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

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.