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expired Posted by papertrader over 1 year ago
expired Posted by papertrader over 1 year ago

Dainese Smart Jacket w/ D-Air Airbag (Black/Fluo-Yellow, XS or S)

+ Free Shipping

$350

$700

50% off
31 Comments 43,884 Views
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Deal Details
Dainese.com has Dainese Smart Jacket w/ D-Air Airbag (Black/Fluo-Yellow, XS or S) on sale for $349.97. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member papertrader for finding this deal.

Key Features / Description:
  • The Smart Jacket can be worn over or under any other jacket or outfit and it requires no connection with the motorcycle. It combines all the power of the latest-generation Dainese D-air and the convenience of a garment with a thousand uses.
  • All the safety of the Dainese airbag system used in MotoGP and developed in more than 25 years of research on the road and track is now encapsulated in a convenient vest that fits any road situation. The Smart Jacket monitors what's happening around the motorcycle rider 1,000 times a second. It always deploys the Shield when necessary, and only then, to provide the rider with maximum protection.

Editor's Notes

Written by SubZero5 | Staff
  • About this deal:
  • About this store:
    • For the Dainese.com return policy and more, click here.

Original Post

Written by papertrader
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Dainese.com has Dainese Smart Jacket w/ D-Air Airbag (Black/Fluo-Yellow, XS or S) on sale for $349.97. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member papertrader for finding this deal.

Key Features / Description:
  • The Smart Jacket can be worn over or under any other jacket or outfit and it requires no connection with the motorcycle. It combines all the power of the latest-generation Dainese D-air and the convenience of a garment with a thousand uses.
  • All the safety of the Dainese airbag system used in MotoGP and developed in more than 25 years of research on the road and track is now encapsulated in a convenient vest that fits any road situation. The Smart Jacket monitors what's happening around the motorcycle rider 1,000 times a second. It always deploys the Shield when necessary, and only then, to provide the rider with maximum protection.

Editor's Notes

Written by SubZero5 | Staff
  • About this deal:
  • About this store:
    • For the Dainese.com return policy and more, click here.

Original Post

Written by papertrader
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Top Comments

If you're on the fence between the Air Vest and the Helite Turtle 2, I own both. Here are the differences:

The Dainese product is much more complex. This is good and bad. It has integrated GPS and the light will tell you if it can't get a GPS signal. The firmware needs periodic updates. Instead of letting you do this from your phone you must do it old school - plug a cable into an Apple or Windows PC, download the firmware and connect it to your vest. The smart vest charges with a standard USB-C cable.

My Smart Vest deployed. I didn't even notice it at the time. In the event your vest deploys you must return it to Dainese for, "repacking" before you can use it again. Now, if you're fortunate enough to live near a Dainese store you just drop your deployed vest off at the store. If you're not fortunate you have to ship it to their facility in California at your own expense. You have to contact them and give them your info then they will send you an email with a form you must pack with your vest. You'll get an email a week or so later telling you it arrived and you then have to wait for the estimate. It's not a flat fee for, "repacking". A couple of months later I got my estimate - $299! That's not for a new vest, that's for the same vest you shipped them that you'd be paying $50 more for a BRAND NEW VEST on this deal! Fairly ridiculous considering my event was <15 mph with no structural damage to the vest. I paid the fee more than a month ago and I'm still waiting - no shipping notice or tracking number.

The Smart Vest gets HOT on warm days and gets soaked (but still works fine) on wet days. Sizing is important. If you plan on wearing it OVER your existing gear go a size larger. If you're planning on wearing it UNDER your existing gear buy your correct size and go a size larger on all your other jackets. It may just have been my vest but there is a zippered pocket on the front of the vest with a plastic tab you grab to open or close the pocket. My plastic tab broke off with normal use! I then had to find the string that used to fit inside the plastic tab to grab my credit card. I'll let you know if that got replaced when I get it back.

The Helite vest is much lower tech - no updating firmware or GPS. I've never deployed it BUT there is no repacking - there's a video on the helite moto site telling you how to check your vest but all you need to do is replace the CO2 bottle assuming there's no structural damage to the vest. The Helite uses a proprietary cable for charging.

The Helite vest is much more weather flexible. Don't depend on it for extra warmth though. It fits loosely enough that the airflow between the vest and your jacket will still keep everything cool. It's also constructed of non-absorbent material so it doesn't get soaked like the Dainese does.

The one thing I miss about my Dainese Smart Vest is the battery life. Yes, the Smart Vest will drain the battery over time if you don't put it in storage mode BUT the Helite will have a dead battery in THREE DAYS with the vest turned off! If you want to use the Helite regularly it needs to be on a charger every time you take it off.

UPDATE: I went to pick up my mail today and my repacked Smart Vest arrived! Dainese didn't tell me when they shipped it or send me a tracking number. They didn't fix the tab. They unzipped all the pockets, washed it and replaced the guts. Battery was dead. I paid $300 + shipping and waited MONTHS for this. Sent to Dainese in October and I'm getting it back in January. Much better off just buying a new one at this price.
Impressive price drop! I bought when it had fallen to $559.96 at RevZilla, then was able to price match when it dropped further to $489.96, almost exactly a year ago.

Some observations:
-I haven't been riding as frequently as I had hoped, and the battery seems to slowly discharge while in storage. There is a PC software setting to put the vest into storage mode that I probably should use, and there are wires that should be disconnected for long-term storage or shipping.

-This is designed to be worn over tight-fitting riding gear or under looser-fitting gear. A lot of the electronics are near the bottom back of the vest, so wearing it under a jacket and pants that zip together can be somewhat awkward.

Overall, very cool tech that I hope to never experience in action. I think I still prefer my simple, tethered Hit-Air vest, but this price would hard to pass up on if you're a commuter or regular weekend rider who doesn't already have an airbag vest.

