Back protectors in the test: Back armour from Fox & Leatt - heavyweights for the bike park
Stefan Frey
· 03.07.2024
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Torso protectors have always been considered indispensable in the bike park. After all, they protect the bony centre of the body and the vital spinal cord in the spinal canal. Now that we have already Newschool protectors for over the shirt from Poc and Evoc and then two of them were lightweight pads from Ion and Scott for trail use, it is now the turn of the heavy bike park classics.
While the lightweight back protectors are only certified to the lower level 1, where the maximum residual force that can penetrate the body is 18 kN on average, the massive park protectors from Fox and Leatt are approved to the high protection level 2. Here, the maximum residual force is 9 kN. Of course, these models can only achieve this with significantly thicker and therefore heavier and less flexible protector pads. Fox and Leatt therefore belong to the category of heavy park protectors. These bulky waistcoats are not recommended for trail use. However, they provide a very high level of safety in the bike park.
Fox and Leatt with Level 2 certification
The back protectors from Fox and Leatt use a waistcoat made of thin mesh as a carrier for the pads, which should also allow some cooling on hot days. However, the two candidates are not as pleasantly airy as the torso protectors from Evoc and Poc. In addition to the pads on the back and chest, both waistcoats - i.e. Fox and Leatt - have additional EVA pads in the kidney area, which should also provide some protection here. However, these are not standard-certified inserts, which means that the protective effect is rather low.
One point remains unresolved after this test, which we were repeatedly asked about during our test rides in the Geißkopf bike park. None of the back protectors tested even came close to covering the entire spine. In most cases, at least part of the lumbar vertebrae remains uncovered - even though this is where the important nerves of the lower extremities exit. This makes it all the more important to choose the right size of torso protector.
We have also discussed this issue with Nick Börger, Product Development Engineer at Evoc Sports GmbH, in conversation. He describes the problem as follows:
The minimum size of the back protectors is specified by the standard. For example, with a shoulder-waist distance of 52 cm (standard certification size of an L/XL protector), the protection zone must be at least 374.4 cm in terms of protector length. The length is selected by the manufacturer based on this limit value. From our point of view, this is insufficient, which is why we have not chosen the minimum protection zone of the standard, but have increased the protection zone of the torso protector.
On the other hand, back protectors that are too long harbour the risk of slipping up while biking and then pressing unergonomically into the neck.
All laboratory values in comparison
In addition to the two heavy waistcoats from Fox and Leatt, we also tested other back protectors from Ion, Scott, Evoc and Poc. Here is an overview of all the values we measured. Surprisingly, the heavy Poc only fulfils level 1 of the standard. The lightweight Scott, on the other hand, impresses with excellent impact values with minimal weight.
More about protection
>> Duel - Back protector test #3: Heavy back armour from Fox & Leatt for the bike park (just opened)
>> Find out more about protection in our latest Knee pad test: 8 protectors for enduro and bike park use compared
>> Do you want to play it safe on the trail, but are you looking for a protector that is particularly easy to pedal? Then you'll find what you're looking for in our test of 12 lightweight knee pads.
The Fox Baseframe Pro Vest in test
- Price 200 Euro >> at Rose or Maciag Offroad available
- Weight¹ / Sizes 986 g / S-2XL
- Made in / Pad removable China / yes
- Protection level BACK / FRONT² Level 2 / Level 1
- Residual force¹ BACK / FRONT 7.16 kN / 10.66 kN
- EQUIPMENT EVA kidney protection; side zip; stretch side straps; lightweight mesh waistcoat
Conclusion & evaluation
With its Baseframe, Fox manages to offer a high level of protection with good wearing comfort. This makes the waistcoat particularly suitable for enduro and park bikers who like to wear their protection a little less obviously under their jersey. The lightweight mesh waistcoat fits comfortably and snugly, is not too long or too loose and keeps the protectors perfectly in place. The EVA pads on the sides are also well positioned. The ends of the Velcro straps, on the other hand, are less well designed as they can hardly be threaded through their tabs. This is annoying every time you put them on and take them off. Another shortcoming is the short back plate. Its length could extend a little further over the thoracic spine. The ventilation is noticeably worse than in the models worn over the jersey.
The Leatt Body Vest 3DF AirFit Evo in the test
- Price 239 Euro >> at Maciag Offroad available
- Weight¹ / Sizes 1206 g / S-M / L-XL / XXL
- Made in / Pad removable China / yes
- Protection level BACK / FRONT² Level 2 / Level 2
- Residual force¹ BACK / FRONT 6.27 kn / 10.20 kn
- EQUIPMENT Mesh waistcoat; full-length zip; kidney protection; Velcro straps
Conclusion & evaluation
If you prioritise protection above all else, you'll get your money's worth with the massive Leatt. On average, the South Africans deliver the best values in the lab, with only the slightly short pad on the back causing deductions. Disadvantage: The massive pads weigh you down and can be felt with every movement. In the right size, the waistcoat is very long, the material and the kidney pads on the sides bunch up at the waistband. The chest pad also sits surprisingly low and presses on the diaphragm in places, while the side zip pinches at the neck. The 3DF can be easily adjusted to the wearer using two Velcro straps on the sides. The left strap can be unhooked using a clip system for putting on and taking off. This is a more convenient solution than the similarly designed Fox waistcoat.
How we tested the back protectors
Laboratory
Shock absorption is the most important criterion for back protectors and is therefore included in the evaluation with 50 % for knee protectors and 60 % for back protectors. We test on the test benches of Sas-Tec GmbH and Evoc in Munich in close accordance with the motorbike test standards EN 1621-1: 2012 (knee) and EN 1621-2: 2014 (back). For the back protectors, a bar-shaped drop body with a base area of 160 x 50 mm and a weight of five kilograms is also used. The kinetic energy on impact must be 50 J. The residual force is specified in kN. The higher the values, the lower the protection.
Practice
We tested the fit, comfort and ventilation of each schooner with a total of three testers. We covered a distance of approx. 20 kilometres with each model. The individual points are included in the evaluation in different proportions.
¹BIKE measured values. ²The protection level refers to the manufacturer's official specification. The BIKE grade is independent of price. The BIKE rating is based on the school grading system with grades 1 to 5.
Stefan Frey
Editor
