Bliss ARG Vertical LD Day Top - Review

 And that ladies and gentleman, is how you create value for your sponsors.

 If Reece Wallace trusts it and it's comfortable... I'm going to buy myself a christmas gift

 Come on guys...did ever think about that riders also have a choice what they want to ride or by whom they want to be sponsored? It is not like..."f*ck I need to get a protection sponsor and I am accepting any offer I get"...
It is pretty much like a Job. If the job does not fit you, you not gonna take it. Same for protection gear or any other bike-related product. If you as a pro rider do not like the product you not gonna ride it. I guess there are some exceptions (dont have a proper example here) but in such an individual and important matter like protection gear you definitely make sure that the product/sponsor fits your needs.

 @MaxDeutsch I saw the article at the top of the news feed, noticed I wear the same one, and thought I would make a comment because Bliss is a rad company who supports freeride and I'm proud to work with them. Nothing more, nothing less.

 stop trying @MaxDeutsch

 Why are people negproping @stacykohut ? I guess he should know a thing or two about spine protectors

 It's pretty irrelevant whether or not @reecewallace is sponsored by them or not (which he is as their logo is on his jersey). You buy your bikes and components based on "it survived Rampage", so how is this any different? If you are a company that has built a product to protect from the biggest crashes, you have to pay a Rampage or WC rider to wear one to prove it (and from the videos it certainly looks like he was wearing one). That's how the business works. No one would be saying shit and everyone would have bought one if Reece had went OTB and landed on his back and got right up and did another run (he did land on his butt pretty hard, it looks like, so this may have saved his tailbone). But the fact he trusts this product enough to wear it at Rampage is all he is telling you. Paul Aston, who got his for free I'm sure, said its the protection he wears now too, so you now have this information, take it or leave it as you may.

 You were turned on by your dad?

 Wow...who the f*ck is stacykohut anyway?

 No, seriously..

 The dude who rides whistler on his buggy/4 wheel dh bike/whatever that is

 Oh

 @uphilarious......

sorry ya don't get it. not my fault.

 I'm pretty sure that's exactly what you wrote, not my fault.

 I love the MTB community.......entitled,opinionated, narcissistic, immature, and just plain full of shite!!! thanks for the giggles in the morning and a reminder of how nerdy this sport is......LOLOLOLOLOLOL

 @Bird-Man

I'd have to agree, but it's not just mountain bikers it's everywhere on the internet. And no offense @GetREkTm8, but if you just didn't respond to @stacykohut then either the argument would just stop or Stacy would refresh the page over and over again until he explodes

 How about both of you for arguing like 12 year olds on the internet?

 Do you have a preferred option that you would care to share with the class?

 @yokev, you're right that there's full pressure tops for that price, it's a matter of what you want to ride in.
I was looking for something I wouldn't notice while riding. After my first ride in a Bliss top I ditched my old pressure suit (with zip off spine protector) that I'd been using for 2 years.
I no longer notice my protection & can ride more smoothly, comfortably and ultimately have even more fun with the added confidence.

 I'm a big believer that less is more, that the less-protective armor that you actually wear regularly is safer than the fuller-coverage armor you don't. So I like the concept of this. But it looks to like this leaves the top and bottom of the spine unprotected for no good reason.

 @Phillyenduro I just checked out their website. The Comp model has protection that goes a bit lower, tailbone. Loses the pockets, but I would be wearing this under some other shirt, so for me, the pockets offer no value anyway. If you like the concept, you might want to check out their other offerings.

 I am all for protective gear, the more the better. The key for me is "fit". I try as many brands and models as I can get my hands on. I'll even make modifications to the gear to make it fit & feel better. Cost is an entirely different topic, but the cost of gear is always less than the cost of Ambulance, Emergency Medial Treatment or Hospitalization...So "gear-up my friends".

 so is there any kind of protection you can get for your spine, lower than your neck? except of not biking...

 So basicsally none of the backprotectors in the market Are helping to Prevent fractures, Right?

 As far as I know, the only protection with any kind of evidence are the neck braces (Leatt, etc.). The only type of fractures these back protectors theoretically might help with in the spine are transverse process fractures (think Brazil's Neymar in the World Cup). Transverse process fracture has essentially zero chance of spinal cord injury.

 Shit'll catch on fire and take your washing machine with it too.

 It's to do with the fabrics. Same with any jersey or armour vest out there, the stitching is the weak point and may start to drop a thread. The ARG Armourgel is waterproof, so thats fine. I've been using and washing my kit regularly for a year with no issues.

