Motorcycles It has always been dangerous. Fortunately, the latest and greatest safety technologies like ABS, sensitive traction control, rainy day engine modes, and even early warning radar systems make motorcyclists more hedging over time. While it’s impossible to compete with the safety features of conventional cars—the roll cage and seat belts make absolutely no sense for motorcyclists—airbags are an entirely different story. Enter the Dainese smart jacket.
I wasn’t interested in the early days of wearable airbags, which seemed more fuzzy than loud rain gear, and relied on ill-fitting rip cords for activation which wasn’t much help until you’re actually off your bike, but modern airbag systems get my full attention.
I added a Dainese Smart Jacket to my gear closet this season to find out why all the fuss. This is arguably the most convenient, accessible, and modern airbag system on the market today, so if you’re interested in one for yourself, here’s what I’ve learned after wearing it for the past month.
Dainese Smart Jacket setup (or lack thereof)
Your only job is to charge the battery and put on the jacket. There is no app or even an on/off switch. The casing turns on automatically when the top magnetic button is locked. A quick vibration in the box indicates that the Smart Jacket is on and the multi-colored LED turns blue, indicating that it has entered “standby” mode.
This means the jacket is on, but not activated. This is an important distinction, because in standby mode, the jacket cannot unfold accidentally or otherwise. You can play in traffic, roll down a hill, start a brawl in the bar room, or engage in any other standard low-speed activity without deploying an airbag.
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