Bluegrass, the MTB protection side of MET, unveils three new lightweight chest & back protectors, and one is my new all-around favorite. First, there are two new Arto protector baselayers – the 3/4 sleeve Arto Armour with chest, back, shoulder & elbow coverage; and the Arto Vest with simpler chest & back coverage. But the all-new mesh Venture Vest is the one that’s my new go-to for all-mountain, enduro, and even casual bikepark protection.
3 new Bluegrass chest and back protectors for trail riding to downhill racing
Each of the three new Bluegrass protectors looks like a solid option for mountain bikers seeking top-level chest & back protection, while maintaining a comfortable fit and unrestricted movement. All three feature flexible, viscoelastic (hardens when impacted) SAS-TEC protection inserts, with perforated face fabrics for adequate airflow and separate trefoil padding facing your body that allows for unrestricted movement. They all feature Level 2 Type B back protectors and Level 1 Type B chest protection.
Arto Armour & Arto Vest MTB chest and back protectors
The new Arto Armour & Vest are essentially refined versions of their baselayer protectors, offering two extents of protection depending on how hard you ride. Both are close-fitting, so wear them under a jersey. They each get an asymmetric off-center zip to make them easy to get on and off, an adjustable wrap-around chest strap with a quick-release buckle to keep the protectors in place as you pedal, and a small rear zip pocket outside of the protector for essentials storage.
The simpler 230€ Arto Vest is just a simple mesh vest, with chest & back protectors that can be removed for washing. Pick this for all-day pedaling rides – trail to enduro or eMTBing.
The more complex 300€ Arto Armour has the same body, chest & back protectors, but adds flexible protection at the shoulders and elbows in stretchy mesh 3/4-length sleeves. This one is better suited for long days in the bikepark, DH racing, or back-to-back shuttle runs.
Both are available now from MET/Bluegrass in 4 unisex sizes (S-XL).
Bluegrass Venture Vest chest and back protector with snack & hydration storage
This one is all-new, but also quite simple in concept. Much like the Art Vest, it’s just a combined chest and back protector in a sleeveless mesh vest. But Bluegrass designed this one to go over your jersey (or over or under a shell) and combines everyday ride storage, too. Essentially, Bluegrass saw how many riders were wearing separate back protectors and backpacks – or baselayer protectors and gravel/running hydration vests together. So they decided to combine the two into one.
The result is a well-vented, adjustable hydration vest with high-level certified protection inside, and lots of smart storage outside of the protectors so they won’t interfere when you crash.
The 250€ Bluegrass Venture Vest is available now in 3 sizes (S-L). It features elastic cord side adjustment that adapts well to many body shapes and sizes, or even to varying layers of clothing underneath.
There are two deep mesh chest pockets (like many hydration vests) with a single secure zippered chest pocket to keep a wallet or keys safe. Out back, there’s a bigger thin zipped mesh pocket at the base of the protector, and a big pass-through stuff pocket where you can push a jacket in, open to both sides. Lastly, there’s a loop to hang a max 1.5L hydration bladder (not included) inside the pouch that holds the back protector, and routing over either shoulder for your hydration hose.
Review: Bluegrass Venture Vest protection for every ride
I don’t want to shortchange the Arto protectors, because they seem pretty great for anyone looking to add all-day protection in a next-to-skin baselayer type solution. But, that’s generally not my vibe. I run hot, sweat tons, and prefer the ability to pop a back protector off – or at least loosen it for more airflow on the uphills. So, strapping on a vest sounded like a much better for me personally. And it turns out, I was right.
The Bluegrass Venture Vest is excellent. It is secure, comfortable, and offers adjustable levels of protection and hauling capacity that I can adapt for every ride. It’s essentially a lightweight hydration vest – like those Jeremy & I surveyed, mostly for gravel riding – but here, Bluegrass adds top-tier flexible chest & back protectors on top of the snack, hydration & spare clothes storage.
Did I mention that it’s my favorite back protector now?
Riding protected, with snacks & cool water
Of course, I like that it fits well, carries snacks, doesn’t move around while riding, and protects me for sure. But what really sold it for me was how it easily kept my hydration bladder secure on the outside of my back protector.
I pretty much had abandoned the Camelbak-style backpack about a decade ago, because I got fed up with a bunch of hot water sitting against my back, blocking any hope at airflow or evaporation, on a day I was already super hot and sweaty. And sucking down tepid water at the same elevated temperature as my overheated body simply wasn’t very refreshing.
But since the articulated Bluegrass SAS-TEC protector against my back allows for a bit of airflow, some heat can escape out the back & sides. And the protector itself acts as an insulator, so my body heat does not significantly heat up the water in the hydration bladder. So far, on warm spring and early summer rides, I can actually refresh myself by drinking cool water off my back. A proper game-changer for this hot & sweaty guy!
Low-profile over your jersey, and under or over a shell
It is still quite low-profile when you are just carrying the essentials, so I have no problem wearing it under a jacket or rain suit for super wet or muddy riding. But I can still pop it over a rain shell, too, thanks to the easy elastic cord adjustment.
When I pack 1.5L of water, all day’s worth of snacks, a mini electric inflator, and a rain/wind shell it does get a bit bulkier. But since it’s easy to adjust the fit, I just throw it over a jacket if the vest is super loaded down.
The only real downside is that the waterproof-style side zips are a little tough to manage. But frankly, that also means the zips don’t move unexpectedly, and are easy enough to operate with practice. Plus in the end, I only detach one to take the vest on & off, so it’s really a non-issue in practice.
Light, breathable, and adaptable – from trail to enduro
My size L Bluegrass Venture Vest weighs 855g with both protector inserts inside. But I’ve also seen that for really hot weather on less demanding trail riding, I can drop that down to just 640g by removing the 215g chest protector for extra ventilation without sacrificing back protection or vest stability.
Overall, the Venture Vest does a good job of not overheating me too much, while offering a lot of protection. And the fact that I can strap 1.5L of cool water on the back easily offsets the extra sweating that comes from wearing any back protector. I used to only wear any chest & back protection when I was heading to the bikepark, racing enduro, or when I planned to ride out gnarliest all-mountain trails.
But that last bit is pretty subjective. I had an unexpected crash last summer on a trail ride that wasn’t so extreme, but ended up breaking my helmet and give me a few scrapes. I wasn’t wearing any chest/back protection then. But when I ride those same rocky trails now, it’s a no-brainer to wear this Bluegrass Venture Vest, and get to carry more snacks and cool water, too.
