Best airbags of 2024

[Priller]

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Anyone looking for a rundown in incredible detail (as is typical for the author) of the airbag options to date should have a look here:
We TESTED airbags to help YOU find the best

It's LONG (no F9 simplified sensationalism here), and very in-depth, especially regarding testing standards, but worth a read. It's interesting how priorities change, as they spend a lot of time looking at chest protection, which has always been very secondary to back protection with passive gear.

Definitely looks like the MotoAirBag V4 is the safest option, and it uses a unique tether system which may appeal if you don't trust the AStars/Dainese/In&Motion gyros. It's not the most fashionable, but it's definitely protective.

My TechAir5 is looking less safe than it once did, with lacklustre chest protection, but it's one of the few that protects shoulders and neck. I'm still quite happy with it, even if I am at two years and need to have it serviced...

 

[STARSHIP]

Have been using a Helite 2 for the past 3 seasons.

I like the Moto-air Bag tether system but the bag is really bulky. A friend purchased one from GP and then exchanged it for a Helite 2 after his first ride.

Most of my riding friends now have air-bags and one recently survived a crash where a mattress fell of a car on the 401 and he ran over it and survived with a few scrapes.

 

[Relax]

My TechAir5 is looking less safe than it once did, with lacklustre chest protection, but it's one of the few that protects shoulders and neck. I'm still quite happy with it, even if I am at two years and need to have it serviced...

I don't know if that's necessarily true. Just because Alpinestars didn't certify the chest area on the Tech Air 5, doesn't mean it isn't compliant. I've seen helmets designed prior to the latest ECE standard which were able to pass certification without changes. Also, the Tech Air 3 is a lower-end (or at least priced) product designed for urban/commuting, which is does have the chest certification. That said, maybe the extra air saved from not having shoulder bags is redirected to the chest.

For me, I landed on my shoulder in both of my 2 crashes, and broke a collar bone in one of them, so the TechAir 5 was a no-brainer since it's the only one that extends protection to the shoulders.

 

[Street765]

I have the Klim vest. I know everyone likes to hate on it because of the subscription model but even including a lifetime subscription, it's still cheaper than the electronic Helite, plus it can be worn under a jacket. Unlike the Dainese and Alpinestars vests, the Kilm vest also puffs up above your shoulders enough to immobilize your neck, which was important to me. The Klim and Helite are also user serviceable, unlike the other two. So for me, it seemed like the best option at the time, even though F9 crapped on it pretty hard.

Best part is, they give you a referral code that gives you 3 months free for you and whoever uses it. I posted it online in a few places and it has been used the maximum of 12 times now, so I now have 3 years free. Also, if you go the monthly or yearly subscription route, your payments go towards the cost of a lifetime subscription. So I basically got the vest + a lifetime subscription for the cost of just the vest!

There are 3 detection modes you pick from when you subscribe, road, track, and off-road. Whichever one you pick, the other two are only $30/year if you ever decide to use them. I'm planning to use the track mode next summer.

So again, I'm well aware it gets a lot of flak for the subscription thing, but for me it ended up being the most cost effective, while still being user serviceable, able to be worn under my jackets, and very safe from a neck immobilization perspective.

 

[Priller]

I don't know if that's necessarily true. Just because Alpinestars didn't certify the chest area on the Tech Air 5, doesn't mean it isn't compliant. I've seen helmets designed prior to the latest ECE standard which were able to pass certification without changes. Also, the Tech Air 3 is a lower-end (or at least priced) product designed for urban/commuting, which is does have the chest certification. That said, maybe the extra air saved from not having shoulder bags is redirected to the chest.

For me, I landed on my shoulder in both of my 2 crashes, and broke a collar bone in one of them, so the TechAir 5 was a no-brainer since it's the only one that extends protection to the shoulders.

I suspect you nailed with the fact that the argon is limited, so having the shoulders means a sacrifice of the chest area. They certified the back to the highest level, so I don't think they would skip the chest if it would pass. Not the end of the world, as you note, having shoulders protected is definitely a major pro.

I have the Klim vest. I know everyone likes to hate on it because of the subscription model but even including a lifetime subscription, it's still cheaper than the electronic Helite, plus it can be worn under a jacket. Unlike the Dainese and Alpinestars vests, the Kilm vest also puffs up above your shoulders enough to immobilize your neck, which was important to me. The Klim and Helite are also user serviceable, unlike the other two. So for me, it seemed like the best option at the time, even though F9 crapped on it pretty hard.

As usual, F9 sensationalised the crap out of that video, failing to mention the purchase option. The other thing they didn't mention with the In&Motion system is you can swap the box across multiple garments and save a stack of cash, particularly useful if you want a race suit, street outfit, and potentially dirt. I went with the AStars because it seemed to work better under more of my existing gear and I preferred the shoulder protection (it was also more widely available in North America at the time), but it was ultimately a coin flip.

As for the subscription, it also has a benefit if you want to move to something newer sooner. I actually think it's not a bad way to go.

 

[Relax]

I seriously considered the subscription model for In&Motion for the perpetual warranty. The ability to pause the subscription over winter cut the annual cost by about half.

EDIT: Looks like 1/3 since you can only pause for max 4 months.

 

[Brian P]

For this season I got a new set of RST leathers with the In&Motion airbag system. There's a few factors which the article doesn't really address:
- Replaceable CO2 cartridge
- Serviceable at the track (does not need to be sent to Italy or ??? for re-packing or inspection)
- GPS/inertial trigger - no tether. You charge up the control module at home and insert it into the leathers and that's the end of thinking about it until the weekend is done.

All of the built-into-leathers airbag systems prior to this had some major shortcoming related to these, and/or were horrendously expensive.

 

[Baggsy]

My Hit-Air is only mentioned in passing in the article.

