Knox has been at the forefront of impact protection for 30 years and during that time we've seen a lot of companies jump on the protection bandwagon, making all sorts of claims for their technology. You may have read about d3o, a new orange protector made from "specially engineered material made with intelligent molecules".
Gizmag tested one of these new protectors against a more traditional design from Knox and they made a video too. Journalist Loz Blain fitted d3o to one elbow of his leather jacket and Knox in the other. Then Gizmag editor Noel McKeegan took a frying pan and whacked him on the elbows, going from the Knox side to the d3o side until either Loz surrendered in pain, or he got bored. Belting your colleague with a frying pan may not be scientific, but it proves a simple point, as Gizmag discovered.
"The simple fact is that Noel could have kept on swingin' at the Knox side all afternoon and it wouldn't have fazed me in the slightest, whereas the d3o side was immediately more painful".
In spite of all the claims about "intelligent molecules" the d3o 'armour' was not as effective as CE-tested and approved Knox. The painful truth soon became apparent; "By about 15 minutes after the video was finished filming, my right elbow, on the d3o side, had swollen up quite noticeably and was feeling pretty sore, whereas the left side [protected by Knox] felt as if nothing had happened".
Incidentally, the Knox Flexiform protector in the test is 15mm thick (the d3o was 8mm) and weighs approx. 100 grams.
We'll let you watch the video and draw your own conclusions about the benefits of 'intelligent molecules".
http://www.gizmag.com/d3o-motorcycle-armour-trauma-test/14227/
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The knox pad was nearly 4 x thicker though, so not really a fair test don't you think???
ReplyDeleteAccording to the d3o website the whole point of their technology is that it is lighter and less bulky than conventional armour but provides "a high degree of protection". If d30 is lighter and less bulky but also provides less protection ... well, draw your own conclusions!
ReplyDeleteHowever both Companies are supposed to conform to a certain CE level of protection regardless of thickness/material. I think its obvious which brand maintained its level of protection.....KNOX!
ReplyDeleteD30 was only 8mm and Knox pad was 15mm but cup shaped....hardly 4 times thicker but it did seem to offer 4 times or more in terms of protection...for me Knox is the best that money can buy!!
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