Shred 2nd Skin Back Protector Lite Vest Zip

The Shred 2nd Skin Back Protector Lite Vest Zip is a certified back protector built into a super-stretch nylon vest, made for skiers and riders who want spine protection they'll actually keep wearing. It's EN 1621-2 Level 1 full back certified, the motorbike standard, and Shred tested it at -10°C so it stays pliable when it's cold out instead of turning into a board. The protection comes from Slytech 2nd Skin foam laid out in a HexaFlow 3D hexagonal structure, so it bends with your back and spreads impact energy across a wide area. You pull it on like a vest, zip the YKK front, then snug the two Velcro side tabs. Shred says this Lite generation is 30 percent thinner and 35 percent lighter than the previous one. Ours comes in black, in Small, Medium and Large. You'll find it with the rest of our Shred Optics goggles and Slytech protection.

What Sets It Apart

Most people who buy a back protector buy one and then leave it in the gear bag. The reason is usually bulk. This one's thin and perforated, and the hex grid flexes in every direction instead of hinging on a few stiff plates, so you're not fighting it when you crouch into a tuck or reach back for a pole plant.

The vest format matters more than it sounds. A zip front means you can get it on over a base layer without wrestling it over your head, and the Velcro side adjustment pulls the pad tight to your spine so it doesn't shift when you're moving. A protector that slides around is a protector that isn't over the right vertebrae when you need it. The engineered perforations also do real work on a warm spring day, because an unventilated slab of foam under a shell gets swampy fast.

Honest limitation: this is the Lite, Level 1 certified. Racers and anyone who wants the highest protection rating Shred makes should look at the HD version of the same vest instead.

Compatibility

It's a layer, so it goes over your base layer and under your mid-layer or jacket. Keep in mind it does add a thin amount of bulk through the torso, and if your shell is already a trim race-cut fit, you may want to try the combination on. Bring your jacket in and we'll have you zip up over it.

Sizing runs Small through Large here, and Shred sizes these off a tape measure rather than your usual shirt size. The pad needs to cover from the base of your neck down past your lower back, so torso length drives the choice more than chest width does. If you're between sizes, the Velcro side tabs give you some room to dial it in. Try it on at any of our three locations and we'll check the coverage while you're standing and while you're bent forward, since that's the position it has to work in.

Why Willi's

We've been fitting Pittsburgh skiers and riders since 1970, and protection is one of those things we'd rather you try on in person than guess at online. Stop into South Hills, North Hills, or our shop at Seven Springs and we'll size it with you. We also carry ski and snowboard helmets if you're putting a full setup together.

Features

• Material: SLYTECH® 2ND SKIN™ proprietary intelligent foam
• Construction: SLYTECH® HexaFlow™ 3D structure
• Vest: Super-stretch nylon
• Closure: YKK® front zipper + dual Velcro side adjustment
• Certification: EN 1621-2 Level 1 FB (motorbike full back protectors)
• Tested at -10 °C
• Fit: Super-stretch nylon vest with front zip and Precision Fit, velcro side adjustments for secure, custom comfort. Feels like a second skin.
• HEXAFLOW™: Three dimensional hexagonal grid for natural movement and broad energy distribution
• Ventilation: Engineered perforations for high ventilation
• 30% thinner and 35% lighter than the previous generation
• In the box: 1 SHRED. 2ND SKIN Back Protector Lite Vest Zip, minimal product packaging
• Weight: Not published

Size and Fit