When we first heard about Dainese’s new Smart Jacket, two thoughts came to mind almost simultaneously: Wow, that’s kind of a misleading name, and Wow, that’s a great idea. The former, of course, stems from the fact that this “smart jacket” isn’t a jacket at all; it’s a vest worn beneath a motorcycle jacket. The latter — and ultimately more valid — thought came about because this subtle vest could save your life someday.
The Smart Jacket airbag vest is a light, flexible riding garment that’s designed to go basically unnoticed during regular riding. Should you wind up going tuchus-over-teakettle — be it a high- or low-side, thumping into a deer, even a rear-end collision when stopped– one or more of the seven integral sensors that are keeping tabs on you 1,000 times every second will realize it and spur the integrated D-Air airbag to inflate. (While those smart sensors do need to be charged to work, the vest is good for 26 hours of riding time before the batteries blink out.)
Once it springs into being, the best delivers the airbag equivalent of CE Level 2 protection to your chest and CE Level 1 for your back. In other words, it’s most of the benefits of having armor in your jacket, with none of the added rigidity or weight. Plus, while the Dainese folks would presumably prefer that you pair it with a nice Super Speed 3 or Street jacket, it’ll work equally well with any riding jacket from any brand.
While we first heard about it half a year ago, Dainese is finally now releasing it into the wild. Walk your fingers over to RevZilla’s website right now, and you can snap up the Smart Jacket for $700. Consider it the perfect holiday gift for the motorcycle rider in your life…even if that’s you.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Dainese Misano D-Air Perforated Jacket ($680)
Alpinestars Tech Air Street Vest ($800)
Dainese Tuono D-Air Perforated Jacket ($1,700)