Instant wearable airbag goes ultralight and tiny by ditching battery

Dainese's just made what's arguably the smallest and lightest motorcycle airbag vest on the market. It's pulled this off by ditching the bulky battery that every other vest comes with, and runs off power from your phone instead.

That's a bold move on its own, but there's a lot more to the Smart Go. Rather than packing an airbag system into a vest, this is just an airbag you strap into, with proper Level 2-certified protection for your back and chest. As such, this is a unisex one-size-fits-all design. It'll likely cover your shoulders a bit as well.

The Smart Go weighs an astonishingly low 27.5 oz or 1.7 lb (780 g), which is way less than well-reviewed models like the 5.5-lb (2.5-kg) Motoairbag MAB M1, and the Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 that comes in at 6.7 lb (3.06 kg). It's half that of the latter's newer Tech-Air Plasma, which weighs 3.4 lb (1.53 kg).

Dainese has been at this load-lightening business for a bit. Last year, it came out with the Smart Air, which was the lightest vest at the time at 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) thanks to the use of thin new material.

For those wondering about wearable airbags in the first place: airbags are significantly more effective at impact absorption (only 0.36 kilonewtons of transmitted force) compared to standard CE-rated back pads (18 kilonewtons) which distribute force across their surface area. That means they're 50x more effective at keeping you in one piece in the event of a crash.

How do these systems work? They use GPS, as well as accelerometers and gyroscopes, to monitor conditions and accident dynamics. If they detect a crash, the airbag is deployed in a matter of just a few milliseconds.

The Smart Go's polyurethane airbag uses a patented diaphragm technology and a layered internal structure to stiffen up when it's deployed. According to Dainese, this optimizes pressure distribution and airbag behavior to provide effective protection. Its user-replaceable gas generator (which costs about US$80) is good for up to three activations.

Some airbag vests, including the Klim Ai-1, require a subscription for the crash detection system, which can cost about $120 a year. Thankfully, there's none of that here, so you're only paying upfront for the Smart Go and you're off to the races.

The airbag can be worn under or over your other motorcycling gear, and you can fold it compactly when not in use. A magnetic attachment connects it to Dainese's 15-liter Smart Go Backpack – but you'll need to buy that separately.

Most vests include a chunky battery to power the accident detection and deployment system. The Smart Go skips that, but includes a pocket near the chest to place your phone, from which it can draw power via a USB-C cable.

That's handy if you don't need your phone mounted on your bike's dash for navigation – but you'll also need a handset that supports OTG power delivery, or the vest won't charge.

The other option is to use a power bank, and Dainese makes a 5,000-mAh one that should keep the Smart Go topped off for up to 72 hours.

The Smart Go is certainly worth a look if you find conventional airbag vests too bulky, or have been staying away because they can cost a lot. This model starts at just €349 in Europe (about US$392) and £329 in the UK. That's way less than the €549 ($617) MAB M1 or the $713 Tech-Air Plasma – so it's also an affordable option for everyday riding.

The Smart Go is listed on Dainese's US site as arriving soon. You can get a closer look at it in the company's UK store.

Source: Dainese