd wear one but the whole idea is bonkers.

Doesn’t look like it would work for EUC’s. The sensors would always think we’re falling and activate 

[.....]

I watched the vid and first thing came to mind is it looked like he was being mildly strangled. I wonder what propellant he is using to air it up and how he ensures it doesnt injure you. Then i was wondering... what if that goes off at 25mph as you are slowing for an intersection? Kudos for thinking outside the box. I dont read/speak german, so maybe its a perfect solution and im too stupid to see it.

Edited March 12, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[LanghamP]

15 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I watched the vid and first thing came to mind is it looked like he was being mildly strangled. I wonder what propellant he is using to air it up and how he ensures it doesnt injure you. Then i was wondering... what if that goes off at 25mph as you are slowing for an intersection? Kudos for thinking outside the box. I dont read/speak german, so maybe its a perfect solution and im too stupid to see it.

It's the perfect helmet for the faithful Christian who believes in an afterlife.

 

"Do you believe, bro, step this way for some faith-based testing..."

[WI_Hedgehog]

I was thinking, "That's the best inflatable diaper I've ever seen. With all the airbag recalls, that ought pop his head off straightaway."

Edited March 31, 2020 by WI_Hedgehog