Alpinestars Nucleon Flex Pro Protection Vest - Transparent Smoke / Red / Black

Good: Very comfortable to wear, lots of venting. Under a jacket does not add much bulk. Has CE level 2 chest protection which is hard to find in a strap on armour.

Bad: the CE rating of the back protector is level 2, but if you look at the label it is CB which means central back. The red component is the level 2 back protector but the grey cage around it is likely a level 1 protector (I suspect this from the old alpine stars nucleon cell protector which it looks like). When I bought this I thought the excellent back coverage this provides is entirely level 2. In saying that however, the central back component does cover a good range of the spine, and being a strap on it will stay in place if you come off the bike. So likely is more protective than a jacket inserted protector which has more coverage, but may move around in a fall.

The compromise I guess to the lesser back coverage of this device is that it is very ventilated and the whole protection vest is very comfortable to wear.

I thought it would be a chore to put this on with my jacket every day, but you get used to it.

Arrived on time and product is a great fit. Needed bk and chest protector to use under various leathers. This is great!

Being SportsbikeShop I had the opportunity to try on every competing back protector. This vest was the most comfortable of the lot, and when worn under my aStars jacket (taking the existing armour out) it actually gave a little more room and is extremely comfortable.

Having suffered reverently with a bad back the built in kidney belt is a godsend! I usually buy Large but the XL was a better fit (even though the L would of done).

The only negative is you can't machine wash, but because of the string vest style construction you don't really need to a blast with Fabreeze would do the job.

I was positively impressed by how easy it is to wear and how it feels when worn as in the past some of these back protectors felt a bit awkward but being a vest I think it makes it easier to wear and more comfortable. Obviously I won't know how good it is up until I need it but alpinestars as a brand haven't let me down yet so I have faith :)