The Troy Lee Designs Stage Ghost D3O short sleeve body armour offers upper body and back protection for downhill, freeride and enduro applications. It’s a slimline package which proves to be very comfortable, non-restrictive and breathable with certified protection. The D3O pads are well placed with thinner chest and shoulder pads to aid manoeuvrability and a thicker back pad for increased protection. It truly enables all day wearability in a neat package, a perfect choice as long as you don’t mind the ¾ zip making it a little tricky to get out of.
Troy Lee Designs Stage Ghost D3O Short Sleeve Armour – Technical Details
As the name suggests, this short sleeve body armour is built around D3O Ghost padding. This is the thinnest and most breathable option from D3O which uses Impact Print geometry to create a pad with an internal structure which promotes flexibility whilst remaining open enough to be breathable.
The Stage armour utilises two different variants of this padding with LP1 (CE Level 1) on the chest and shoulders whilst the back plate uses a thicker LP2 (CE Level 2) for more protection. In addition to the padding plates, the lower torso hip area sees some extra protection with moulded PU padding for extra protection.
All this protection is wrapped up in a breathable stretch fabric which uses a ¾ length, side positioned zip. The arm cuffs feature silicone grippers to keep them in place. Troy Lee Designs (TLD) have used a Pad Anchor System to ensure the armour plates stay in position however they are removable for washing. For washing, remove the pads and hand wash only with a drip dry.
Available in sizes ranging from S – XL there should be an option to suit most, and it is only available in the single black colourway.
Troy Lee Designs Stage Ghost D3O Short Sleeve Armour – Performance
Starting with the fit, the size large fitted as expected with a snug but very comfortable fit. The mesh base layer material is comfortable against the skin with no itchy or awkward hems to cause discomfort. That base layer is cut on the long side which makes it ideal for tucking into trousers keeping mud and debris from finding its way in. The ¾ length zip is chunky making it easy to use although the ¾ length makes getting the armour off a little trickier than a full-length option.
The D30 Ghost pads prove to be very comfortable, contouring to your body shape in a non-restrictive manner. There are plenty of holes to help with breathability venting hot air with ease. The flexibility on the thinner chest and shoulder pads is excellent, you’d be hard pushed to tell they’re there whilst riding – impressive. With a thicker back plate, the breathability is a little less however the comfort is still excellent. It uses wavey ridges which contour and move with you, impressively comfortable. The shaping of all the pads has been well considered to ensure they don’t cause pinch points when moving, at no point did the armour feel restrictive, it just quietly went about doing its job.
Whilst I didn’t get the chance – thankfully – to test the protective qualities of the armour I’m confident in the protection on offer. The chest and shoulder pads are certainly on the lighter side, there are thicker options available on the market but that’ll compromise on breathability and heat. The back protector is suitably tough which, for me, is where the focus should be when wearing body armour.
Troy Lee Designs Stage Ghost D3O Short Sleeve Armour – Verdict
At £240, this certainly isn’t a small amount of money to spend on protection however if you’re looking for upper body armour this is a very smart offering.
Another chest, shoulder and back option to consider is from POC with the VPD Air+ Tee body armour coming in at £220. Providing an awful lot of protection, the POC armour is comfortable and non-restrictive but runs a bit hot and is bulky.
A slimmer option worth considering is the Leatt Body Tee Airflex Stealth body armour which retails at £220. It was praised for its comfort and well placed padding although the chest pad is a little warm and the finishing may not be top notch.
The Troy Lee Designs Stage Ghost D3O short sleeve armour offers shoulder, chest and back protection is a super comfortable and well-considered package. The D3O pads are soft and compliant along with excellent placement to ensure this armour isn’t at all restrictive. Whilst it isn’t the cheapest and the ¾ zip makes it a little tricky to get out of, these can be forgiven based on the outstanding comfort and all-day wearability.
Troy Lee Designs Stage Ghost D3O Short Sleeve
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