This year we will add videos explaining the difference between air vests and body protectors, it will be similar to our helmet safety section with plenty of content and information.

In short, air vests and body protectors are not the same technology. Airbags can offer exceptional cushioning in broad, blunt impacts, while passive body protectors can provide important protection during narrower, more concentrated impacts. Used together, the two technologies can provide complementary protection.

If you look at the helmet safety video section, the flat impacts are better for air vests. Penetration, hemi, spike etc are better with a body protector.

Air Vests vs. Body Protectors – Understanding the Difference

Air vests and traditional body protectors are designed to protect riders in different ways, and each has its own strengths.

A body protector uses a substantial layer of impact-absorbing foam to provide passive protection around the torso. The protection is always present while the garment is being worn and does not rely on a trigger or inflation system. This type of construction can be particularly valuable during narrower or more concentrated impacts—for example, contact with a fence rail, pole, hoof or other hard object—where the foam helps absorb energy and spread the impact over a wider area.

An air vest, by comparison, is designed to rapidly inflate when sufficient separation occurs between the rider and the saddle during a fall. Once activated, the inflated air chambers create a much deeper protective cushion around the rider. This additional cushioning can be particularly effective during broad, blunt impacts, such as landing heavily or flat on the ground, where the air chambers can absorb energy over a greater distance and help reduce the forces transmitted to covered areas of the torso, back and neck.

Why the two systems are different

A simple way to think about the difference is:

Body Protector:
Provides continuous, passive protection and can perform particularly well against narrower or more concentrated impacts.

Air Vest:
Provides a much deeper inflatable cushion after activation and can perform particularly well during larger, broader impacts.

Research into protective equipment, including studies involving motorcycle airbags and passive back protectors, supports this general principle: inflatable protection can provide significant energy absorption during broad impacts, while passive protectors can provide additional benefits during more concentrated impact conditions.

Can they be worn together?

Yes. We do not view air vests and body protectors as competing technologies. They provide different and potentially complementary forms of protection.

For riders wanting a broader level of protection, an appropriately fitted air vest can be worn together with a suitable body protector, provided the products are designed and fitted for combined use. In this configuration, the body protector provides continuous passive protection, while the air vest provides additional cushioning when it activates.

At ARRO, our approach is to understand the strengths and limitations of each technology rather than suggesting that one type of protection is best for every possible fall or impact.

No protective equipment can prevent all injuries, and riders should always ensure that protective equipment is correctly fitted, maintained and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.