# OmegaBrace....better than Leatt?



## Ripzalot (Jan 13, 2004)

i just got my new omega brace this week. and i love it. will be testing it out this weekend and post and update. after nearly breaking my neck a few weeks ago, i am stoked to have such a nice piece of protection.

reasons why it may be better than Leatt...

a) dinner plate around your neck vs horseshoe shape
b) dinner plate can damage your throat in some cases...think karate chop to the adams apple
c) better distribution of impact, leat can break
d) lower profile, less cumbersome
e) lighter? omega feels like nothing (would like to get a weight comparison)
f) nicer looking
g) less expensive

https://www.omegabrace.com

https://www.cyclenews.com/showcase/view/omega-neck-brace

EDIT: Note this is the old version K1. the new version X1 is posted below.


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## DRIDE (Nov 13, 2005)

Hrm.. I had the complete opposite experience with the Omega.

It was way too tall, I couldn't adjust it low enough to see far enough down the trail.

Also, the strap "suspension" system was a bit hokey IMO. I returned it and got a Leatt Club GPX. I was able to get it low enough to see down the trail-most the time. During bumpier runs though the brace would creep up off my shoulders and slide down my chest..

Finally, I've picked up the astars brace. So far it is much lower profile. But it's not a nicely made as either the Leatt or Omega. The x-strap system is not as comfortable as the leatt strap, but it seems to hold the astars brace down on my shoulders much better. I'll give it a good test this weekend, and report back.


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## frorider (Apr 2, 2005)

as you know, ripz, i'm liking my omega. one big plus for me is the adjustability -- in seconds i can make it low-profile enough that it's comfortable with my axo body armor / POC cortex, or adjust it up a bit to work with some of my other FF helmets, or adjust it up more if i'm riding on a super hot day w/o body armor.

have had no issues with getting enough range to be able to see down the trail.

the omega strap system is highly adjustable but requires some patience to dial in. 5 holes on the back attachment point, and up on the front you can run anywhere from zero to a few inches of length from teh buckle down to the 90 degree elbow piece. all these settings are there for a reason, but you do need to spend time setting it up the first time.

zero shifting around, but i did have to fine-tune it the first day at northstar.


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## frorider (Apr 2, 2005)

btw the omega in your pic, above, is the K1 i.e .the original Omega that some people felt did not have enough low-profile adjustability.

the new versions is the X1 (the one i have). Omega is phasing out the K1 completely,since the X1 addresses the low profile request some riders had. Dride, I assume you had the K1 version?

here's the X1:










price was about the same for the X1...$240 with shipping included.


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## Ripzalot (Jan 13, 2004)

i didnt realize the pic was the k1....maybe i'll edit later. 

i got the x1 and it fits like a glove with my raceface armor and poc helmet. i find the adjustability to be easy and a good range. at first it was too low but i cranked the straps up to 5 or 6 and now the range of motion seems to be perfect for me. i think a lot of this is going to be individual preference based on the length of your neck and what helmet you use. but of the 4 helmets i have, all seem to work fine. i can imagine a more full moto helmet or some of the funky types with the elongated chin guard could have more fit issues. 

for the mostpart, i just dont like the dinnerplate around the neck idea...and the look. i'm sure they work to protect as well in 99% of crashes but the omega seems to be a smarter design.


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## monkies (Jun 10, 2007)

can you post a pic with it on you?

EDIT: nevermind i found this site that had pics...
http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=819838


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## DRIDE (Nov 13, 2005)

frorider said:


> btw the omega in your pic, above, is the K1 i.e .the original Omega that some people felt did not have enough low-profile adjustability.
> 
> the new versions is the X1 (the one i have). Omega is phasing out the K1 completely,since the X1 addresses the low profile request some riders had. Dride, I assume you had the K1 version?
> .


Must have been. I got it right when the came out. Good news that newer ones sit lower! If I don't like this astars brace maybe I'll have to try out the new one.


