It’s the secret weapon of many of the hardest-charging skiers on the planet: lightweight back protection that protects against hard impacts while minimizing its own profile. The new VPD Air Vest from POC does both at the highest level.
The VPD Air Vest in Granite Gray.
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Gear
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Gear Spotlight: POC VPD Air Vest
Back protection has gone a long way over the years. In contrast to the bulky, insect-like armor plates of yore, today’s modern designs feature high-tech matrix and beehive structures using innovative new materials. This is the realm of the VPD Air Vest from POC.
This is what modern, lightweight back protection looks like.
POC
The VPD Air vest continues to make use of the material patented by POC over a decade ago, Visco Elastic Polymer Dough. This viscoelastic compound has been POC’s go-to material due to its unique qualities: namely because it softens when heated, allowing it to mold comfortably to a wearer’s body, while hardening instantly to absorb a hard impact—just like a non-Newtonian fluid. (Maybe you’ve seen those science videos.).
In the Air vest, POC has crafted its VPD material into a honeycomb structure, which reduces material and weight while still providing strength and protection. At just 10mm thickness and 285 grams (in the adult M size), you’ll barely notice it’s there.
The honeycomb has a couple additional advantages. It’s more flexible, allowing it to mold to the wearer’s body. And it’s highly breathable as well. Combined with a highly wicking and breathable vest material, it’s POC’s most ventilated offer to date.
Despite its light weight, thinness and breathability, the VPD Air still conforms to Level 1 of the EN 1621-2 standard for motorcycle back protectors, a rating that provides a balance of flexibility, protection and comfort.
VPD Air Vest
€180 Men & Women | €140 Youth | €120 POCito
Details:
- Highly ventilated for extra comfort
- Certified to European standard EN1621-2 Level 1
- Highly flexible: Honeycomb-like structure enhances flexibility while maintaining strength
- Highly breathable: designed to allow for maximum airflow
- Washable vest: the backplate is sewn into the vest, and the whole vest is machine washable
- Recyclable protector: At the end of life, the VPD protector can be separated from the vest and recycled
- Lightweight mesh vest: The vest is made of a lightweight mesh that provides support and ventilation while keeping weight low.
For more information about the VPD Air vest, visit poc.com.
