purplenurpl - thanks for the info!! I was hoping for a vest in white, but very few seem to have that option. Is your Rodney Powell vest in purple?? Love the color 
I event and have both the Tipp eventer and the Aerowear.
IMO the Tipp is the most comfortable (flexible) and the coolest, but also feels flimsiest. I wear it a lot for young horse trail rides, etc. It’s easy to resize to put under/over something.
I wear the Aerowear for xc, it does feel to me more sturdy and protective. Because it has bulk on the sides (vs the laces on the Tipp) it does have a slight “life jacket” feel that you get past quickly, as long as your sleeves aren’t too short.
OP-- I don’t worry too much about “cool” when I wear my vest. I can build up a sweat on a 30 degree day, and like Purplenurpl, I often look like I’ve run a marathon after I take my vest off after a lesson, as my shirt is soaked. I just think of it as normal now. They aren’t really “hot”, just restrictive and not breathable, hence the sweat build up. My helmet gives me more problems, as it often gives me a headache on hot days, but I’m sure not going without it!
The Hickstead intrigues me, to be sure. I’m afraid it might not be quite big enough for me, as they don’t seem to be in ‘bigger lady’ sizes. Now that I’ve had my Outlyne for a year, I would absolutely buy another. I’ll look at the Hickstead again, as I might be transitioning back into hunters/derbies/medals and while I don’t give a fig for the rail birds and wee chickies who giggle at my vest wearing self, I’d like something a big less noticeable, at least to the judges!
I can’t imagine a white vest–it would quickly be a scungy green smeared, brown stained mess if I wore it. My horse likes to lean his head/mouth on my shoulder when I dismount or if I’m waiting to ride.
[QUOTE=horsechick;8054981]
one of my clients wears an inflatable one ever since she had a bad fall also. As her trainer, I find the inflatable one has less effect on her position-some of the others can feel bulky. Two things to remember though-you must get in a new habit of unclasping before you dismount and when they do inflate they can be fairly loud which is startling. Hers has definitely kept her safer during a couple of falls.[/QUOTE]
As some folks have mentioned, do be aware with the air vests that there have been some questions raised without adequate answers (that I’ve seen, anyway) about how safe they actually are in all scenarios. Anecdotally, they seem to help preventing some bumps and bruises, but my concern with one would always be that if you had a particularly bad fall and the vest DIDN’T go off before you were injured (because you didn’t separate from your horse enough to pull the lanyard and activate it, for example) but then went off after, could it make an injury worse? One of the basics of first aid is that if there’s a suspicion of a spinal injury you really don’t want to move the person, and an air vest going off is definitely going to move you, y’know?
So the air vests are not for me, personally, even the hybrid one that’s the air vest and the traditional vest in one. I’ll stick with traditional bulkiness that isn’t likely to do anything surprising. 
Agree with the poster above. You do not want a white vest! 
My black Racesafe always looks grubby. I give it a good hose off and scrub occasionally, but it’s exposed all the time to sweat, dust, slobber, and horse barn dirt, so it’s a losing battle. That’s part of the reason I got a new one just for shows.
I also agree with the others on how hot it is. I work up a huge sweat wearing it in the summer, but I don’t even notice it till I get off, remove the vest, and notice that my shirt is soaked. It’s part of the whole riding experience to me now. I’m totally used to it and would feel odd without it.
I knew COTHers would come through with good info on this. I am still laid up frm my injury so not ready to buy/try on vests quite yet. Interesting because before I started researching, i was thinking of getting an air vest. Now I’ve decided to go with one of the “traditional” foam vests. For future reference, here is a list I’ve compiled of what I see as the viable choices:
> Tipperary Eventer
> Tipperary Eventer Pro 3015 (the newer version, meets ASTM F1937)
> Tipperary Competitor XP (exceeds ASTM F2681, which is the standard for Jockeys, and is a lighter/less bulky version of the other vest. I think this means it does not meet ASTM F1937, or otherwise it would say it did)
> Airowear Outlyne (BETA 2009 Level 3, EN13158:2009)
> Airowear Hickstead (BETA 2009 level 3)
> Charles Owen JL9 (ASTM F1937)
> Charles Owen Kontakt 5 (BETA 2009 Level 3)
> Intec Flex Rider Crusader (the 1212 and 1213 series meet ASTM F1937)
> Woof Wear Exo Body Protector (BETA 2009 Level 3 and EN13158)
> Kanteq (BETA 2009 Level 3 and EN13158)
> Point Two RaceSafe (BETA 2009 Level 3)
> Point Two P2-RS - a combo of the RaceSafe and an air vest (BETA 2009 Level 3)
> Rodney Powell Elite (BETA 2009 Level 3)
> Rodney Powell Pro Body Armour (BETA 2009 Level 3)
Wow just realized that’s a lot of choices out there.
