Great idea, great tech... execution leaves a bit to be desired

By D.Chu Ranked #385 - Alpine Skiing December 2, 2009

I picked up this item in both a medium and a large since I fall exactly at the break off between the two (I'm 5'11", cut-off is at "71 inches"). Unfortunately, I found the sizing to be very awkward. The medium came up a little short (didn't cover my lowest lumbar vertebrae) and was too tight in the chest and shoulders. The large seemed to fit fine when I tried it on around the house, but once I took it out, it would ride up after a few runs, leaving my lower back unprotected and pushing the padded material above the level of my shoulders. I have pretty normal dimensions (5'11", 190 lb, broad shoulders, about a 32-34" waist), so it's a little disappointing not only that I fell between sizes, but that there is so little adjustability in these things.Beyond the sizing issue, I'm noticing a bit of fraying in the mesh material and loose threads, despite the fact I've only used it twice for three hour sessions, once beneath a softshell and another time beneath a technical shell. I feel like at the pricepoint, it should hold up better to such mild usage.That having been said, the VPD material POC uses is excellent. In playing around with it, I punched it a few times and actually ended put hurting my hand as it stiffened up. But when you slowly apply pressure to it, it collapses and bends quite easily. I thankfully haven't had to use test its limits on the hill, but it seems like if the damn thing stayed in place, it'd be extremely protective and be much more comfortable and flexible than the various hard shell back protectors I've tried on. I'm going to make a few more tweaks and hope that I can get it to stay in place, but if not I'm going to have to return it and look elsewhere.In a nutshell, despite the less than stellar construction, I would still recommend it if it fits you. If not, look elsewhere.Edit: I found a different item that I had infinitely better experiences with: the Tpro Forcefield Extreme Flite Harness. More adjustable, lower profile, more comfortable, same certified protection, AND it was cheaper. The tech is used by the British ski and snowboard teams. Here's hoping that Backcountry picks them up.

View Details: POC Spine VPD T-Shirt - Short-Sleeve - Men's

Helpful Votes: 2 Yes