While neck braces have a long history in motorspots, Dr. Leatt and his company have almost single handedly introduced the concept to two wheeled and offroad sports. The original brace was first sold in 2004 and they’ve been gaining in popularity ever since.
While the company has made small running changes over the years, and a major revision three years ago, the new Five.Five neckbrace is the most drastic update to this life saving device in the companies history.
Hop past the break to learn about the changes to the new Five.Five and some exciting new products
The Five.Five is really a completely redesigned brace. Side by side, one of the most obvious changes is in the padding. The current Leatt the Five.Five is replacing featured washable padding that was optimized for particular disciplines. Mountain bikers received lower profile padding for freer range of movements and motorcyclists had thicker pads to better support the increased weight and diameter of DOT helmets.
The new model features plastic molding rather than fabric padding for easier clean up. Now you can just set it out on the driveway and hose it down with the rest of your gear.
The general width and size of the neck platform remain the same, although the padding on the DBX make it look larger.
One other major revision Leat made on the Five.Five neck brace is the new clasping mechanism. Gone are the big red levers located on each side of the DBX, in their wake is one simple clip.
Overall, the biggest improvement to the new brace is the ease of adjustability. Leatt has made it easier for shops to dial in fit for customers by replacing the hex keyed spacer pins with simple plastic wedges and clips.
For example, if you want to raise the height of the brace, it’s as easy as clipping in a set of spacers to change the height of the brace in relation to your helmet.
The old thoracic strut was adjustable by removing a hex head bolt, the revised system is adjustable four ways using two included dual sided wedges.. We were told the new system helps take adjustment time down from a few minutes to a mere 20 seconds for those with fitment experience.
Also new is the dual chesty plates, which Leatt claims improve overall comfort by allowing independent moving when riding. You can also adjust the height and angle of the plates with either a wedge or spacers. A less adjustable version of this dual chesty design is also currently available on the DBX Comp 4.
For now, the Five.Five will only be available in poly-carbonate. So if you’re looking for the lightest weight option, the DBX Carbon (which is nearly 200 grams lighter) is your best option.
Worried abut Jr? Leatt has also trickled down the tech for the little tikes with the Five.Five JR. The important thing to note is that even though kids helmets are smaller than those for adults, the platform size must remain nearly the same size for optimal safety.
The biggest difference between the two is the difference in the thoracic (back plate) angle, which must be contoured further inward for kids.
The new Fusion 2.0 is the first integrated neck brace and chest protector system of it’s kind. The chest and back protector are both CE1 certified and offer better protection against impacts than your typical roost protector. The shoulder pads are also CE certified and removable for comfort.
As cool as this setup looks, it’s unfortunately only available for kids because it’s not flexible enough for adult riders. The Fusion will be available in two sizes. One for kids between 105-125 cm and another for those between 125-150 cm.
Also in display at the Leatt Booth where two brand new AirFit Protectoin suits. These suits are meant to be worn directly against the skin and incorporate pads into the moisture whicking fabric. The triple density foam used is 30% lighter than the hard plastic foam found in some of their adventure suits, but provides the same high levels of protection. Whether you prefer your suit with or without sleeves, both the front and rear are certified to the highest CE standards.
We’ve reached out to Leatt for information about pricing and availability for all the new products and will update shortly.
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