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Leatt 5.5 Wrist Brace


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Next up in my quest to complete Leatt 5.5 set is the Wrist Brace, 119.00 on offer (normally 169) from DirtbikeExpress.co.uk.

First off, I was expecting 2 of these for my 120 pounds, but when just the one turned up it became clear that these are doubly expensive than I was expecting them to be ! However I have been saved by luck, because if I had got 2 my left arm wouldn't have had enough room for my phone armband, so LH remains on the old slim profile brace. But RH, the one I need to work most for my job and piano etc, gets the Leatt, in the hope of imparting some really top-notch protection in the areas I need it most.

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So we have a loop which goes over fingers 3 and 4, with a hard but comfy pad over the back of the hand, then the actual brace bar, which extends half way up the forearm terminating in a dual velcro loop. Underneath we have a thin but strong 'X-pad' supported on 4 wires that are tightened with a rotary control atop the guard, making for an extremely snug fit and reinforced feel.

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When in use and properly fitted the hand cannot extend more than 40 degrees upwards from horizontal, but is free to move 60 or 70 degrees down, which means the hand remains useful, and fingers can articulate freely. It fits over a range of gloves except perhaps the most bulky of winter ones.

Did have a chance to test them today with a minor fall during which I partially landed on that wrist, and didn't really notice. My Leatt GPX Boots were called into greater service, preventing an ankle twist on the way down. What did become apparent about the wrist brace is that there is no protection from thumb hyper-extension like there is on some of the larger, bulkier braces. As mentioned later in this thread this will affect your ability to slide on your palms, so is perhaps a reason these might be less than ideal for EUC.

In Summary I would say these are highly effective for MotoX, less so for EUCing, but overpriced nonetheless, and incongruously so with the rest of their range. I would consider these very good value for money if you got 2 for 120 pounds. But you don't, and as ingenious as some of the retention mechanisms are, and as nicely finished and fitted out as it is - I can't see how they are justifying that price, when you can, at the end of the day get a complete set of skateboard pads that are perfectly (dare I say equally, or even better in terms of slideability) functional for 20 quid. These also take a certain amount of time to put on !

So, quite pleased initially, they certainly do their job, and look cool, but are very pricey for what you get, and they don't necessarily fulfil EVERY function of what EUC'ers might need from them.

Edited by Cerbera
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  • 1 month later...

These look nice but don't offer any impact protection in the wrist/palm area, do they? I had the impression that broken wrists (from direct fall impact) are the most frequent kind of injury, while overextensions are rarely mentioned. Unfortunately motorcycle protection tends to leave your palm largely unprotected since comfortable and secure handlebar grip is more important. That's why we generally have to use equipment from the skating and boarding worlds when it comes to wrist protection.

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4 hours ago, yoos said:

I had the impression that broken wrists (from direct fall impact) are the most frequent kind of injury, while overextensions are rarely mentioned.

I thought the chance of either is about equal - and pretty much down to luck whether you slide on the ground or your hands stick to it on contact, and you go scorpion-ing over the top of them, which is where the chance for hyperextension comes in, and indeed what happened to me about 7 years ago in the only time I was silly enough to go on a wheel without any guards. So I guess I am a bit XP-led, but it's a good point about palm protection. Now it's Winter I wear that Leatt over thick leather gloves, which I hope will help with impact and graze type injury, but it's a fair point regardless, and I may yet go back to the old guard for that reason, as I did quite like having the thick plastic sheet that covered most of the palm area on those. The scratches all over my previous ones do attest to how much they have slid over stuff in the past.

3 hours ago, Paul A said:

If both wrists are broken, will not be able to use toilet paper.

Oh you'd have to be damn unlucky to break both - generally we land on one or the other I reckon...

3 hours ago, Paul A said:

Wrist guards with metal bar are essential.

I wouldn't have said that so far. My wrists have been saved multiple times over the years by ultra cheap guards with mere plastic bars, although I do tend to need new ones every time they do because the plastic bars usually sacrifice themselves and break in the saving of the wrist. I haven't given much thought to whether that happened from an impact or in resisting over-extension, but in the falls I have had over the years (which is only perhaps around 4-5) my wrists have survived pretty much unscathed every time thus far. But I will be suitably cross if I get a wrist injury from wearing an expensive MX guard that wouldn't have happened with a cheapy skater one !

Edited by Cerbera
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15 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

pretty much down to luck whether you slide on the ground or your hands stick to it on contact

Actually that might depend very much on what you are wearing. I find that plastic sliders facilitate sliding (as obviously suggested by the name) as opposed to the relatively grippy palm material often used in motorcycle gloves (except knox and such). I guess that sliding is favorable in most situations. Hard shells also tend to be more durable and withstands repeated sliding well.

 

2 hours ago, Paul A said:

Wrist guards with metal bar are essential.

Not sure why metal would be a good idea, it has all kinds of drawbacks: a thick metal piece would be too heavy hard (it would bend less and hence absorb less of the impact, only serving to redistribute impact). A thin metal piece would be like having a blade inside your glove -- difficult to mount safely and securely. Plastics or advanced materials (viscoelastics like D30 etc) are a better choice in most aspects. In particular, it's lighter and has less thermal conductivity than metal. It's also more flexible. I'd say you are welcome to use metal for springs in your shocks but personal armor has mostly ridden itself of metal parts by now.

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1 hour ago, yoos said:

I guess that sliding is favorable in most situations.

Hmmm. I think you're right about that. Leather doesn't slide so well hey ? Dammit - I'm gonna have to go back to the old ones aren't I ?  FFS :)

I'll edit the review to mention that as well, thanks.

Edited by Cerbera
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The Demon Wrist Guard V2, has a lightweight aluminum brace that is coated in plastic.

Cut off the velcro straps.

Worn under leather gloves, it was very effective in absorbing impact with concrete.

It did slide, with a small hole resulting in glove.

Injury did occur in shoulder ball and socket joint though.

Couldn't raise arm above shoulder height, took many weeks to heal.

 

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