Protectors | Alpine Skiing

Ski Protectors at Sport Conrad

In addition to the fun on the slopes, the safety of a day on the slopes should also be a top priority for you. To avoid injuries on the slopes, there are some aids that should ensure your safety while skiing. One of the most common tools is the ski helmet. This has been part of every skier's equipment for years. When skiing, however, most falls land on the back. So that it is also protected from serious injuries in the best possible way, there are ski protectors. But which protectors are really necessary and what should you look for when buying them?

The most important functions of protectors explained

The right protection when skiing can significantly reduce the risk of injury from falls or collisions with trees, obstacles or other skiers. In the event of an impact, your body is protected from serious injury with the help of a protector. Comprehensive protection can also help increase your own sense of safety. Protectors such as back protectors can also serve as a protective surface against branches, stones or other sharp and dangerous objects.

Protectors for the whole body

Back protectors

Wearing a back protector protects you from injuries to your chest and spine in the event of an impact. The current models of back protectors harden only on impact and in normal condition they hug the body. This ensures a comfortable feeling when worn. For more information on back protectors, see our blog post on back protectors.

Protector pants for pelvis and thighs

Protector pants offer you protection from unpleasant bruises on the hips, pelvis, thighs and tailbone. The practical thing about this type of protector is that you can easily wear it over your ski underwear. Thus, it serves as a second layer of clothing and can replace the mid-layer before the ski suit.

Shoulder protectors

Shoulder protectors also offer you optimal protection against bruises or more serious injuries to the shoulder and neck. With the choice of soft surface fabrics and light weight, they offer a comfortable fit. Often, the popular back protectors are already integrated protective functions for the shoulders. An extra shoulder protector is therefore not always needed in addition.

Knee pads

Far too often we forget about our knees when protecting our bodies. However, these should also be protected during fast rides on the slopes. Wearing extra knee pads provides the best possible protection here. Especially for biathlon and other winter sports these are of great advantage. During the mostly high-velocity rides, additional protection against dangerous knee injuries is recommended. This type of protectors, compared to the other models, are provided with a hard shell. This way, your knees are optimally protected from bruises, collisions and impact injuries. However, for the ordinary piste-goer, these are not part of the normal protective equipment.

The different models

Protectors are offered not only explicitly for different parts of the body, but also in different models for a comfortable feeling when wearing. The most popular here are the protector pants and protector vests.

Protector pants

As described above, the protector pants offer you protection from unpleasant bruises on the hips, pelvis, thighs and tailbone. They are usually worn as an intermediate layer over ski underwear and under the ski suit. One advantage of these practical pants is that their shape comfortably hugs your body. With their light weight, they also do not represent an additional burden on the slopes.

Protector vests

Protector vests convince with a light and cozy wearing comfort. By choosing a temperature-regulating stretch material, they hardly restrict the freedom of movement and breathability of your body. This type of protector is especially recommended for beginner skiers. It is important that the protector vest fits closely to the body, because only then can the best possible protection be guaranteed. Therefore, it is sometimes advantageous to replace a layer of clothing with the vest.

Materials

In the past, ski protectors were made of hard and uncomfortable fabrics that significantly restricted the body's freedom of movement. Nowadays, softer and finer fabrics are used. For protection against impact and fall injuries, the protectors are usually padded with special types of foam. This fabric restricts little to no movement. Another popular material composition is the choice of an AirFlex protector. This version offers even stronger protection against falls. So that the protectors can be worn comfortably and without major restrictions, the majority of models use parts made out of stretchy fabrics. For optimal fit, some protectors are still attached additional straps. Protective kidney straps are also incorporated in some protectors.

Size settings

The sizes of the protectors are mostly adjustable according to your wishes and are measured at your height and torso length. So that you choose the right size for your protector, you should first measure your entire body and the length of your torso. At 164 cm height and 40 cm torso length, the protector should be worn in a Small, for example. For the best fit, some protectors are equipped with additional straps. So that they can be adjusted to the body size, they are height adjustable and can be removed for washing. To avoid buying the wrong size when buying a protector vest, we recommend wearing ski underwear when trying it on.

Protectors for children

Especially for children, the protection of the spine is of great importance. Therefore, for children, the correct fit should be carefully considered. An incorrect size may fail to deliver the promised protection and lead to further injury. In addition, the protector should be replaced after each size change.

Care and wearing time of protectors

Most protectors can be washed at 30 degrees in the washing machine. For some models, the protective surface must be removed beforehand. Exact information can be found on the label of the protector or also on the manufacturer's website. If the protector is badly damaged, for example after a heavy fall or impact, the protector should be replaced urgently. Otherwise, it is recommended to replace the protector after about 5 years.

Stay safe and protected on your next ski trip with Sport Conrad

We at Sport Conrad offer you a maximum of safety with our ski protectors from experienced brands like Komperdell, POC and Body Glove. Children's protection is also taken care of with our kids' protectors from our large range. Find the right protector from your favorite brand in your desired shape and color easily in our online store!