31 Comments

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over 1 year ago
60 Posts
Joined Dec 2012
over 1 year ago
jarz21
over 1 year ago
60 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank jarz21

Impressive price drop! I bought when it had fallen to $559.96 at RevZilla, then was able to price match when it dropped further to $489.96, almost exactly a year ago.

Some observations:
-I haven't been riding as frequently as I had hoped, and the battery seems to slowly discharge while in storage. There is a PC software setting to put the vest into storage mode that I probably should use, and there are wires that should be disconnected for long-term storage or shipping.

-This is designed to be worn over tight-fitting riding gear or under looser-fitting gear. A lot of the electronics are near the bottom back of the vest, so wearing it under a jacket and pants that zip together can be somewhat awkward.

Overall, very cool tech that I hope to never experience in action. I think I still prefer my simple, tethered Hit-Air vest, but this price would hard to pass up on if you're a commuter or regular weekend rider who doesn't already have an airbag vest.
Last edited by jarz21 January 26, 2023 at 11:08 AM.
1
over 1 year ago
2,888 Posts
Joined Oct 2008
over 1 year ago
majorhavoc
over 1 year ago
2,888 Posts
Thanks for the detailed observations and insight, jarz21. As much as I struggle to see how I can afford to buy this even at this price, I keep circling back to: how can I afford not to?

And TU and thanks to OP for posting. Always great to see deals on MC safety gear.
over 1 year ago
47 Posts
Joined Jan 2022
over 1 year ago
AquaIdea6843
over 1 year ago
47 Posts
Only s and xs. Too bad.
Original Poster
over 1 year ago
516 Posts
Joined Feb 2009
over 1 year ago
papertrader
Original Poster
over 1 year ago
516 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank papertrader

If you're on the fence between the Air Vest and the Helite Turtle 2, I own both. Here are the differences:

The Dainese product is much more complex. This is good and bad. It has integrated GPS and the light will tell you if it can't get a GPS signal. The firmware needs periodic updates. Instead of letting you do this from your phone you must do it old school - plug a cable into an Apple or Windows PC, download the firmware and connect it to your vest. The smart vest charges with a standard USB-C cable.

My Smart Vest deployed. I didn't even notice it at the time. In the event your vest deploys you must return it to Dainese for, "repacking" before you can use it again. Now, if you're fortunate enough to live near a Dainese store you just drop your deployed vest off at the store. If you're not fortunate you have to ship it to their facility in California at your own expense. You have to contact them and give them your info then they will send you an email with a form you must pack with your vest. You'll get an email a week or so later telling you it arrived and you then have to wait for the estimate. It's not a flat fee for, "repacking". A couple of months later I got my estimate - $299! That's not for a new vest, that's for the same vest you shipped them that you'd be paying $50 more for a BRAND NEW VEST on this deal! Fairly ridiculous considering my event was <15 mph with no structural damage to the vest. I paid the fee more than a month ago and I'm still waiting - no shipping notice or tracking number.

The Smart Vest gets HOT on warm days and gets soaked (but still works fine) on wet days. Sizing is important. If you plan on wearing it OVER your existing gear go a size larger. If you're planning on wearing it UNDER your existing gear buy your correct size and go a size larger on all your other jackets. It may just have been my vest but there is a zippered pocket on the front of the vest with a plastic tab you grab to open or close the pocket. My plastic tab broke off with normal use! I then had to find the string that used to fit inside the plastic tab to grab my credit card. I'll let you know if that got replaced when I get it back.

The Helite vest is much lower tech - no updating firmware or GPS. I've never deployed it BUT there is no repacking - there's a video on the helite moto site telling you how to check your vest but all you need to do is replace the CO2 bottle assuming there's no structural damage to the vest. The Helite uses a proprietary cable for charging.

The Helite vest is much more weather flexible. Don't depend on it for extra warmth though. It fits loosely enough that the airflow between the vest and your jacket will still keep everything cool. It's also constructed of non-absorbent material so it doesn't get soaked like the Dainese does.

The one thing I miss about my Dainese Smart Vest is the battery life. Yes, the Smart Vest will drain the battery over time if you don't put it in storage mode BUT the Helite will have a dead battery in THREE DAYS with the vest turned off! If you want to use the Helite regularly it needs to be on a charger every time you take it off.

UPDATE: I went to pick up my mail today and my repacked Smart Vest arrived! Dainese didn't tell me when they shipped it or send me a tracking number. They didn't fix the tab. They unzipped all the pockets, washed it and replaced the guts. Battery was dead. I paid $300 + shipping and waited MONTHS for this. Sent to Dainese in October and I'm getting it back in January. Much better off just buying a new one at this price.
Last edited by papertrader January 26, 2023 at 03:44 PM.
6
1
over 1 year ago
515 Posts
Joined Jan 2014
over 1 year ago
chubblywubbly
over 1 year ago
515 Posts
Quote from AquaIdea6843 :
Only s and xs. Too bad.
If it zips, it fits! Not me anytime soon though 😂
over 1 year ago
1,007 Posts
Joined Nov 2009
over 1 year ago
DragonRide
over 1 year ago
1,007 Posts
I have the helite 2 mechanical only (lanyard), there is no batteryl, if you have a dismount and carry a spare cartridge, you can repack and rechage roadside in 10 minutes, and boom, vest is ready.

I exluded this vest for the battery, you forget to charge before a ride, no vest. And for it being a one-shot as far as Dainese is concerned, beside redicules recharge fees they are also known to say 'damaged, we won't service it, here is a coupon

Helite, I decided if it is damage.

Watch this about them This is why I went mechanical, not electonic, and helite, a black friday deal had it at about $450 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jZryt607U