Airowear | Size Guides | Houghton Country
Airowear Body Protectors
Airowear have been making body protectors for horse riding since the 1980's, one of the first British based companies to develop a body protector specifically for riding and at the forefront of testing and safety standards thereafter.
Airowear, now a part of Charles Owen, make body protectors for women, men and children is a variety of styles and at different safety levels.
Here at Houghton Country we only offer body protectors to the latest European standard EN13158 with BETA Level 3 standard which is BETA Level 3 2018 that are suitable for all types of equestrian activities including general riding, eventing and working with horses.
Level 3 body protectors should prevent minor bruising that would have produced stiffness and pain, reduce soft tissue injuries and prevent a limited number of rib fractures.
Whether you are just starting out schooling cross country or eventing at the top level a BETA level 3 body protector is a piece of safety equipment which is mandatory, with an number of organisations strongly recommending them for fast work and any type of jumping.
BETA Safety Standard Labels
BETA Level 3 2018 (black and blue label) has replaced the BETA Level 3 2009 (white and purple label) (and BETA 2000 standard) as the latest standard for body protectors. It is the standard that you will be looking for to ensure that you adhere to the rules for body protectors within the UK for the coming years, except for Jockey's (who use BETA 2018 Level 1 and BETA 2018 Level 2) who have other standards that limit protection due to weight restrictions.
BETA 2000 is no longer acceptable for competition or where a stipulation of the level of protection worn has been put in place (such as most schooling venues), BETA 2009 will no longer be acceptable for use in British Eventing, British Riding Club or The Pony Club from January 2024.
The BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) Body Protector Standard ensures that garments from the manufacturer are annually re-tested for consistency of quality of materials used and manufacturing processes.
On the main label inside the garment, you will see EN 13158. This is the European safety standard.
Measurements used for fitting a body protector
To measure for a body protector there are 4 main measurements that you will see on most size charts. Measurements are taken with soft tape in centimetres.
Each style of body protector will have a dominant measurement that is the starting point for finding the right size:
A - Chest - The widest part of the chest, under the arms.
B - Waist - The narrowest part of the waist, where the waist falls.
C - Waist to Waist over the shoulder - The narrowest part of the waist over the shoulder on one side where the body protector would expect to sit to the waist at the back, this can be a useful measurement for front length but is not always used, it is more a technical measurement, in a fitting this would be checking that the ribs are covered by at least 2.5cm (the tip of fingers width).
D - Back Length - From the base of your neck (C7 vertebrae, the nobbly bit where your neck joins you back) to the base of your spine.
It is always recommended that you are fitted for a body protector in a BETA-accredited retailer such as ourselves with trained staff, as it is not always possible to find the best fit the first time and you may need to try two or three sizes to find the best fit for you.
- An Airowear body protector should be fitted (and worn) over light clothing, with heavier garments worn over the top. The body protector needs to be as close to the skin as possible to work at it's best allowing body heat to warm the foam inside to mould to your body.
Top Tip for ladies wear a suitable bra, if you can wear one of your riding bra's even better. Why? It gives you a true feel of what the body protector will be like to ride in and the compression of the chest is truer to the fit you are looking for.
- Before trying on the body protector, loosen the chest and waist straps, this helps you to get the body protector on and also helps preserve the zip.
- To make zipping up the garment easy insert thumbs into the armholes to bring the two panels together.
- Fasten the adjustable straps at the chest, waist and shoulder so that a snug but comfortable fit is achieved. Ensure the contrast orange velcro markers are covered.
The contrast orange is to show the safe adjustment, if the orange is covered then the body protector is safe. If the orange cannot be completely covered, the body protector is too small. If the orange is covered but the straps at waist and chest cannot be tightened enough to ensure a snug fit, the body protector is too large.
Usually, during a body protector fitting of an Outlyne the Chest and Waist fit are the first to be established as these do not change when the back length does.
- Adjust the shoulders so the neckline lies flat against the body. If this cannot be achieved, a shorter back length may be needed.
If possible, check the back length by sitting on a saddle and ensuring there is approximately a hand’s width between the saddle and the base of the body protector, this is to ensure that the body protector isn't too long or short.
For riders using multiple saddles of different shapes it can be useful to have adjustment available to the back length for example if you have the Regular fit to the very bottom of the adjustment on your normal saddle but know that you have another saddle which is higher at the back it may be worth considering the Short length. On the Short length you would be at the top of the adjustment on your normal saddle however you would be able to shorten that length to accommodate the higher backed saddle. There is 3cm of adjustment at the shoulder which effects the back length.
If you are intending to ride cross country and are considering shoulder pads at a later date, it is useful to have the shoulder pads on when you chose your body protector, as although they make a very small difference to the fit, they do make a difference.