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## T174M (Feb 9, 2008)

The Omega just looks like a glorified neck roll to me, will probably prevent broken collar bones more so than a broken neck. Tried one on at the moto store and didn't like it, also not really compatible with many roost guards (which I also wear for mx/sometimes mtb).


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## frorider (Apr 2, 2005)

T174M said:


> The Omega just looks like a glorified neck roll to me, will probably prevent broken collar bones more so than a broken neck.


no, it's definitely not a glorified neck roll. in terms of limiting range of motion, and absorbing energy, it does feel similar to wearing a Leatt. the main difference is that it does not distribute impact pressure directly in the center of your sternum.



> Tried one on at the moto store and didn't like it, also not really compatible with many roost guards (which I also wear for mx/sometimes mtb).


everyone's entitled to their opinion on fit. the MX shops I phoned up said they sell plenty of these to MX'ers who use a wide variety of roost guards.

it's an MX brace that happens to now have enough adjustability to work well as an mtb neck brace.

i'm not going to venture an opinion on whether it reduces the chance of a collarbone injury relative to the Leatt design. I know some believe it does. :


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## 317000 (Mar 2, 2007)

I have done a substantial amount of reading up on all of todays most prevalent neck braces and, from what I have gathered, the Leatt Brace is superior to all of its competitors. Seems to me like the Leatt has the most R&D behind it and in terms of protection, offers the most.


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## kingofthemountain82 (Aug 15, 2007)

EVS rc-evolution neck brace FTW. =)


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## Techfreak (Feb 17, 2005)

I run the first version of the Omega with a Giro Remedy and have no problems with it. I honestly believe that it has saved my neck (literally) at least once. I really disliked the feel of the Leatt, but don't even notice the Omega once I'm riding.


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## Ripzalot (Jan 13, 2004)

kingofthemountain82 said:


> EVS rc-evolution neck brace FTW. =)


the pics look even worse than a leatt. i just can't get past the fact that i really don't want something right in front of my throat. considering the type of accident i had a few weeks ago, i would rather have the omega. when i hit the ground, my fullface chin guard caught the ground and violently jerked my head down and forward. imagine the chin guard acting as scoop trying to dig dirt out of the ground. with the omega, the blocking is still there and i don't have to worry about breaking my throat and choking. i was down off the trail downslope in some trees and brush, my buddy blasted past me, and waited down the trail about 100m. if i had been choking...:eekster:

from what i've read (iirc) omega was developed by a former leatt developer who split due to differences with leatt....true?


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## NWS (Jun 30, 2010)

(Disclaimer: I'm much more AM than DH/FR, but I loves me some safety gear.)

I started riding with a Leatt brace about a week ago, been out twice on it so far, with a Giro Remedy. I don't find it limiting for looking down, but I do find it limiting for looking up. There's a run in my area that slaloms down a ravine and I can feel my helmet meeting the brace when I'm going down one side and looking up at the path on the other side.

The strap seems pretty hokey and I am not sure I would be satisfied with that alone. But, I haven't tried that... I ride with a Camelback that has a sternum strap between the shoulder straps, and this goes over the sternum part of the Leatt, and it makes the Leatt and the Camelback work together as one big snug secure unit. This is probably sheer luck - I may not be able to switch to any other Camelback for as long as I ride with the Leatt - but it works great.

Have there been cases where the Leatt actually damaged someone's throat? That is a worrisome idea. I'll have to ponder it next time I have the contraption on. 

Ripzalog, it seems like the chin guard should contact the front of the Leatt brace in your scenario, preventing it from rotating your head in the navel-gazing direction. And on flat ground, the chin guard should prevent your head/neck from moving forward any further than the brace itself. I'm more concerned about falling on something not-flat, with my chest (and thus brace) coming to an abrupt stop a few inches my head and neck do.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

the whole throat thing is mental..

Even after doing a search, i havent been able to find 1 single incident where anyone else named this thing at all.

What does pop up is that when people dont install/adjust it correct, any neckbrace has a tendency to snap collarbones on impact.