 I did ride my arg-gear the whole season and washed it after every bikepark ride. So should be about 30 full washing cycles. It's still in perfect condition.

 wash on cold handwash and don't dry. Same goes for the rest of your technical gear and it will last for years pending serious crash damage.

 Even if it falls apart after 50 washes, that's still 49 more than I got out of a POC vpd suit before the seams fell apart.

 Same as for all protection. A bucket and some bleach, add water to top, agitate with stick for a couple of minutes, let sit for a couple of hours, wring out and hang to dry. Some use Woolite instead of bleach so it doesn't fade the colors, but you will need to use a lot more of it.

 Just checked the table on the article, it is CE 1621-2 , so it is quite interesting!

 a simple click on the link could have answered your question: "CE EN-1621-2:2014 CB certified" - from the bliss site

 Hey,

I'm riding the same model, just without the chest protector. The first rides it didn't give me much confidence, but after some time I love it. You almost dont feel it, and the elbows stay in place all the time. I've always hated all these protection jacket/vest things. Bought them, wore them 2-3 times and never again, but i'd never want to miss one of these. I ride Bikepark/DH and enduro/trail with one and the same thing (Y)

 Thanks for the heads up. I think Ill look into one for this summer in the park. They are almost impossible to find here though and Id like to try one on.

 Hey! Like dude415, i have the same, just without the chest protector and is just perfect, it stays in place and you easily forget, that you are wearing it. Just be sure that you buy the right size, i ordered from the internet and checked directly with guys from bliss via their facebook page and they helped me out with the sizing!

 Thanks @Kanta. Did you notice the sizing to be pretty true? Im an XL in most uppers, t shirts, Troy Lee etc. Did it fit close to your shirt size?

 Hey @snowsnow

my sizing did fit quite perfect, I have to wear xxl, and the size chart was pretty on point. the only thing: it's a little long, as I am only 5.9ft

 Hey @snowsnow , i usualy wear an L, and ended buying an L size, but it might differ for you. I am quite skinny, and could also go for an M depending on the size charts, and an M size was also the recomendations from bliss, since the vest needs to be a snugg fit, and because it uses a zipper up front it is realy no problem getting it of. I bought an L because in the end i found somewhone who was seluing it and got to try it in person, it is a little loose around my vaist, but it doesnt bother me and it does not affect the movement of the pads. Hope i helped you

 Thanks again everyone

 Borke three ribs 2years ago right next to my spine on my left hand side. $150 is NOTHING pampered to what I had to go through...

 Speak from some experience here... Broke c5/c6 in the neck and t12 on the back previously and I recently looped out in a manual and had a real crack at my spine again. 2 weeks in - the pain is severe - and I'd pay 10X this amount to go back in time and be wearing this protection. Sometimes light is good as I''m more likely to wear it during session than say my pressure suit. Back to price - one crash has resulted in $100,000 medical costs so having the right protection when you need it is smart money

 100K! Thanks Obama!

 Ha... Re: Obama. That was before ACA. In fairness it included: reattaching my lower lip, screws to put my jaw back in place, removing said screws, even more plastic surgery for facial fractures / nose and treat complications, 4 months of spine work complete w/ an unfortunate amount of time in a collar, replacing my front teeth and rehab.... Plenty-o-rehab. Want to know how fun it is to drink your food for months on end? Just ask.

A bit out of the scope for what this protector was capable of helping with but it does show how something can go horribly wrong and cost $$. A FF would have been nice tho.

 I´m using the top with a leatt brace and I´m happy with it.

 How heavy does the pad feel? I'm only asking because, I had the leatte protection to work with my leatte brace and, while the interaction was great the actuall pad felt to heavy. Like a plank of wood strapped to my back
I'm looking at this, race Face or a troy Lee vest
Thanks for your opinion bud!

 @nojzilla it´s not too heavy at all. For sure it adds a couple more grams but I´m ok with it. They use a flexible material which I really appreciate. For this reason it doesn't feel like a plank to me. The surface of the pad is pretty minimalistic. It´s good for trail riding but when things getting serious I rather prefer another product out of their product range named comp top. Also works brilliant with a brace to me.

