There still seems to be a bit of a debate between some companies about whether hard or soft body armour is best, but with this new Exo Shell torso protector One Industries have gone full bore and included both styles of protection. The back protector features both a d3o insert, and a more traditional hard shell outer. If this thing doesn’t protect you then I’m not sure anything would.

Here you can see the more conventional side of the back protector, beneath which is hidden the d3o panel. The perforated green EVA foam adds extra protection whilst keeping breathability high.

And here you can see that the top sections of the hard shell back protector can be removed for neck brace compatibility. This looks to be a good bit of kit, and at £119.99 it doesn’t cost a fortune either.

This new lid from One Industries is actually an MX lid, but at just 1355g it’s as light as many MTB offerings whilst offering the kind of protection that’ll hopefully see you through even the nastiest of crashes. Protection raised to the highest level thanks to the inclusion of a MIPS liner, something that we’d like to see included on all helmets. Price wise you’re looking at £249.99 for one of these.

Here you can see the MIPS liner inside the helmet. Basically it’s a layer of very low friction material and it helps to reduce rotational forces on the brain during a crash, and it’s these kinds of forces that are often the most damaging.

These Vapor DH Pants might not look like much on a hanger, but they’re an impressive bit of kit as they are by far the lightest DH trousers I’ve ever seen. The theory is why try and save a load of weight on your bike and then go and weigh yourself down with bulky clothes. These certainly won’t slow you down and yet they also feel like they’ll offer a decent level of protection.