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Post by cadeby on Apr 5, 2014 6:58:48 GMT -1
What make do you have/recommend please?
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Post by harveydales on Apr 5, 2014 7:35:33 GMT -1
Excellent thread. I have the Point 2 air jacket. When I bought it 3 or 4 years ago it was the only make available but there is now the Hit Air too and perhaps others I don't know about.
I wouldn't ride without my Point 2 now. I find it very comfortable, no different to wearing a loose jacket. It has only gone off with me once and that was when Harvey slipped and came down on the road. It was like falling onto a comfy mattress and I wasn't aware it had gone off at all until I stood up and felt like a Michelin man! It is important to get them correctly fitted when you buy one though. They blow up inwards so you feel compressed when they go off but not uncomfortably so. I was worried the bang they make when they go off would panic Harvey and he might shoot off, but in the event neither of us was aware of the bang. Another time I was hacking with a friend and her horse came down. The jacket definitely saved her from injury and the bang didn't bother either of our ponies.
The Hit Air is a bit less pricy and I think it blows up outwards but I might be wrong.
I suspect both are equally good in an accident. I have the medium which fits me perfectly but I have a female friend who is taller but the same build as me and the point 2 didn't go down far enough behind in the medium and the large swamped her. She went for the Hit Air in the end as it is the better fit for her.
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Post by Fi on Apr 5, 2014 17:35:12 GMT -1
how odd, just had this discussion at the yard the other day too! I've been wondering about getting one. I believe the Hit Air does blow up outwards as you say.
Looking forward to other opinions.
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Apr 6, 2014 14:06:23 GMT -1
Oh what a timely thread, I look forward to all the opinions as I am definately going to be buying one and will get it properly fitted
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Apr 13, 2014 16:36:53 GMT -1
There is a buyers guide in this months Your Horse magazine, only 3 reviewed,don't know how many there are on the market though.
The 3 makes are point 2 £398 with 2 cylinders, hit air £395 no mention of cylinders and Air shell comes in a soft shell jacket £475 with 2 cylinders or a soft shell gillet £455 with 2 cylinders, these are interchangable but no mention of cost of just gillet/jacket so you've got choice of outer.
These soft shell jackets look smart but might be too hot in summer or too not warm enough in winter.
The write ups weren't terribly helpful with no recomendations just repeating of manufacturers blurb I think.
Pam, when your jacket inflated in the middle of a ride, does it go down again so you can continue to ride or does it stay inflated?
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Post by harveydales on Apr 13, 2014 19:33:47 GMT -1
Pam, when your jacket inflated in the middle of a ride, does it go down again so you can continue to ride or does it stay inflated? Yes it goes down within a few seconds so you don't feel like a Michelin man for long! So, yes, you can continue your ride but with out the reassurance of the air vest to save you a second time unless you have brought a spare canister along! |
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Post by cadeby on Apr 14, 2014 10:40:11 GMT -1
I think you might be the only Dalesfan with an air jacket Pam  I'm leaning towards the Point Two ProAir in black, for no other reason than it seems to be the best value at £398 with extra cylinders included, plus they offer 0% APR payment terms which is useful as I don't have a spare £400 hidden under the mattress  www.point-two.co.uk/images/StandingOrder2013ALLJACKETS.pdfNow I'm worried about sizing, because I do feel it's something that should be correctly fitted rather than risk buying online without trying, but being in France I may just have to take a risk. At least they have clear chest, waist and length measurements on their site |
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Post by carolinec on Apr 14, 2014 13:29:09 GMT -1
Sorry for the late reply; I'm in temporary accommodation and only have Wi Fi at work.
I have the hit-air jacket and I'm very happy with it. The hit-air explodes outwards and I didn't want a jacket that imploded against my body (I just didn't fancy the idea). It's a size Small which is quite surprising as I'm a size 14 and fits quite snugly although doesn't restrict me. Admittedly I haven't needed to use it yet but it gives me a bit more confidence.
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Post by cutemangurdi1 on Apr 18, 2014 20:52:30 GMT -1
Mine is the Hit Air. Not sure of size as I'm away at the moment. I have used it for ages so I'd need to check. I went for that make as I'm asthmatic and felt more comfortable with one inflating out wards, but both jackets are very good.
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Post by heathera on Apr 19, 2014 6:15:48 GMT -1
I hadn't realised the difference between the two main makes in that one belated outwards and the other n flats inwards. Thanks for posting about them. I don't ave one at the moment as I have to hop on and off around 6-8 times every hack and I just know I'd not remember to unclip each time but I think I'll be investing in one in the future when I'm, hopefully, doing more.
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Apr 20, 2014 10:28:25 GMT -1
I would like to find somewhere that sells both makes so I can try both when I am fit enough to buy one, and make my mind up, we have quite a few places selling them within 30 mile radius of us, but they all seem to sell either the point 2 or the hit air, can't find anywhere that sells both.
The best I can do is 2 separate retailers in the same town, Newmarket, which is about 25 miles away, one sells point 2 and the other sells hit air so I could try one then go on to the other a few miles away and see which one I prefer.
At the moment I'm favouring the hit air as I think I prefer the idea of the jacket inflating outwards rather than inwards, but I think it will be a few weeks yet before the ribs will be comfortable enough to try any on.
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Post by harveydales on Apr 20, 2014 15:14:47 GMT -1
What about one of the local shows? I think both were at Bramham last year. You could ring them both to find out where they are planning to have stalls and go from there...
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Post by cutemangurdi1 on Apr 20, 2014 18:39:32 GMT -1
Good idea Pam. Both were available at Burghley last year
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Post by cadeby on Apr 21, 2014 16:39:22 GMT -1
...I just know I'd not remember to unclip each time I can guarantee that will be me too Heather  I could do with the lanyard being in fluorescent orange with flashing lights and vibrating!!! |
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Apr 22, 2014 7:17:24 GMT -1
My friend has a hit air jacket and I was picking her brains when she came to visit me yesterday and she has forgotten to unclip hers several times and apparently as long as you get off slowly/gently rather than leap off and move away from the horse quickly then jacket does not go off, she has a 15hh standard bred so a 14hh -15hh Dales should also be OK. The woman in the shop where she bought hers reckons you can dismount carefully from anything under about 16hh without it going off. I few years ago I hacked out with someone wearing an air jacket for the first time and she set it off when she got off and forgot to unclip but her horse was a whopping 17.2hh, however the bang was not very loud just like a pop really and neither her horse or my Briallen were spooked by it, Briallen had only been backed a few weeks at the time and it was one of her first hacks but she just pricked her ears and looked alert as if trying to decide where the noise had come from.
My friend also said she came off a few weeks ago when her horse spooked at a walker popping through the hedge and the jacket inflated immediately and she had a soft landing, she doesn't remember the noise of it going off but she said she saw her horse stop and turn to look at her and was able to get up and catch him whereas previously when she'd fallen off he'd b***ered off and left her, she wondered whether it was the sound of it going off which stopped him in his tracks. She did find that the jacket didn't deflate and she led him home, I have heard if you unscrew the cylinder it deflates immediately though
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I could do with the lanyard being in fluorescent orange with flashing lights and vibrating!!!