Forcefield Body Armour Action Pro Shorts - Dirt Rider Magazine

REAL RIDER:
SCOTT HOFFMAN
Age: 42
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lb
Ability: Vet Intermediate
Location: Tustin, CA

Forcefield Body Armour

Action Pro Shorts

Safety and protection are elements that should never be overlooked. Dress for the crash not for the ride-isn't that how the saying goes? There is that give and take between comfort and protection, and more often than not, riders don't wear enough protection and it doesn't matter if we are talking off-road, dual sport, supermoto or motocross.There was a time I never wore under-the-pant protection, but after seeing my hip and hindquarters bruised up beyond belief, I learned an ounce of prevention is worth its weight in gold. Padded riding shorts are nothing new, but most of the models on the market have nothing more than a junk piece of thin foam for protection. It looks good on paper and might be better than nothing at all-emphasis on the word "might."Johnson Leather is the distributor of Forcefield Body Armour in the United States. I was interested in the Action Pro shorts. The main feature is the four-layer Armour flex CE-approved protection. This is a very dense rubber/foam material that actually absorbs an impact on the hip and thigh area in the event of a crash. There are different versions of this material, and some call it impact foam. Some of the high-end roadracing suits also feature this type of protection.The main short is made of DuPont Coolmax breathable materials for maximum comfort. The pads are easily removable, and the main short is machine washable to remove any funk from a hard day's ride. Most padded shorts don't even come close to offering the protection like the Action Pro shorts. We wore these shorts under our TLD pants for racing and under Icon jeans on street/dual-sport rides. You may need to run a larger size to make room for the extra protection; my pants had a little extra room so I didn't need to upsize.For over a year I've been running these pads, and unfortunately for me and fortunately for you, they were toughly tested-several times. The durability is pretty solid. I had one stitch come a little loose, and the elastic band stretched a tad after countless trips to the washer.At first I feared the shorts might be too bulky, but after the first ride it was hard to even know you were wearing them. The only adjustment I had to make was in the butt area. The tailbone pad extends down too far, and when riding you can feel the pad under your butt in certain conditions. You can trim the pad down or remove it all together. If you trim the pad, you may have to put a stitch in the pants to keep the pad from riding down in the pad pocket. After several hard landings, including one I don't remember, I can say I would have been in way worse shape if not for the extra protection around my hip and thigh area. Compared to most single-padded shorts, the protection is 10 times better.The shorts retail for $146, and when your ass is on the line, I would pay it any day.

GEAR 90.0
Style 19/20
Comfort 47/50
Function 10/10
Wash/care 10/10
Price 4/10
johnsonleather.com
800.730.7722