Despite providing a serious amount of cover all around the body, the 100% Tarka vest doesn’t feel restrictive when riding, nor bulky. It’s comfortable, and comes in at a great price for the finish quality and protection offered. Body armour is less relevant if you are riding cross-country because you’re less likely to have the same high-impact crashes you see in enduro racing and downhill riding. Reasons to buy: High protection rating, very comfortable, low profile look and fit, good breathability Most body armour is designed to sit below a mountain bike jersey, so the tighter it is the less obvious it will appear. Protection

It has an off-set full-length zipper plus an elastic waistband which we found was effective in preventing the vest from riding up. The fit is comfortably snug, despite being described as a ‘compressive’ fit, so you don’t feel squeezed while wearing it. Some body armour will have more pads than others to protect your ribs, kidneys, hips and coccyx. Weight Enduro armour remains comfortable for riding, but features increased padding, while downhill armour has the biggest focus on protection. Ion Scrub Amp Protection Vest 6. Ion Scrub Amp Protection Vest Best for breathability and low weight for low-level protectionThe protective padding is called Sas-Tec and is flexible in all directions; we found it flexed well with the body when riding. Sas-Tec is an expanded polypropylene foam with visco-elastic properties, which means it’s soft and flexy while riding but hardens in response to impact to absorb forces and offer protection. The padding layer is quite thin and this protection vest only offers a Level 1 protection rating. Alpinestars’s vest is well cut with a close fit and no awkward zip placement or sharp edges, but I felt the material is slightly ‘shinier’ and harder, and doesn’t feel quite as soft against skin as POC’s cushy fabric.

We found moisture-management to be great, as is ventilation, but it is also the heaviest vest we’ve tested and we could certainly feel that extra weight. The best body armour will feel secure when you’re riding without sacrificing comfort. Certification The Ion Scrub Amp Protection Vest has a pull on design, lightweight feel, impressively breathable fabric and protective padding that follows the body’s contours. Unfortunately, this vest bounces around a little while running, but we did not experience rubbing or chafing. Aside from the chest strap, the Henkelion Vest is not adjustable – you cannot change the weights or adjust the size in any way. This is fine if you only plan to add a little extra weight, but if you plan to expand your weighted workouts, you will be limited to the weight you have. Still, for a simple vest at an entry-level price, the Henkelion is a comfortable choice suitable for a variety of workouts. But if you're looking to up your game and increase your weight load, the TRX Weight Vest is highly adjustable and offers great weight distribution. Trail armour is usually the easiest to wear, with less padding and therefore more breathability for longer days in the saddle.We also took into account each item’s impact protection rating, which is independently certified. What to look for in impact protection vests and body armour

Overall in our opinion this is the most comfortable protection vest we’ve tested, especially at this high impact protection rating.

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CE Level 1 is rated to transmit a maximum force of 18kN, with no single value exceeding 24kN upon impact. Downhill riders tend to wear body armour to prevent injury. Craig Mercer - CameraSport / Contributor The compression fit is just that, nice and tight, but once you’re in it’s actually very comfortable and we didn’t experience any rubbing or chaffing. The fabric design also helps regulate temperature well, providing insulation when it’s cold and controlling heat build-up when it’s hot. This panel is constructed from iXS’s own X-Matter material, which hardens on impact, but stays flexible on the body when warmed up. Ridge-like features allow it to bend and flex with the spine. Rated at EU Level 2, it’s designed to handle crashes at almost motor- rather than mountain bike speeds, yet doesn’t feel bulky. If you’re racing, especially downhill or enduro, or riding harder, faster or on more technical trails, you may want to consider body protection above and beyond just helmets and knee-pads. Mountain bike body armour will help keep your torso, and particular risk areas such as the chest, spine, coccyx and shoulders, protected in the event of a crash. 1. Materials and fabric

EU protection certification is split onto two levels, 1 and 2, referring to the amount of impact force the padding absorbs. CE level One is for forces transmitted by a 5kg weight from 1m to the wearer of under 18kN (no single value exceeding 24kN), whereas CE level 2 explains forces lower than 9kN (no single value exceeding 12kN). The level 2 cert is usually for motorsport use where speeds and impacts are potentially higher. 6. Weight and durability For the pads to be effective, they need to be held in place over the parts of your body they’re designed to protect.The foam protection pads are flexible while riding, but harden upon impact to absorb energy. They sit in pouches in the vest so you can take them out and wash the liner fabric, in a similar fashion to the 100% Tarka – good news for keeping your kit clean and stink-free. Not all body armour offers the same protection, with brands creating discipline-specific body armour to cope with varying demands. Weight makes a big difference to how the body armour feels, with heavier items feeling more restrictive to your natural riding position and causing added fatigue. A snug fit ensures less potential movement of pads and panels and also helps keep protection low profile for a sleeker look under clothing. Softer, floppier fabrics vs the tighter squeeze of a compression fit will be a personal choice. 3. Protection levels