Chris Blais wore the original prototype Leatt neck brace. He now sits in a wheel chair from an upper spinal injury. After his accident, Leatt made the neck brace break-away, but still claimed "no way my product caused his injury". A second friend of mine landed on his neck brace, same exact injury as Chris's, same place on his spine, different colored wheel chair. They can claim "superstition" or a rumor all they want, I will not put my head in any brace that pushes directly on my spine, no way.
I wear the Atlas. I like it because it does'nt put the preasure directly on my spine. Super comfortable, and easy on and off.
I wear an old style Leatt now. I'll upgrade to a brace that doesn't pressure the spine when the time comes. Thats IMO and based soley on my highIQ and 0 data but the rumours just make sense. I've tried a neck roll and it just didn't feel like it restricted movement enough to give good protection.
If you're looking for something sort of between a traditional soft neck roll and a Leatt, check out the EVS R4. http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/evs-r4-race-collar-neck-support I wear one, and have been satisfied. The only issue is it doesn't work with a jacket, and you need to wear the included strap to keep it in place. I won't pretend to know about the pros and cons of the various designs. I am not a doctor, and I think claiming to understand the nuances of these devices is dangerous.
I like the EVS neck brace and I wear their carbon fiber knee braces too. I wear Leatt equip (not neck braces). The Atlas has improved load by adding padding all the way around it. I like the regular horse collar and most of the 39 years I have been riding, I haven't worn anything.
I've found some old but interesting videos about those braces: They show the research carried out to design the products. I've searched for pictures of professional MX and SM riders to find out whether they tend to wear those braces. Apparently, until some years ago some of them wore the braces, but nowadays they don't anymore. On the other hand, I remember that years ago some people on a froum pointed out that when the shirts of MX professionals were lifted by the air flow which occurs while riding, you were able to see the skin of the backs of the riders, because they were not wearing protections. Supposedly, the reason was that without PPEs the racers were a little faster because the PPEs hindered their movements.
Anyone have any experience with the leatt fusion 3.0? Looks like a good unit but I have never used any of it. Definately looking in to it though considering more than just myself relying on me nowadays.
Tried it on in a shop. Bulky, restrictive IMO, and seems like it will be hot in summer. Also shoulder cups seem wierd like they sit too low and are not substantial. $400 too. After this, I tried on an Atlas, and promply ordered a new Atlas Air. This was a year ago. I love the Atlas, its so easy to use and you don't know its there until you crash and it stops your helmet from over extending, happened twice. It fits great with a Fox Roost CP, in fact I have it semi-permanently mounted with orings zip tied to the shoulder cups that fit in the strap clips of Atlas. I'm sure it will fit with most generic CPs. Easy on/off, no latches or other BS like a Leatt. This is a great setup and I'm totally pleased.
I couldn't find a shop that carried them near me which is weird since they are here in my area. I went to the Leatt warehouse after contacting them to try one on and it fit me well. I was able to try both the XL and XXL and found the bigger one fit better all around. I also wore a helmet to test range of motion and it was good for me. I pulled the trigger and ordered one this week. There's only one way to see if anything really works, and that's when you're riding. Don't think it will be delivered in time for this weekend, but I'll share my experience here once I've had a chance to ride with it.
