Review

Bluegrass Seamless Lite D30 back protector in review

16.11.2021
by Peter Walker

Breathable, quick-drying microfibers and an ergonomic fit. These are just a few catchwords Bluegrass use to describe their new Seamless Lite D30 back protector. We tested the € 180 protector over a 3 month-period and can tell you why you want to get a new back protector soon.

Unfortunately, “Safety second” is a well-established approach in the mountain biking world. Sure enough, most of us don’t even bother wearing a back protector on a hot summer day or for quick post-work blasts. Well, it’s time to change our habits. With the new Seamless Lite D30 back protector, Bluegrass claim to have created the most comfortable and breathable back protector currently available for mountain bikers. After wearing one during the three hottest months of the year, we can tell you what the protector of the Italian brand is capable of.

D30 foam
Using the heat of the body, the removable foam insert adapts to the shape of your back.
Ouch!
The open-mesh fabric ensures good ventilation. However, the nipples tend to poke through the vest and rub against the jersey, getting sore on long rides.
Storage room
The two small pockets at the back can be used to carry snacks and trail essentials such as an inner tube and tire lever.
Not completely invisible
The back protector is comfortable and discreet but leaves a slight mark on your jersey.

The Bluegrass Seamless Lite D30 back protector retails for € 180.00 and is available in two sizes, S / M and L / XL (unisex). For our test riders Jonas and Peter, measuring 184 cm (85 kg) and 189 cm (98 kg) respectively, the L / XL version was a great fit. The D30 insert is compliant with the EN 1621-2: 2014 standard and can be removed completely from the open-mesh vest. Body heat helps the pad adapt to the shape of your back. The seamless vest consists of a composite of thermoplastic (polypropylene), technical plastic (polyamide) and synthetic textile fibres (elastane) that ensure an extra snug and ergonomic fit. Stretching far down the back, the mesh vest allows you to tuck and secure the protector in your riding pants and thus prevent it from moving around while riding. The thin microfiber fabric ensures good ventilation and a pleasant body climate, even on hot days. If you sweat a lot and the back protector gets really wet, the mesh vest dries quickly without developing unpleasant odours.

Extra-long
The fabric vest extends far down the back, allowing you to tuck the protector into your riding pants.

After long rides, the removable D30 insert allows you to wash the vest quickly and easily. The Seamless Lite is comfortable enough that you forget you’re wearing it. However, it doesn’t disappear completely under the top layer, leaving a slight mark on your jersey. Despite the closely-knit fabric strip, the nipples tend to poke through the mesh fabric and rub, which can be painful on long rides. As usual, a good ol’ strip of tape will do the trick. Nevertheless, the mesh fabric is very robust, allowing you to get out of the tight-fitting protector without ripping the vest. During our 3-month testing period, the protector came away unscathed from several crashes, including nasty ones that ripped a hole into the jersey. Two small pockets at the back can be used to carry snacks or small spares. While the pockets are big enough to carry a few energy bars or a spare tube/tire lever, depending on the position they’re not always easy to access, especially when empty. However, we don’t recommend carrying bulky or metallic objects on your back anyway, as these could cause serious injuries despite the certified D30 foam inserts. If you want more protection, you should take a closer look at the Bluegrass Seamless B&S D30, which features additional shoulder pads.

Conclusion

The Bluegrass Seamless Lite D30 back protector has won our hearts, or rather, our backs. It’s light, comfortable and doesn’t move around on your back while riding. Even after 3 months of hard deployment with two testers, our Seamless Lite D30 back protector still looks like new. The small pockets are very practical and big enough to carry all our trail essentials. At € 180 €, however, it’s not the cheapest option and, unfortunately, not the most comfortable for your nipples either.

Tops

  • Comfortable and discreet
  • Stays in place while riding
  • Dries quickly and doesn’t develop smells

Flops

  • The nipples tend to slip through the open mesh fabric

Testers: Peter and Jonas
Test duration: 3+ months
Price: € 180.00
Weight: 450 g (size L / XL)
Manufacturer’s website: met-helmets.com

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Words & Photos: Peter Walker

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About the author

Peter Walker

As editor-in-chief, Peter is as much a man of action as he is of words. This expert, screw-driver-flexing two wheeled-whizz has many envy-inducing characteristics, including a background in motocross, several EWS race plates to his name, and more than 150 recorded days at Whistler Bike Park. However complex the bike and however steep the trail, he’s probably already nailed it, twice. Oh, and he can do it all on skinny tyres too. When it comes to guiding consumers, Peter cut his teeth at Vancouver’s oldest bike shop and now puts pen to paper on the daily translating this know-how into our editorial plan. When not tearing up Stuttgart’s local trails while testing bikes, he loves nothing more than loading up his self-renovated VW T5 and hitting the road. The fact that he’s a trained paramedic gives his colleagues reassurance out on the trails. So far we haven’t had to call him by his alias ‘Sani Peter’, so here’s hoping he keeps it right side up for the rest of his time here!

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