So lets forget about the throat hits from any neckbrace ??

Theres quite a few users of neckbraces around now, and im sure since the big bikeparks have been open for a while now, if this thing were a likely occurance, then it would by any means have happened by now, if not then the chances are its more likely to be eaten by a great white at the Y's swimingpool, then it is to be "karatechopped" in the throat by your neckbraces.


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## Ripzalot (Jan 13, 2004)

NWS said:


> Ripzalog, it seems like the chin guard should contact the front of the Leatt brace in your scenario, preventing it from rotating your head in the navel-gazing direction. And on flat ground, the chin guard should prevent your head/neck from moving forward any further than the brace itself. I'm more concerned about falling on something not-flat, with my chest (and thus brace) coming to an abrupt stop a few inches my head and neck do.


yes it would contact the front edge of the leatt brace but imagine going otb onto your head first, no arms out, chin guard catching the earth, and pulling it down (and around) the front collar, with the weight of your body and force of speed applying all that pressure behind (reverse scorpion). i think i would have crushed my throat with a leatt. i hyperextended my neck downward severely. my chin felt like it did touch my belly button!

it was one of those weird random things that you can't account for, not jumping, not going too fast (well, i guess i must have been), just came off a little bump in a narrow trail that was traversing a steep slope, wheel got a little squirrelly on some loose rocks and washed the rear end off the downside of the trail. slide the bike out sideways as I went otb, I just held on the bars thinking i could lay down with the bike. nope, didn't work. came about 2m short of a big tree, got smacked and impaled by it's long alpine branches at the base.

another thing to note: due to the impact on the chin guard, i got some severe abscesses, each one lasted a week (one after another). i couldn't eat properly, and have lost about 10lbs. not bad to lose the weight but it sure was the hard way. i have reevaluated my helmet and bought a POC. the old bell was too snug and not cushioned enough in the chin guard. the POC is MUCH nicer and protect the chin better (less exposed). my favorite helmet to date.


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## Ripzalot (Jan 13, 2004)

DeanH said:


> So lets forget about the throat hits from any neckbrace ??


iirc, that was the fundamental reason for the split between the omega developer from leatt.

i've been injured and down for the last 3 or 4 weeks, on pain meds and other things, can't remember all the details or where i read them..i'll search my home history later if i haven't cleared it already (got a new computer during the downtime). so let's not drop it just because possibly your google skills aren't up to snuff.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

lets still drop your argument as still youve only regurgitated what omegas been saying.

Find me some solid evidence of where anyone has gotten a hit on the throat from a Leatt or A-stars ?

litterally thousands of people use these in whistler and other big bike parks, as well as in the french alps, if people crash hard enough to get hit in the throat by their neckbrace, chances are it will be the very least of their worries.

And your stab at my google skills is just as weak as your excuse to your own inability to find other arguments then your blind trust in a product description, i mean you didnt even get the picture in your first post correct, so how is your review anything but a writeup of a manufacturers product without any real merit to it ?


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## PrincipalRider (Jun 24, 2005)

Here you go...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271093



DeanH said:


> lets still drop your argument as still youve only regurgitated what omegas been saying.
> 
> Find me some solid evidence of where anyone has gotten a hit on the throat from a Leatt or A-stars ?
> 
> ...


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## NWS (Jun 30, 2010)

While interesting, note that the brace "rotated somehow," which would make the Omega's front opening no longer helpful in preventing throat contact. And this was a cut, not the throat-crushing impact we've been talking about.

Based on a comment in the thread (the original writeup is gone), the owner did not have supplied padding installed which may have prevented the cut. I just took a look at my Leatt, and there is no exposed hard plastic that would contact my neck, even if the brace twisted. It's all covered in padding, a couple layers in some places. Maybe it's because I'm using the smallest fittings (the larger fittings might expose some plastic) or maybe the padding was revised between 2007 and now. Dunno.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

My point still stands.

 even more so, even the father in his post in your link says it most likely still saved his son from any further injury.

