Tried & tested
Airbag jackets are the latest safety feature for riders. But what are they like? We find out.
How protective are airbags for bikers?
And what are they like to use?
Like many inventions inherited from the four-wheel world, airbag systems have trickled into motorcycling with a bit of a delay. We tested three popular items, all of which fit in the stand-alone, electronic category, so they don't need to be connected to the bike (manually or digitally), and they can be used with any bike.
The Smart Jacket from Dainese is a big step forward in motorcycle airbag technology. It has no physical protectors. It can be worn with any motorcycle jacket. And it provides better protection in the chest and back than traditional armour.
Although Dainese has airbag products for road and track that fit in specific jackets, the Smart Jacket (which is really a vest despite the name) has been specifically designed to be worn on roads rather than track, under or over any motorcycle jacket (and you don't need a bigger size jacket if you wear the vest underneath).
There are no connections to other garments as it holds all the technology within. All you need to do is put the vest on, zip it up and close the magnetic button in the collar. The light on the chest flashes, you feel a sensory buzz from the system, and when the light is a steady blue, the vest is on, although not yet armed. To be armed, the Smart Jacket needs to feel the vibrations of your motorcycle or detect a speed of 6mph (lOkm/h) or more - at that point there is another sensory buzz, the light on the chest goes green, and the system is ready for action.
With all of these airbag jackets, you will need to keep them charged for the system to work, and with this one not having any physical armour, it is even more important to do so. The battery will take four hours to charge from flat to full, and that will give you a claimed 26 hours of riding. I wanted to make sure I was definitely well within that timeframe so Icharged the vest every other day just in case. To charge the jacket you just connect the provided USBcable to the back of the vest and leave it - the light on the chest blinks red while it charges, and once the colour changes to flashing green you know it's fully charged.
Because there are no physical protectors in this product, it is very easy to fold in your bag and take it with you, which I did when I flew abroad for a job. You can use the PC/Mac app (which you also need to initially register the product) to switch the system in Shipping Mode for the duration of the flight to make sure the airbag doesn't go off in the airplane hold. Once you are at your destination the vest can be re-activated by connecting it to a charger. The Smart Jacket weighs 1.8kg, so it's easy enough to carry around with you.
Dainese says that the time it takes from the system deciding to deploy the airbag to it being fully operational is 45ms. Once the airbag is full it offers impressive levels of protection, which Dainese reports using the CEstandard for mechanically activated inflatable protectors to show the amount of force transmitted through the airbag. The back is CEapproved to Level 1 Airbag, EN1621-4 CB (average transmitted force below 4,5KN) and the chest to Level 2 Airbag,
EN1621-4 DC(average transmitted force below 2,5KN). To put those figures in perspective, the current CE standard for non-airbag back protectors (EN1621-2) states that for Level 1 the average transmitted force must be below 18kN, and for Level 2 it must transmit an average of less than 9kN. That's impressive!
But the system must be activated for the protection to be in place. Because the system detects the vehicle vibrations, the system is active all the time when you are on your bike (except if it's an electric bike with no engine vibes), meaning that it will protect you at standstill too if someone hits you. In practice I noticed a couple of times that the system switched off at traffic lights when I stretched my legs, but quickly re-activated once I sat firmly on the seat.
The Dainese product doesn't have any subscription costs, so you once you pay your £569.95 you are ok, with free checks of the product every three years at authorised D-Air centres. The only expense you will incur is if the airbag has been deployed, and you want to make it usable again. This can be done at authorised D-Air centres for £219.95 if the item is not otherwise damaged.
Ifound this the most userfriendly of the airbag systems tested. I love the fact that you don't need to switch anything on, just wear the vest and go. The sensory buzz is also useful as you don't see the light on the chest if you wear the vest under a jacket, and it's just nice to know that the system is armed. I suppose the lack of a physical back protector is a bit of a Marmite question and some may find it difficult to trust the electronics to do their job, but
I love it! To be able to wear the vest without a big bulk at the back is nice, and it's easier to store and transport, too.
As far as comfort goes, this is the top product in this test, and as it's available in both men's and ladies' sizes XS-XXL,it should fit most of us.
I have been very impressed with the Smart Jacket - to me it's a game changer in terms of technology, practicality, protection and price. Expect to see similar products from other manufacturers soon.