Are Back Protectors The New Ski Helmet? 

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Only a few decades ago, the now-ubiquitous helmet was a rarity on the ski slopes, an indignity endured only by small children and competitive skiers.

But these days, the beanie-clad noggin is the exception, thanks to high-profile safety campaigns, irrefutable evidence, enthusiastic adoption by high-profile and professional skiers, and the rise of sleek, good-looking helmet-and-goggle combos.

Now, according to protective gear designers, the next frontier in serious injury prevention during high-impact collisions and falls is a no-brainer (pun intended!): the spine protector.

In the past, back protection options were functional but tended to be bulky and uncomfortable, which made them less than appealing to the general skiing public. And if people won’t actually wear something, it can’t prevent injury.

However, recent development of new technologies in body armor has allowed companies to create back protectors and vests that are thin, flexible, lightweight, hardly noticeable to the wearer, and without making skiers look like overdressed storm troopers.

What Do Back Protectors Do?

Back armor can’t protect from everything, but in a world where ski resorts are more crowded, and collisions with other skiers, trees, and rocks happen, the cost/benefit balance of sporting back armor pans out.

“They are designed to reduce the force of impacts on your back and spine,” said Shred co-founder Carlo Salmini. “That can come from a fall, from hitting hard or icy snow, or from a collision with another skier or an object. The goal is to reduce the severity of those impacts.” Injuries stemming from compression, twisting, or unnatural bending cannot be mitigated with a back protector, however.

Who Should Use A Back Protector?

There’s a common mindset that a back protector is something only an extreme athlete should use while doing extreme things–that’s something manufacturers hope to change. 

At the most elite levels of sports like downhill ski racing, World Cup athletes are required to wear an airbag back protector, designed to inflate in milliseconds in a crash to protect from high-speed impacts.

Additionally, back protection is required equipment on the Freeride World Tour, and most freestyle competitions have mandated that competitors wear some form of protection as well. While that may be the highest standard, for recreational skiers who don’t commonly go 80mph or hit 80-foot airs, these pads can still provide valuable protection.

According to Eric Henderson, a spokesperson for Sweet Protection, all mountain bikers and skiers (including children) should consider the spine protector anytime a helmet is needed. “The spine is very similar to heads, they’re difficult to repair, and wearing a back protector will reduce the risk of injuries,” he said. 

These days, step inside a lunch hut on the slopes in Europe, and you’ll notice back protectors everywhere. Popularity among the skiing and biking public in Europe has risen dramatically, noted both in sales and anecdotal observations–while you can’t actually see who’s wearing one on the slopes, back protectors are common attire among recreational skiers, freeriders, and racers alike.

“Nowadays, a back protector is really for everyone, so the lightweight back protector was designed to make it as accessible as possible,” Salmini said. The market is particularly strong this year: Shred’s unexpectedly high sales led to an early near sell-out of spine protectors and necessitated a production increase. 

The high sales mark a growing acceptance of back protectors, and companies are confident the benefits will soon become mainstream knowledge. “Think of the evolution of the helmet adoption: it took a while after Europe was saturated for the US to catch up,” noted Salmini. “But slopes are getting more crowded, conditions are changing, and people are becoming more aware of the risks around them.”

How Do Back Protectors Work?

Lightweight spine protectors generally come in two forms: a mesh zip vest with the integrated pad in the back, or a stand-alone pad with shoulder straps. The exact technology and structure is proprietary to each company, but each employs specialized foam or impact-absorbing polymers that absorb and disperse forces that would otherwise go directly to the spine.

The flexible pads harden on impact and effectively reduce transmission of energy to the spine during a collision, in the same way flexible knee and elbow pads for mountain biking function. 

For backcountry users, protection designers recommend the use of the protector even if wearing a backcountry ski pack, both for the specialized impact properties of the pad, and to prevent things like a shovel blade or hard water bottle from being jammed into your spine.

One additional thing to consider: these back protectors can do double-duty across other potentially high-impact sports like downhill mountain biking or motorcycling. Buy one, and you’ll be able to wear it year-round.

Top Back Protectors To Consider:

SHRED. 2nd Skin Back Protector Vest

A super stretchy, thin vest encloses a thin protective pad with hexagonal structure, ventilation, and velcro adjustments. Shred also offers a more heavy duty second-skin vest with Level 2 impact certifications (for European motorcycles), and back protector pads without the vest.   

Sweet Protection Back Protector Vest

This light, zip up vest uses Sweet’s proprietary Shock Shield, a visco-elastic soft pad sewn into the vest. The pad has 144 perforations for airflow, an articulated shape, and comes in vests designed for men, women, and for kids, as well as a standalone (no vest) version.  

POC VPD Max Vest

Ultra light and thin, POC’s back protector vest is made with what POC calls a Visco Elastic Polymer Dough, which works as other iterations do: soft and flexible, and hardens on impact. Like Shred’s heavy duty version, it is certified to a Level 2 in European motorcycle standards, but POC also offers a light version and a vest-free pad.