New Dainese Airbag Vest - Wireless, Smart and Safe

Full, standalone, wireless, mesh airbag vest

So I’ve never been a fan of airbag vests, or jackets with integrated airbag technology because it is rather limiting, in my opinion.

If I choose a traditional, tethered airbag vests to wear over my gear, then there’s this rather ugly, cumbersome thing that I will have to wear on top of my awesome jacket. Admittedly, I’m lazy. And the idea of wearing a second piece of gear over my gear is too much.

I’m also a very petite, small woman so wearing something larger over my gear isn’t ideal either.

But if I choose a jacket with an integrated airbag vest option then I’m limited to a handful of jackets. Let’s just say I’m very picky about my gear and how I want to wear it. I like my jackets very much, and having to buy an all new jacket to have that added protection isn’t attractive either. I would be much more inclined to wear a vest like this underneath my existing gear so it’s hidden.

Dainese just released an airbag vest for ALL riders, not just for sport bikes or road racers or track junkies. It can be worn over OR under your existing jacket!

I know what you’re thinking because there are already airbag vests on the market. But not anything like this: fully wireless, smart and capable of sensing when or if you need it to deploy at any given moment while you’re riding. NO tether required.

This is also something that should be worn with your existing gear, whether it’s a track suit, mesh jacket or leather street jacket. It will NOT give you protection against road rash or save your skin.

I have always felt that Dainese’s proprietary airbag technology was better than anything out there. Now that their advanced tech is going to be available in freeform like this, from an integrated jacket is pretty huge in my book.

#IMightActuallyWearOne

//PRESS RELEASE//

COSTA MESA, Calif. – June 18, 2019 - Dainese presents Smart Jacket, the new D-air® airbag vest that can be worn underneath or atop any garment. Available for men and women, the new Smart Jacket is a foldable, functional article of clothing that does not require any connection to the bike. Used by MotoGP™ champions, D-air® technology has been developed by Dainese through more than 20 years of research in order to achieve the maximum level of versatility, and is now also built for use on the road. With the Smart Jacket, for the first time ever Dainese introduces stationary impact protection, adding a whole new level of safety.

Dainese’s new Smart Jacket is the first airbag vest featuring D-air® technology that can be worn either over or under any jacket or outfit, without requiring any connection to the bike.

The D-air® protector is worn separately from clothing, can be used riding any bike and on any road, and is available for both men and women. The Smart Jacket is also foldable for easy storage in a backpack or top box.

For men AND women. Awesome.

Dainese’s new Smart Jacket is the first airbag vest featuring D-air® technology that can be worn either over or under any jacket or outfit, without requiring any connection to the bike. The D-air® protector is worn separately from clothing, can be used riding any bike and on any road, and is available for both men and women. The Smart Jacket is also foldable for easy storage in a backpack or top box.

“Smart Jacket is the result of more than twenty-five years of research on the D-air® system, and combines in a single, intelligent, versatile, now available-for-everyone garment the ultimate in airbag technology for motorbikes, the same used by MotoGP professional riders”

—Cristiano Silei, CEO of Dainese Group.

The “brain” of Smart Jacket is the triggering algorithm: At a rate of 1,000 times per second, the electronic central unit analyzes data transmitted by 7 sensors and detects dangerous situations, activating the system only when necessary. Through two decades of development and extensive data collection, Dainese has refined its sophisticated D-air® algorithm to predict accidents, including stationary vehicle and stationary rider collisions.

The Shield is the heart of Smart Jacket protection, an airbag featuring Dainese’s patented technology that integrates proprietary internal microfilaments that guarantee inflation is even and controlled throughout the entire surface. When activated, The Shield envelops the body and delivers maximum protection to the rider.  The Shield covers the chest and back, ensuring the same degree of protection as seven Level 1 back protectors, despite not having hardshell protective gear inside. The result is an extremely light and practical garment that riders can easily fold and place in a lateral bag, a top box or in a backpack when not in use.

Smart Jacket is also designed with incredible ventilation for further versatility and comfort. The external fabric of the jacket is ventilated but the most innovative ventilation is found inside, as the Shield folds over on itself. In normal riding conditions, this enables air to flow through the front. In case of activation, the Shield expands and covers the entire chest area, providing maximum protection. The Smart Jacket also features water-repellent fabric and the integrated D-air® technology is waterproof to protect riders regardless of weather conditions.

Smart Jacket inherits the best practical features from the third-generation D-air® Road range, including the ability to have the airbag replaced by an authorized dealer. The long battery life – with 25 hours of operation when fully charged - makes the Smart Jacket even more usable, and the garment recharges quickly.  

