Anyone have any recommendations for a rib vest with back protection? I’ve read enough rib vest recommendations to see that Bengio is the go-to on here. That said, in looking at what’s on offer unless you jump up to the AB7 ($500) then there isn’t much in the way of back protection. It looks like the K1 and Alpinestars Bionic have back protection, but I haven’t seen a lot of love for those?
I did a private race at a K1 last month and after 2 practices, a qualifying, and a race my ribs were a bit sore but I had a noticeable bruise on my spine and that was what really bothered me. I broke my back (T9-T11 and L1) so I’m really cautious with my back these days.
I use a Bengio for my ribs and then rock one of these surgical gel pads taped to the back of my seat to save my spine from all the weight bolts I have.
I’ve tried a zillion types of padding and for me this has always been the kind that cushions the best. I have been using the same pad for years across a bunch of seats, whereas foam or something usually gets tore up after a while.
I’m not sure what K1 karts and seats are like but most kart seats do have a spine depression that might help, plus the Bengio has a cushioned back pad too.