Product review

Acerbis X-Air protector shirt

My name is Jannick Lange, since 2010 I am already riding downhill, travelling all over Europe and taking part in as many races as possible. The whole thing is so much fun that I will probably never give up riding against time.
But how had all this begun? In fact, after watching others ride downhill, I built a kind of downhill bike and took part in my first race in Winterberg. I finished 26th, which wasn't really good, but I made a mistake reading the results and thought I had finished seventh ever since. I thought I had talent and started to ride and train a lot more with this incentive. And although I wasn't good then and haven't been for a long time, I am now 9th in the IXS European Cup. Of course that's not enough for me yet, I want to lead the Cup at some point and also get involved in the World Cup.

Acerbis X-AIR Details

In our sport it gets hot from time to time and can get dangerous - the risk simply is part of it. But is it always worth putting on a heavy protector jacket in which you just sweat more? The X-Air shirt is a remedy: it doesn't weigh much and you can hardly feel it even if you wear it for several hours.

But what makes the difference? The boys & girls of Acerbis rely on a viscous foam, which only hardens on impact. In fact, the individual inserts, which can be removed from the jacket, fit the body quite well and are quite flexible despite their toughness. The whole thing is held together by a very breathable fabric, which at first, however, smelled a bit too much like plastic to me and was still noticeable after several laundries. Nevertheless, the jacket makes a solid impression, is very well processed and the zipper on the side makes it very easy to put on without disturbing the skin.

The fit wasn't 100% convincing: Although the pads were nicely attached to the arms, the chest and waist area could have been a little tighter (but I'm a slim guy). The shoulders were sitting well - a bit more coverage over shoulders and neck would be desirable.

Positiv

Very well processed
Breathable & well ventilated
Easy to put on
Protectors removable and therefore completely washable
Comfortable to wear and secure fitting (even after crashes)
Very light (970 grams)

Negativ

Unpleasant plastic smell in the beginning, goes after several washes
Shoulder protectors could cover a little more

Conclusion

Acerbis has launched a protection shirt that focuses primarily on comfort, but also does a solid job of protection. No matter how rough the terrain and how fast I was on the road, it could always impress with a safe feeling.