At the front, the body protector should reach the breastbone at the top and cover the bottom rib at mid-chest by approximately 2.5cm, but should not cover the belly button.
Tip: Wear the body protector for 10 to 15 minuets, take a walk around. Why? The body protectors you are trying on is likely cold when you are trying it, give a bit of time for the foam to warm up and mould to you so you can get a feel for it. You may find that you need to adjust the chest and waist again because you realise that actually you need a little more room or you may prefer it to be tighter. The person fitting the body protector can only really tell you if the body protector fits safely they don't know how it feels to you. Some riders love a tight body protector to feel supported and "strapped in" others prefer a looser yet snug fit. It's up to you to chose which you prefer. You will often fit into more than one size, try all of them and decide after trying them.
Fitting checklist
- Snug fit on the waist with more room on the chest, you should be able to take a deep breath in without feeling restricted. If you need a bit more room, let the straps out until you are comfortable and check that the orange markers are still covered.
- Fully covers your rib cage but not your belly button, which is the bend point on your body, it'll make jumping uncomfortable/difficult. To test try bending forward at the waist as though jumping. If your body protector digs into your stomach uncomfortably, it is likely too long.
- Adjust your shoulder straps so that they lay midway between the point of the shoulder and the base of the neck. If you find that the body protector is lying too close to you neck flare the shoulder of the front out a little.
- Check that each strap covers the orange marker on the velcro. If you can still see any part of an orange section when your body protector is adjusted correctly, the body protector is too small.
- There should be around three inches between the bottom of the back of the body protector and the cantle of your saddle. If there are more than three inches then the body protector is too short and will not be able to protect all the areas it is designed to. If the body protector has less than three inches then it is too long, it will interfere with your riding and it also risks the body protector hitting the back of your saddle and dislodging your hat.
If your body protector passes all of these fitting checks, it’s ready to ride in!
Outlyne II
The Outlyne II is the latest design using ultra-lightweight foam and a discreet all-black outer. It takes the original Outlyne technology and fit and upgrades it.
The chest is the dominant measurement for the Outlyne II - it is the first measurement to be taken to judge the size.
In larger sizes it may be the waist measurement that is used as the dominant measurement.
Outlyne
The Outlyne is a revolutionary design tailored to the women's shape for the first time. Until the Outlyne most body protectors were unisex and didn't take into account a women's shape, often following a standard grading that meant that the bigger the body protector got the longer the length got with the Outlyne the back lengths were set and the chest and waist measurements were adjusted.
The Outlyne was then expanded into Children, Teen and Men specific body protectors taking into account the differences between body types.
The Outlyne is a chest dominant fitting - it is the first measurement to be taken to judge the size. To not be intrusive the person fitting the garment may take a loose chest measurement then take an approximate amount off for the compression of the chest.
In larger chest sizes it may be easier to achieve a good fit by taking take the waist measurement first as the chest will have compression available or "squish".
The Shadow
The Shadow back protected is designed for riders that do not require a full body protector and would prefer a light alternative for activities such as show jumping as it can be neatly fitted under a competition jacket.
The Shadow is not suitable for cross country or when the rules state a body protector must be worn.
Certified to motorcycle back protector standard EN1621-2-2014.
How to fit The Shadow:
- Find your equivalent dress or age size from the table.
- Back length: This is the measurement of the back protector pad. When seated in the saddle, measure from the nape of your neck to approximately 7cm above the point of the saddle. This will confirm the back length is suitable and will not interfere with the saddle when riding.
When fitting The Shadow the main concerns are that the zip in not under too much tension as this will effect the durability of the zip, the fit should be snug without being tight and that the back length is long enough to be comfortable with the area it covers.
Shoulder Pads
Shoulder protection is designed to reduce the risk of shoulder and collarbone injuries. Reasearch shows that Shoulder preotectors reduce these types of injuries by up to 80% (research into eventing falls by Michael Whitlock). Outlyne body protectors bigger than the children's Y4 come with the option of attaching shoulder protectors.
Shoulder Pads are a go-to for those riding cross country as extra protection in the event of a fall or a collision with a fence whatever the level they are schooling or competing at. They are not usually seen while showjumping or during working hunter jumping however they are extra protection and are advisable.
Revier II
The Reiver II is Airowear entry level unisex body protector for children. We do not stock this style of body protector however we can order them in.
How to measure
- Measure over light clothing using a soft tape measure in centimetres (cm).
- Chest: Under the arms and around the widest part.
- Waist: Above your hips, close to your lower ribs.
- Over the shoulder: Start from the front waist above your hip, over the shoulder to the same waist point on your back.
- Garment back length: This is the measurement of the body protector. When seated in the saddle, measure from the nape of your neck to approximately 7cm above the point of the saddle. This will confirm the back length is suitable and will not interfere with the saddle when riding.
