Women’s POC Spine VPD Air – Review
Nobody likes crashing. It hurts, it’s scary, and the road back to recovery can be arduous and frustrating. It impacts our physical body and also our mental ability. Confidence can be shattered, as well as bones. So choosing the right body armour for the trails you’re about to ride makes a lot of sense. Head protection is obviously a top priority, but what about your back?
One of the most common accidents is the OTB (Over The Bars), which will tend to put you flat on your back, and with all of your body weight being ejected up and over the bars only to succumb to the natural laws of gravity, is a lot of force going into you back and spinal area as you make contact with terra firma.
We’ve had several of those OTB moments, some being incredibly painful, not to mention scary. Lying there on the ground unsure if you’ve done serious damage, is an unnerving experience. Well, the good news is that you can take some of that unpleasantness away by getting armoured up.
The current state of women’s specific MTB body armour is a lot better than it used to be but it can still be a challenge to find something that fits. Luckily, POC is one of the most respected brands in this industry when it comes to body armour and they offer a good range of men’s and women’s specific products such as their POC Spine VPD Air for women.
Designed to protect the spine and tailbone from harmful impacts with 3 thick layers of foam padding, conforming to Level 1 (1621-2) standards.
The optional waist strap provides further fit personalisation.
POC Spine VPD Air Women’s back protector covers the spine and tailbone from harmful impacts.
Features
The Spine VPD Air Women’s Vest is a lightweight, ventilated back protector that has been designed specifically for women. Combining a mix of lightweight mesh materials for maximum breathability and comfort, and flat panel sections for robust and fitted construction.
The padding is removable for easy cleaning and the mesh vest can be washed out and hung up to dry in minutes.
The waist belt also adds additional comfort and stability across the midsection and keeps the vest in position when riding.
The mesh material allows for maximum breathability and stretch whilst the upper chest and shoulder section provides a more fitted feel.
A slim and low-profile design keeps the bulk down when under a jersey.
The POC Spine VPD Air for women. If it’s worth doing, then do it right.
On The Trails
Let’s face it, body armour can be cumbersome and uncomfortable, increases your body temperature, and you can end up looking like a character at a comic-con convention, but we put up with it. Why? Because if you need to wear body armour then you are obviously riding a trail that warrants it.
So when a product comes along and ticks all the protection boxes but feels like something a woman can actually wear, then it’s high fives all around. What struck us immediately was how comfortable the POC Spine VPD Air is. It uses a lot of mesh material to keep it light and breezy, as well as stretchy, and the women’s specific cut plays a huge part in why it is so comfortable. Just for reference, I’m 48 years old, 169cm tall and weigh around 65kgs.
The mix of both mesh and flat panels gave a flexible and unrestrained feel when riding. The shape contours the body beautifully and the mesh fabric stretches in all the right places. There is plenty of room for larger arms to fit through the arm holes and avoid any uncomfortable cutting into the armpit, and the seams here are wide and flat to reduce any chaffing in this area. Nice touches all around really.
The POC Spine VPD Air does come with a waist belt designed to keep things in place, but it’s not really needed because once zipped up under your jersey, everything stays in place anyway. But we liked it because it provides a degree of stability and allows you to adjust the fit a little more to your taste.
The POC Spine VPD Air has a low-profile designed to keep bulk down.
We’re not going to lie. You know you’re wearing the Spine VPD, there’s no getting away with it so we are not going to say things like “we didn’t even notice we had it on“. But saying that, sitting down in the shuttle bus is a non-issue. There’s very little discomfort. So much so, I wore it on the drive home, which is about a 30 minute drive.
In terms of on-bike performance, and after all, this is the most important, the Spine VPD isn’t a cumbersome affair or ridiculously hot to wear. There are no annoying bits digging into you or scratching you throughout the day. It’s a very comfortable, hassle-free piece of body armour designed for the shapes of women and won’t make you look like an extra from Spaceballs. Bonus!
For a piece of body armour with this amount of protection, it really is one of the more comfortable women’s specific full spine protection products on the market.
Conclusions
If you’re on the hunt for women’s specific back protection body armour but haven’t found anything other than something you’d wear at a comic-con convention, then you’re in luck with the Women’s POC Spine VPD Air.
Designed specifically for women, lightweight, highly breathable, and with enough foam layers to put a layer cake to shame, it really is one of the more comfortable full spine protection products on the market. The POC Spine VPD Air is there to do a job and it does it very well.
Where to Buy / Price
- POC Spine VPD Air Women’s Vest: $224.00AUD
- Available at the POC Australia store and at a reduced price of $157.50.
- Also available at other online stores.