A cut from a rotating brace is really.. not the same as a hit on the throat.

And as NWS said, what if he had been wearing an omega ?

Would it have been ANY help if it started to rotate ? or even make things worse as it would get really out of shape..

Im sure the omega has its merits, but the "throat" argument just doesnt work.


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## mykel (Jul 31, 2006)

No dog in this hunt, but ANY possible cut to the throat is worysome....to many critical gubbins around this area 
Crush vs Cut - both can kill.

just my first thoughts....

michael


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## Ripzalot (Jan 13, 2004)

just a quick note to say i LOVE my omega brace. i wore it out biking for the first time last weekend and it was super light, got the adjustment right after one descent, never noticed it, didn't overblock any, felt like it was in the right place if i took a hit. 

a couple of thoughts in response to those questioning omega vs leatt...

i am not claiming as a fact that it's better which is why i posed this thread as a question. 

if you bought a Leatt, don't feel dissed. it's a good brace too. yes, lots of people use them, lots of people like them, whatever. i'm sure alpinestars and others are good too. don't feel threatened. it's only a hundred bucks or whatever difference and in reality you will likely never encounter the specific situation in which there might be an issue. 

no worries, DeanH. i'm not attacking you, hence the winky. i am a skeptic by nature too. but what is the source of your skepticism? i mean, why do you want to believe that leatt is better than omega (or that omega has no advantage)? btw, what i said was true - don't believe for one second that just because you can't find something on google that it doesn't exist. google isn't all knowing and some people don't post their accidents on the internet.

having said all THAT....i do believe that in my accident (read above) that i would have made contact with my throat due to the nature of the accident. you can be skeptical if it makes you feel better about your purchase decision. if you don't understand what i described, i will be happy to describe it in more detail and perhaps diagram it out for you.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

well tbh, i feel using a brace is a bigger hazard then not at all 

i dont wear one, as when doing a lot of research into if its good or not, only left me with more questions as there have been no real scientific proof these do more or less harm then not wearing one at all.

THere is Leatts own research which seems to be the closest to it, but i would put any manufacturers claims down to being biased no matter what.

In the end, everyone should use/wear what they think is best, more safety equipment cant be bad, but at some point its hard to tell whats fashion and whats function. And if to use or not is 100% a personal decesion.


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## mn910 (Feb 7, 2011)

You guys need to realized that the real benifits of the omega ove the rest of the braces is not the throat issue it is the fact that the brace does not sit directly on your spinal column. There has been more parapal;igic injuries over the last two years in mx then ever before in the history of the sport. The way the leatt sits, it acts like a can opener for your spine in a hard scorpion style crash. as well on a hard forward head motion it will result in broken clavicals. the omega sits on the chest muscle and the thorax (muscles beside the spine) therefor getting away from the nasty leatt injuries. 

Just thought you guys should know what the real issue is. i wear a omega, it doesn't quite give the chin down neck protection of the leatt but it is much safer in spinal related crashes. 

Have fun and ride fast


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## NorKal (Jan 13, 2005)

mn910 said:


> You guys need to realized that the real benifits of the omega ove the rest of the braces is not the throat issue it is the fact that the brace does not sit directly on your spinal column. There has been more parapal;igic injuries over the last two years in mx then ever before in the history of the sport. The way the leatt sits, it acts like a can opener for your spine in a hard scorpion style crash. as well on a hard forward head motion it will result in broken clavicals. the omega sits on the chest muscle and the thorax (muscles beside the spine) therefor getting away from the nasty leatt injuries.
> 
> Just thought you guys should know what the real issue is. i wear a omega, it doesn't quite give the chin down neck protection of the leatt but it is much safer in spinal related crashes.
> 
> Have fun and ride fast


Can you back up any of that with hard data?


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## NWS (Jun 30, 2010)

Like, the names of a few riders whose spines broke at the base of the Leatt.

Since there were more in the last two years than every before, those names should not be hard to find, for someone so well informed in these matters.


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