 Cheers! Yeah the leatte had very little flex

 @nojzilla I'm a quite big guy, so I don't have much space under my Neckbrace. because the arg-gear is super thin it worked out perfectly well in use with a neckbrace. I also hat several crashes on roots and rocks and walked away easily. To be honest: at first I didn't think this gear is thick or strong enough for riding DH and I didn't feel that confident, but in fact it works awesome. Everything stays in place (and it does cool you a lot)

because of its fabric it gets wet quite fast but you don't feel that at all. Only if you take it off and then back on. Mine did also not wear out it still has the same shape after many washing and biking cycles

best thing: it's super flexible, and it feels almost just like a shirt

 Cheers for the opinions guys, I'll have to give this a try

 Hey @ovadebarz, are you running this one?
www.blisscamp.com/en/bliss-arg-comp-ld-top-black/a-21539
I have used this Troy Lee shirt the last couple of years, www.troyleedesigns.com/products/51000320
It has saved me on numerous occasions but is hot and rides up quite a bit. Thinking of trying the Bliss Comp Top.
You like it I am getting from your comment?

 These are the same standards as motorbike and Forcefield (for example) who supply armour to a lot of British Super Bike and Moto GP riders use soft armour. A hardshell won't prevent your back from breaking. A soft armour absorbs the impact, reducing and spreading the load, whereas a hardshell transfers the majority of the energy to you. A hardshell can be useful for sliding.

 Spot on. This would save you from some soft tissue damage but that's about it. I'm not sure it's feasible to produce something that actually would protect your spine but would still be ok for riding in.

 Check Manon Carpenter's Fort William crash from this season, along with Recce Wallace from Rampage. They do protect your spine.

 Does a hard shell prevent the spine from bending backwards so that it does not break? I'm just visualizing a neck being jolted back and snapping if there is no headrest in a car. I just thought that the hard shell just prevented the movement backwards ?

 A soft amour goes rigid on impact, giving the protection the hardshell would but customised to the persons body shape/how they landed.

 Exactly, Armourgel becomes rigid when the speed of impact increases. There's a video somewhere on Youtube of a guy with a block of Atmourgel. He can bend it, fold it whatever he wants. Then, he shoots a bullet (actually it's a pellet from an air gun) at it, and it suddenly becomes rigid, the bullet just falls on the floor

 @fabdemaere - what happens when you fold the soft armour in half? Does it become rigid?

 Hyperflexion people is what you want to protect your back people. Not bruises.

 You can fold it on itself and it'll still go rigid - obviously once injection moulded into a piece of armour it has more of a form. But, it your back is folded in half, I think armours the least of your worries.... The armour protects way more than just bruises.

 They offer a wide product range. The day top is just a product out of their range. Personally I use the comp top and the tank top which is the one Manon is used to wear.
I was a bit worried at the beginneng because the material is very thin but after several hard crashes I´m assured.

 I don't see how it can, surely it would need to be rigid and you securely strapped to it?

 The ARG Spine Protectors are fully CE certified and adhere to the highest standards. The Armourgel stiffens on impact (has an open re-entrant structure and is non Newtonian), preventing penetration, whilst spreading and absorbing a large proportion of the energy, reducing the blunt trauma. If you want proof of it protecting your back watch Manon Carpenters Fort William crash from this year or Recce at Rampage. Both were wearing Bliss ARG back protectors.

 Sure, this is a video from that company, but it convinced me kind of... vimeo.com/90859455

I had several crashes, even on rocks e.g., and always walked away without anything

 Yes, I have tried this one.
Happy with this one but for DH riding I rather prefer their Comp LD Top.
It offers more protection and I assume it´s good for me.

 That´s what it´s made for. And it´s certified with CE EN-1621-2.
I was used to wear the 661 Sub Gear Sleeve before which is as far as I know not certified or even tested.
So I feel better, yes.

 Klar, sollte kein Problem sein!

 Stimmt, so dünn wie die ist. Werd mir wohl mal eine zur Ansicht bestellen, wobei ich weiss nicht ob mit das nicht bissl psychisch verunsichert so wenig wie da dran ist. Fühle mich schon bissl sicherer mit den dickeren SASTEC die ich hab

 So gings mir am Anfang auch, aber nach den ersten Stürzen war das weg
Bin mir nicht ganz sicher, aber glaube dieses Jahr kommt ein DH-Spezifischer Protektor raus (Team-Line), der ist Dicker und hat glaube ich noch eine zusätzliche Lage Schaum mit drin.

 Heben die auch was gegen spitze Steine? Dass die die Energie rausnehmen glaub ich, aber ob die auch gegen fiese Steine was bieten? Der Teamline klingt allerdings interessant.

 Hi, klar das ist im Labor. Mich haben die Videos damals aber überzeugt: vimeo.com/110880261
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TuXz_83Jio