Back protectors are a smart way to lessen fall impacts to your back and help prevent impact injuries which cause fractures and broken bones.
The RED Total Impact Back Protector is Burton’s version of back protection, so lets take a look and see how it performs.
Price:
The retail price is about $100 US, but you can sometimes find them on sale for up to 20% off.
Features:
- Covers a large portion of your back
- Flexible Exoskeleton Armor
- EVA and Honeycomb Impact Protection
- Padded Vent Mesh
- Elastic Shoulder Straps
- Ergonomic Padding
- Two-Strap Waist Belt
- CE Certified
Appearance:
I’m liking the black body armor look. The hard plastic plates on the back feel pretty solid and overall, it looks like a quality product.
Fit:
Honestly, it’s not the best fit. The back protector curves into a slight ‘C’ shape on your back. It’s a little aggressive and it feels like it’s pushing my back into a very slight hunch.
The padding and straps worked well and they do a decent job of keeping the back protector in place while on the slopes.
Durability:
Solid durability. I ride terrain parks 99% of the time and after many falls on rails and on jumps up to 75 ft, the back protector is still in good shape and everything still works great.
Comfort:
It’s a pretty bulky back protector, but it does cover a large portion of your back. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a big fan of the aggressive curve that forces my back into a slight hunch. I’d love to see them release their next model with less curve.
I’m not sure how well the ‘Padded Vent Mesh’ works. The hard plastic area covers a huge portion of your back, way more than most other back protectors that I’ve used, but it also means it traps more sweat and heat in.
I did notice that it was a little awkward sitting on chairlifts with large curved bubbles of plastic on my back. I’d prefer it if the plastic back bubbles were more flat for better comfort on chairlifts.
The straps were comfortable and I didn’t notice them while on the mountain.
Protection:
Very good impact protection. It’s got the largest surface area coverage of any of the back protectors that I’ve used. I’ve landed directly on my back from huge jumps and I barely felt a thing.
There’s no tailbone protector, but if you want tailbone protection, I recommend you check out some padded shorts instead.
Do note that it doesn’t protect against spine compression injuries, but no back protector will prevent spine compression unfortunately.
Final Thoughts:
This back protector is a bit of a hit or miss for me. I love it because it offers the best protection of any of the back protectors that I’ve used, but I’m not a fan of the slightly curved shape that forces my back into a slight hunch.
I’d recommend that you try it out at the store and see if the curved shape makes you uncomfortable. If you want the best back protection available, you should check this out, otherwise, you may be more happy with a slightly less bulky back protector.