MXA TEAM TESTED: LEATT BODY VEST ADVENTURE LITE JUNIOR

WHAT IS IT? Leatt is committed to protecting action-sports athletes from debilitating injuries. Their latest product, the Body Vest Adventure Lite Junior, is a neck-brace-compliant chest protector for young motocross riders.

WHAT’S IT COST? $109.00 (white or black), $129.00 (Cage graphic).

CONTACT? (800) 691-3314 or www.leatt.com.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Leatt Adventure Lite Junior chest protector.

(1) Safety. Every young dirt bike rider?regardless of whether he races or putts around on the weekend?should wear a chest protector. The benefits of chest and back coverage are immeasurable. Just because many professional riders shy away from wearing hard plastic protectors doesn’t mean that Junior should copy the style trends of the riders that he admires. Safety should be the number one priority for anyone, but especially for children learning how to ride motocross. The Leatt Adventure Lite Junior is designed to fit riders from 70 to 120 pounds; it is the youth version of the popular adult Adventure Lite and has all the bells and whistles.
 

(2) Neck-brace compatible. The beauty of the Adventure Lite Junior protector is that it has been designed with a neck-brace wearer in mind. Simply remove the foam lining (attached by Velcro) to allow enough room for the thoracic strut to slide under the chest protector. The front shelf of the brace sits atop the Adventure Lite Junior to help disperse energy across a broad area. Shoulder tabs help keep the Leatt neck brace in place. However, the Leatt chest protector is still a great purchase, even if your child doesn’t wear a neck brace (but why doesn’t he?).  

(3) Sizing. The Adventure Lite Junior is available in small/medium and large/extra large. We were pleased that Leatt targeted extremely small body types. Now little Johnny doesn’t need to be swimming in a chest protector that is far too big for him. Kids who are 4 foot 4 to 4 foot 9 with a chest circumference of 26 to 28 inches should wear a small/medium. Those between 4 foot 10 and 5 foot 3 should opt for the large/extra large.   

(4) Protection. The front and back panels meet the highest CE-impact safety standards (learn more about CE testing in the November 2012 issue). The Adventure Lite Junior doesn’t use any screws, which we consider a bonus. Although the liner isn’t removable, it offers ample padding, especially in the back section. Our only complaint is that the chest protector doesn’t come with shoulder cups. Given our druthers, we’d like to see the maximum amount of protection on the little tykes.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? We only wish that the Adventure Lite Junior came with shoulder cups (with the option of removing them).

Chest protection is a must for any young motocross rider. The Leatt Body Vest Adventure Lite Junior is a great chest protector with the added benefit of being able to comfortably fit a neck brace. It’s a win-win.