Horse Serious

Just because it sparkles, doesn’t mean it’s gold. Same goes for safety equipment, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. 

Equestrian airbag vests are an amazing innovation. However, the more protection, the higher the price. It may be expensive, but it’s an investment in your overall safety. A cheap airbag vest may be attractive, but in the end it could cost a lot more than you anticipate. 

When you search for an equestrian airbag vest, you’ll see a huge variety that range in price. Some reach prices as high as buying an actual horse while others cost less than a pair of shoes. One of the cheapest options out there is the Hanquis “advanced air-bag vest” on Alibaba. 

The vest is advertised as professional and includes several safety certifications. Looks like a good deal, right? It only costs about $100, which is way less than the $559.00 Helite Equestrian Airbag: Air Jacket. However, you know what they say, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. 

When you deep dive into the ad, things start to get fishy. When you look into the certifications, they are all basically illegible. The images are blurry and there is no real way of proving their authenticity. If you go to other products by the same company, they share the vest’s Declaration of Conformity. This claims that the vest has met the standards for BS EN ISO 12402-4.2006. Looks good right? Well, actually this is an outdated test for lifejackets, not equestrian or motorcycle airbag vests. 

Basically, the test proves that the device works well in water, but provides no information about impact or slide protection. So, the Hanquis vest is really just a lifejacket. 

Several sites, like wish.com, have removed similar vests from various companies. However, many of them are still out there, flying under the radar. Even though $100 is less than $500, that is still a lot to pay for a lifejacket. You can spend that $100 on a better helmet or other gear that will actually prevent injury. If you’re getting on a horse and want to protect yourself and prevent serious injury, make the investment into a proper airbag vest.