To those of you pointing out how dirty a white vest would get – thank you I never thought of that. I guess like with helmets, it just becomes part of the riding experience and you get used to being hot and sweaty. Right now I am leaning towards the Kanteq, the Tipperary Pro or Competitor XP, or either of the Airowear vests. I have a slim build, not too many curves to worry about, so maybe one of the smaller vests will provide enough coverage?
I’ll keep everyone posted, this will definitely be a new adventure. Would love to hear more comments, I’ve been writing everything down and keeping track. In summary, there seems to be a general consensus that the CO’s and the Point Two are bulky. Someone said the Rodney Powell was stiff. Most people really like the Tips, the Airowears, and the Kanteq. Haven’t heard anything about either the Intec or the Woof Wear ones.
I am thinking of getting a vest that has an option to add shoulder pads. I’ve identified that the Charles Owen and the Kanteq have them, but I haven’t fully researched this for the other vests. Anyone have any thoughts about the shoulder pads (to help prevent collar bone fractures)?
I didn’t order shoulder pads, but I know the Racesafe has that option. Here’s a link to the UK shop where I got mine. I’m small like you, and this place had an extra-small, extra-short option that I took advantage of. They also have a zillion color options, but I’m boring and ordered plain black.
Look closely at the Tipperary Competitor vs. the Tipperary Eventer. The Competitor has elastic straps that go over the shoulders. The Eventer has continued padding that goes over the shoulders. If you are worried about your collar bones, the Eventer provides more protection.
I have the Tipperary Eventer and I absolutely LOVE it. I don’t even notice I’m wearing it. I don’t normally ride in it, but I put it on for my mare’s first ride back after 3 months of stall rest. I had it under my coat and I totally forgot about it - almost drove home with it on!
And it comes in PINK!!!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t31.0-8/10562571_10152671636759402_4490422663411566777_o.jpg
Do try the Eventer on–I found it restricted my shoulder/arm movement…the fit was just weird, cut too high up under the armpit. Maybe it was just me, but we measured and I tried it on in the tack shop but I had a hell of a time reaching forward in the “release” position for jumping.
My Rodney Powell was a monster of a thing-heavy, stiff and but when I came off in it (horse tripped after the oxer in a line, and we parted company) it was very protective. I did order the shoulder pads, but ended up rarely using them.
I forget I have my Outlyne on sometimes. Once it warms up, with your body heat, it becomes quite flexible. Cold mornings are tough, it is hard to zip!
If you order from Smartpak, they have free shipping both ways–a real advantage if your vest doesn’t fit well!
This is a topic I researched before I bought my vest. Some brands are not even certified like some models of the Tipperary brand. I went with the Airowear as well. It is certified by the UK as well as the US & the UK is much more stringent with their certifications I read. It is rated level 3 which is the highest level I think the UK has. the Tipperary has pockets & within the seams there is no protection where the Airowear is solid foam. Hope that helps.
Air Vest Experience
After sustaining a serious fall several years ago during which I sustained a broken collarbone, shoulder and ribs I decided that I would, as an older rider in my 60’s, try an air vest. I have not regretted my decision. I have incurred three falls while wearing my Hit Air Advantage model, and fortunately the worst injury I have suffered as been some barely broken ribs that only required a few weeks out of the saddle.
I like the Hit Air rather than the Point Two for the following reason. I often forget to unhook before dismounting. The Hit Air does not inflate in that instance as it needs quite a bit of pressure on the bungee cord before it goes off. The Point Two would, thus wasting a cartridge.
I do not wear another vest underneath due to the fact that I would get overheated. Perhaps if I did I would not have injured my ribs recently. I do however, wear two pair of shoulder pads to hopefully prevent another collarbone fracture whenever I am going to jump. They are made by a company called Body Armour and are available at Harley Davidson stores. They are quite unobtrusive and fit nicely under my Essex show shirts and hunt coats. They are far more protective than those sold by the equestrian vest companies and are only $25/pair.
I have gotten into the habit of wearing the Hit Air vest each and every time I mount my horse. Many of the judges at the A and AA shows I attend compliment me on my decision.
