Are the Back Protectors Worth it?

Last Sunday, I visited my friend who was recently injured in a severe motorbike accident. And I noticed the back protector saved his spinal cord. I thought, why shouldn’t I write a post about, are the back protectors worth it? 

The back protector covers your whole back and kidney area and acts as a barrier by absorbing all energy at the time of impact, thus protecting your back and kidney. Additionally, the back protector makes your posture straight and reduces the back pain making the back protector worth it. 

Let’s look at what it means for you and what you can do about it. While writing this post, I leave no stone unturned so you can know how important back protectors are.

Are the Back Protectors Worth it? 

You must have noticed the riders wearing back protectors and facing severe accidents on the racing track. 

And after an accident, they get up as nothing has happened; they do this because they always wear proper gear to protect their precious organs. 

Minor harm on your spinal cord or back and head during a severe accident are the two body parts that might kill you instantly. 

You covered your head with a good helmet, but what about your spinal cord? Isn’t the spinal cord essential for you too? 

And that’s why manufacturers made back protectors for people who care about their spinal cord.

Biomedical.com, in 2016, combined more than 180 studies on back protectors, concluding that non-standard clothing and foam-filled motorcycle jackets may be the two leading causes of severe back injuries. 

In the same study, researchers found that standard or hard shell back protectors may be associated with a reduced number of severe back injury cases. 

Also, according to Biomedical.com, riders who wore solid back protectors while riding faced 3X less severe injuries than riders who wore foam-filled jackets. 

However, these studies still lack proper evidence, and more proper studies are still needed to reach any solid conclusion. 

Until then, I think no one will wait for further studies instead of wearing a solid back protector. 

Please note that the back protector only works when you are on full gears from the head to the leg. It would be best not to take your safety casually. 

How Back Protector Protect You?  

The above studies are enough to give hope to back protectors as one of the best safety equipment.

Now let’s focus on how the back protector works. 

The back protector on your back acts as a barrier that reduces the intensity of energy you would face at the time of impact without the back protector. The back protector divides the intense kinetic energy in all directions, thus protecting your kidney and spinal cord. 

It’s all a matter of decreasing and dividing all the kinetic energy you could face at the time of impact. 

Back protectors are not that expensive and can easily fit your motorcycle jacket, thus making it one of the best safety equipment for riders. 

Also, don’t forget to read my previous post about motorcycle jackets. Click here to read.

How to Place Back Protector for Better Protection?  

Proper fitting of the back protector is essential for your safety as well as comfort. You just can’t place a back protector on your back and expect protection.

Nowadays, most jackets come with an inner pocket in which you can place your back protector. Always make sure the back protector logo should be on the exposed side. Additionally, make sure the back protector fits in your motorcycle jacket well enough before buying it. 

The above way works best for regular or off-road back protectors, but you can place the back protector through bands or straps in the case of a back protector for a track. 

Types of Back Protector and Which One’s Worth it:  

Till now, you’ve learned the importance of back protectors and how the back protector protects you from severe accidents. 

And now it’s prime time to see different types of back protectors out there and which one is worth it for you. 

There are three types of back protectors named; back protector for the track, road use, and off-road. Out of these, the one for tracks protects your back more effectively than any type. However, it’s better to use a back protector for the track only when you ride at high speed or if you’re a professional rider.

Let’s dig a lit bit deeper into these back protector types: 

Types of Back Protector: For Whom Back Protector Worth for: 
Back protector for the track. These back protectors are best for professional riders or those who ride at high speed. 
Back protector for off roads. These back protectors are best for those who do off riding a lot. It comes with great comfortability features. 
Regular riding back protector.Regular back protectors are primarily for regular city riders looking for great safety features while enjoying riding. 

Back Protector for Track: 

Back protector is best for those who ride at high speed or professional riders. The back protector for the track comes with full plate protection for covering the whole back. 

Thanks to straps, these back protectors stick to your back effectively for better protection. 

Nowadays, large motorbike gear manufacturers also produce their specialized jackets to fit the back protector for tracks effectively. 

Back protectors for tracks are worth it if you’re a professional rider or rides a motorbike at very high speed.  

Back Protector for Off Roads: 

Back protectors for off roads mostly come integrated with the motorcycle jacket or suit. These back protectors don’t provide you as much protection as a back protector for tracks. 

Even experts don’t recommend these back protectors to wear if you ride at high speed.

These back protectors also don’t cover your whole back. They are thus great for providing comfortability and safety while doing off riding.  

Back Protector for Normal Road Use: 

Back protector for normal roads also doesn’t cover much of your back, still great for average city riders. 

Mostly these back protectors have excellent airflow making you wearing these protectors for a longer time. 

Also, many manufacturers provide these back protectors in the jacket, which makes these protectors less customizable. 

Many average or city riders hesitate to purchase back protectors. They claim they don’t ride at high speed, so they don’t need much back protection. 

I just wanna say, don’t limit yourself and your safety by the speed you generally ride on your motorbike.

Just don’t hesitate to enjoy the safety features of these back protectors.

How to Choose Back Protector for Great Protection?  

The first thing you should see while planning to buy a back protector is compatibility. 

You should check whether your jacket is compatible with the back protector or not. You should also check whether your jacket has an inner pocket in it or not for the back protector. 

It’s always best to go for a back protector of the same manufacturer as your jacket. Buying back protectors of the same manufacturers ensures an excellent fit and avoids installation problems.

However, you can also go with the back protector of a different brand; just ensure the back protector fits well in your motorcycle jacket. 

Generally, the back protector matches your jacket size. 

Still, it’s always essential for you to follow the manufacturer’s size guide while choosing the different brand back protector. 

Back Protector Safety Ratings:  

You must have a back protector that comes with safety ratings. 

Safety ratings on the back protector ensure that the back protector is safe to use and are tested various times in a real-time situation. Back protectors manufactured in Europe come with CE 1 and CE 2 ratings which indicate the safety of back protectors.

But unfortunately, you’ve to check the material used and ratings manually if you’re living outside Europe. Experts recommend CE2 safety gears than CE1  because of additional safety features. 

Also, read my previous post about what you should include in your motorbike gear list. Click here to read.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How back protector works?

The back protector on your back acts as a barrier that reduces the intensity of energy you would face at the time of impact without the back protector. 

How to place the back protector properly?

Most jackets come with an inner pocket in which you can place your back protector. Always make sure the back protector logo should be on the exposed side.

Which back protector is best for you?

If you’re a professional rider then a back protector for the track would be best for you. And choose a regular riding back protector if you’re an average city rider.

How can you buy a back protector according to the safety rating?

Look for CE1 and CE2 ratings in safety equipment if you’re from Europe and look at ratings and ask the manufacturer directly if you’re living out of Europre.

Is there any research about back protector safety?

According to Biomedical.com, riders who wore solid back protectors while riding faced 3X less severe injuries than riders who wore foam-filled jackets. 

Final Verdict:  

Are the back protectors worth it? The back protector covers your whole back and kidney area and acts as a barrier by absorbing all kinetic energy at the time of impact, thus protecting your back and kidney. Additionally, the back protector makes your posture straight and reduces the back pain making the back protector worth it. 

I’ve mentioned how to choose and where to place the back protector for maximum protection. Experts also recommend buying safety gear with safety ratings only.