By: James Biesty

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Review

Let’s face it: snowboarding isn’t free of injury, and if you do this sport long enough you will encounter a few sneaky falls that cause damage. So over the years I have tried many upper body armor jackets. Some are low profile but offer little real protection. Others offer a lot of protection but make you look like you are going to play hockey. XION is one of the only low profile jackets that also doesn’t compromise on protection.

In-depth review

The XION Long Sleeve Jacket is expensive, but about the best low profile body armor you can find for snowboarding. Think about what the hospitals charge and then this price is pretty reasonable — a tremendous amount less than your insurance max out of pocket.

Profile

Usually, when you have low profile body armor it skimps significantly on protection. Some provide thin EVA foam pads that offer some protection from minor falls, but not from a major or even medium fall. With the addition of D3O technology we are getting very close to having body armor that is almost unnoticeable under a jacket and offers a significant amount more protection.

Fit / comfort

The XION Long Sleeve Jacket is not designed specifically for snowboarders — its original intent was for stunt men, but the two worlds have similar needs. It does a great job fitting inconspicuously under even a thin shell. After a few days on the hill with the Long Sleeve protection under my jacket, I really didn’t notice it. The fit is excellent and very snug, which is important for D3O to work. XION added far more breathable material in areas like the armpits where you sweat a lot; the material that houses the padding is strong and stitched well, while staying thin and pretty breathable. D3O molds to your body pretty well, so all in all the whole experience is comfy and uninhibited. It can be a little hard in colder weather, but once you have it next to your body it becomes softer — it’s better to put it on in the warm house so it stays loose.

Summary

Even with protection there are still so many ways you can break yourself. I have found that the XION protective gear can help keep me out there after what should have been a day-ending fall. In the near future helmets will be mandatory and many of the pros are getting into body armor. Maybe one day everyone will be using something like XION Protective Gear on the hill and in the park. This isn’t snowboard-specific body armor, but we haven’t found something yet that works as well as XION does for our industry. Hopefully XION Protective Gear will grow and be a household protection name for snowboarding.