 

[Evoex]

For this season I got a new set of RST leathers with the In&Motion airbag system. There's a few factors which the article doesn't really address:
- Replaceable CO2 cartridge
- Serviceable at the track (does not need to be sent to Italy or ??? for re-packing or inspection)
- GPS/inertial trigger - no tether. You charge up the control module at home and insert it into the leathers and that's the end of thinking about it until the weekend is done.

All of the built-into-leathers airbag systems prior to this had some major shortcoming related to these, and/or were horrendously expensive.

Was this an online order or does someone local handle their measurements/ordering?

 

[Brian P]

Was this an online order or does someone local handle their measurements/ordering?

I bought mine through Moto World (aka Paul Attwood)

 

[Priller]

For this season I got a new set of RST leathers with the In&Motion airbag system. There's a few factors which the article doesn't really address:
- Replaceable CO2 cartridge
- Serviceable at the track (does not need to be sent to Italy or ??? for re-packing or inspection)
- GPS/inertial trigger - no tether. You charge up the control module at home and insert it into the leathers and that's the end of thinking about it until the weekend is done.

All of the built-into-leathers airbag systems prior to this had some major shortcoming related to these, and/or were horrendously expensive.

The RST combos are definitely the best bang for buck on the track, though I could say the same for RST in general. Robust gear tested to the highest standards for way less than the typical AStars and Dainese equivalent (they tend to sponsor TT riders rather than MotoGP, too). Unfortunately, their airbag gear tends to be pretty track focused, while the article is very much concerned with road riding.

One drawback that I've seen about the CO2 cartridges is they inflate quite a bit slower than argon. Less of an issue at the track, but could mean a huge difference on the road. The opposite is the case for self-servicing, where track riding is much more likely to see an inflation than road. One item noted in the article is one of the In&Motion bags burst on the 8th inflation, which they said is more than recommended.

One interesting thing they spend a lot of time looking at in the testing is edge impacts vs flat impacts, which is again a big difference between track and street (lots of curbs, signposts, edges of other vehicles, etc.). One thing I hadn't considered is the importance of armour outside the airbag to distribute an edge impact across as much of the airbag as possible. Looking at some of the test results, it makes a massive difference.

My Hit-Air is only mentioned in passing in the article.

Hit-Air is a smaller company that has a bigger than normal presence in Canada, I think, but less so in Europe. I'd be curious how they perform, though, as they seem quite similar to the Helite systems. I'm not personally a fan of the tether systems, but can at least understand why some prefer it.

Was this an online order or does someone local handle their measurements/ordering?

I ordered my RST leathers online from Europe because of a big price difference, but Riders Choice sells RST, as does a company called MotoWorld (Moto World )

 

[POWERMAN]

Hit-Air is a smaller company that has a bigger than normal presence in Canada, I think, but less so in Europe. I'd be curious how they perform, though, as they seem quite similar to the Helite systems. I'm not personally a fan of the tether systems, but can at least understand why some prefer it.

Japanese company, if im not mistaken.
I spoke with them at the motorcycle show @Enercare last year. They were near the Aprilia booth. iirc

 

[Evoex]

I bought mine through Moto World (aka Paul Attwood)

Brian im being told this is a subscription model support. can you confirm?

 

[mbroyda]

i've crash tested the Hit-Air once and quickly switched over to Astar TechAir race, its been a solid system and has less reported issues than the models that came after it.

 

[Brian P]

Brian im being told this is a subscription model support. can you confirm?

Yes. You can either go the subscription route, or buy it out up front. But, I opted for the subscription - because that also maintains the warranty!

The gizmo connects to the internet and updates itself when plugged in; supposedly they update / refine their control logic, although there's no way to tell what is actually happening inside the black box. (Battery-charging light is separate, so it isn't just that)

 

[Evoex]

Yes. You can either go the subscription route, or buy it out up front. But, I opted for the subscription - because that also maintains the warranty!

The gizmo connects to the internet and updates itself when plugged in; supposedly they update / refine their control logic, although there's no way to tell what is actually happening inside the black box. (Battery-charging light is separate, so it isn't just that)

yeah another friend of mine ordered it from europe but its actually region restricted although as per him there's no notice of such on the website. so he got stuck with a unit he could not actually use and zero support. they agreed to accept a return but he would have been out $300 so he's kept it reluctantly.

also he noted the subscription will only end if you return the unit, or perhaps buy it out?

 

[Brian P]

How long ago was this?

The In&Motion system was sold in Europe for a year or two before it came here, and RST retailers here (e.g. Moto World) weren't allowed to sell them. (Legal issues?)

I think they are past this. Call Paul Attwood at Moto World.

 

[cycling]

I have been using the Helite Turtle 2 Airbag Vest.

About 5 years. My one and only from problem is there now way to to clean it.

Tried it with all sorts of cleaners. Nothing worked.

 

[Priller]

Doesn't the In&Motion system use a swappable IMU box? Couldn't you just get a Canadian box and plug it into the Euro garment?

 

[Brian P]

Doesn't the In&Motion system use a swappable IMU box? Couldn't you just get a Canadian box and plug it into the Euro garment?

I don't think there's such a thing as a "Canadian" box or an "EU" box - I suspect the hardware is all the same, and any distinctions are made via your account settings and software (and GPS signal - it knows where it is).

Part of the set-up and registration process for In&Motion, in my case, involved entering a serial number from my RST suit. I tend to suspect the box is tied to the garment and serial number of what you bought it for. I don't know the ins and outs - or particularly, the whys.

I would encourage anyone who bought one of these in Europe during the period of unavailability in Canada, thus geofenced, to get in touch with In&Motion, either directly or via a Canadian retailer, to see what can be done.

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