EVOC Protector Vest Lite review

With trail bikes getting more capable and terrain more challenging, the risks we face and the consequences at stake only seem to be increasing. That’s why so many riders wear lightweight protection of some kind, just like this Protector Vest Lite from EVOC.

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EVOC Protector Vest Lite construction

The EVOC Protector Vest Lite is size specific with four sizes to choose from and has a full-length zip that runs straight up its centre for getting it on and off.

The broad, articulated back protector panel of closed-cell foam (Liteshield Plus) offers great coverage across the majority of your back, but will be a touch too long for some riders.

Handily, it slips into the vest-style jacket, so can be removed for machine washing or if you want to ride without it.

EVOC has included additional foam inserts just above and below where the back protector sits, to bolster coverage even further.

Joining the thicker stretchy fabric panels on the front and rear are two mesh sides, which help to prevent you overheating on warmer rides.

To help the Protector Vest stay put, there’s a removable Velcro waist strap that's height adjustable and a grippy silicone print around the inside of the lower hem.

EVOC Protector Vest Lite performance

Despite having quite a long torso, and opting for the size small vest, I found the back-protector panel was a touch too long.

It turns out that while the vest is available in four sizes, the back protector on my small sample was a small/medium number, suggesting they aren’t tailored to each vest size

Although this meant my back was well covered, no matter whether I tucked the vest over the top of my shorts’ waistband or underneath it, the entire vest would still ride up.

This didn’t cause a great deal of discomfort, but it did become rather irritating and required multiple readjustments of the vest to get it back in place every time I stopped riding – far from ideal.

I think this would be remedied if the back panel were just a few inches shorter. It’s a shame, because when it’s initially in place, the Protector Vest feels comfy enough. It's also easy to get on and off, thanks to that full-length zip.

After a few rides I removed the Velcro waist strap because the snug fit of the small was enough to ensure nothing really shifted around while riding (and the Velcro strap did nothing for me when it came to preventing the vest from riding up).

I’d argue that if you’re wearing a medium vest and using the small/medium back protector, you may not suffer the same issues as me. As it stands, though, it feels like the back protector used in the small vest needs to be a good few inches shorter to help prevent this problem.