Learn more about Smart Jacket at: https://www.dainese.com/us/en/smart-jacket.html#sj-form

Dainese Smart Jacket is available in six sizes, with versions for men and women

It will be in stores from July 2019 for $699.

Replacement Knee Armor Revised

Awhile back, I had a post about replacement knee armor options. And at the time, Forcefield still made an option that is now discontinued. 

So here are some new recommendations, no matter what brand of pants you wear. A lot of knee replacement armor options also double as elbows, it just depends on the size/length/shape you're looking for. 

Above is the Seeflex family from REV'IT ($39-$44/pair). I like the RV14 and RV12 options on the far right for pants with really long armor pockets. A good example of this is Dainese. 

Their stock knee protector pockets are long, for their older knee guards. I find them to be too stiff, and lacking in shock absorption. The awesome thing about Seeflex is the entire piece of a shock absorber. This is far more comfortable to crash on and they're more ventilated as well. Additionally, they're CE Level 2, not Level 1 like the Dainese knee guards.  More flexibility, protection, ventilation and comfort. Well worth the upgrade.

Keep in mind the shape of Seeflex is deeper, so the space in your pant needs to accommodate a deeper knee space. They also wrap around your knees more which is great for me because I have skinny knees. 

Rukka D3O Air Knee

What's challenging about Seeflex is the width, if you're a woman and you're looking for replacement knee armor your pants may need a narrower piece of armor. RV10 may be too wide, depending on the brand. Keep in mind that RV12 is for exceptionally long knee armor pockets and won't work in most pants. 

Another option for Dainese pants that I also recommend is the Rukka D3O Air Knee Protectors ($39/pair). Thee are also CE Level 2, but it's a flatter piece so if you need a wider piece over your knee vs a more cupped/fitted piece (for smaller knees/pants) then you'll love this option from Rukka. 

Also great to match the length of Dainese knee pockets, super soft, flexible and ventilated. 

Here are a couple other options to consider; I like these because they're softer to begin with. They don't need time to warm up to your body. And, they're great options if you have smaller pockets: 

• Klim Viper D3O Knee (Level 2); wider, shorter piece
• Knox Microlock (Level 2); if you have Knox armor now and just want to increase the level to 2. Also make good substitutes for Alpinestars armor

Armor should always fit so comfortably that you don't know it's there. If it's bugging you, it's usually because the gear isn't fitting you right (incorrect size/fitment/etc.) or it's cheap/fake armor that isn't molecular in nature (soft like these that harden on impact). 

If you need help figuring thiings out for your body/gear, please send me a message. 

Replacement Knee Armor

UPDATE: This Forcefield armor is discontinued. 

The other day I posted about Dainese Knee Armor that I think works well as hip armor. This time around I want to show you some killer knee protectors that you might want to upgrade with asap.

The yellow armor above is made by Forcefield. The "Net Replacement Armor" as it's called is soft, pliable and molded. It also meets the CE Level 2 Standard, which is more than most of the back/shoulder/elbow armor that comes with your gear. I've upgraded the knee armor in my Revit pants to make riding in them more comfortable.I love Forcefield because it's not as vulnerable to cold and it offers Repeat Performance Technology; which means you can use it again even if you crash on it. The Net Armor is also vented and super smushy. It hardens on impact much like a competing technology called d3o. As much as I like d3o, I prefer the shapes that Forcefield has to offer since it molds better to my petite frame.

dainese_newdrake_womens_used 4 (1)

Many of you might have Dainese riding pants, either textiles or leathers. I want to recommend this form of d3o armor from a company called Rukka (Finland). The d3o Air Knee Pads are about the same height as Dainese knee protectors but offer a full length shock absorption which the hard shell Dainese does not. The width is about the same as well.

I've recommended these to many of my customers and highly highly recommend them to upgrade any of your Dainese pants (mens and ladies). Also, these would work really well in dirt / adventure pants that might have really long pockets in the knees. The coverage is longer than the other knee armor options as well!

rukka_replacement_d3o_knee_armor

PS

Of course you can find replacement back protectors, shoulders and hips with d3o and Forcefield as well.

Idea for thin, lightweight hip armor

I prefer having knee AND hip armor in my riding pants, always. Most hip protectors are rather thick and uncomfortable. But Dainese created 2 products that I think work really well as hip protectors.  One of which is clearly designed by Dainese as a Hip Protector (pictured above). They're smaller, about 3in wide by 5in tall and designed to fit specifically into their riding jean models that offer hip protector pockets.

But the other armor they make with the same lightweight, strong material are Dainese Pro Shape Knee Protectors for their riding jeans:

Both of these protectors are CE Certified and are Level 1. I put the knee protectors in my Gear 2's hip armor pockets! They're comfortable, light and I don't even know they're there.  Each pair costs less than $40, definitely a worthy investment.