These motocross neck braces were tested by six riders of varying skill levels, sizes, and ages. Everything written in this article is based on the opinions of these riders. If you haven’t read the full story on each of these motocross neck braces and would like to before reading this CLICK HERE.
Price:
1. Neck Roll – $39.95
2. EVS R4 – $119.00
3. Omega X1 – $249.95
4. Alpinestars BNS – $289.99 – 399.99
5. Atlas – $299.00
6. Leatt Moto GPX – $299.00 – $699.00
Weight (with straps):
1. Neck Roll – .54 lbs; 243 grams
2. EVS R4 – 1.47 lbs; 665 grams
3. Omega X1 – 1.69 lbs; 771 grams
4. Leatt Moto GPX Club – 1.94 lbs; 882 grams
5. Atlas – 2.19 lbs; 992 grams
6. Alpinestars BNS SB – 2.21 lbs; 1002 grams
Overall Comfort:
1. Atlas
2. Alpinestars SB
3. Omega X1
4. (Tie) Leatt Moto GPX / EVS R4
6. Neck Roll
Comments: This was a pretty easy one to figure out. Everyone found the Atlas and Alpinestars BNS to be very comfortable. Some found the Omega X1 to be most comfortable, but it lost some points because it didn’t fit our 240 lb test rider and was difficult to adjust for some. Most found the Leatt Moto GPX to be very restrictive and it tied with the EVS R4 because, although some people really liked the R4, others absolutely hated it. No one particularly liked or hated the Leatt. The neck roll wasn’t at the very bottom of everyone’s list, but was never above the middle either, so it ended up last.
Ease of Use:
1. Neck Roll
2. Atlas
3. Alpinestars BNS
4. Leatt Moto GPX
5. Omega X1
6. EVS R4
Comments: It’s very hard to beat the simple velcro closure of the neck roll. The Atlas slides over your head with no buckles and comes with two different straps for you to choose from – one similar to Alpinestars’ and one a very improved version of the Leatt’s. Some people, with larger noggins didn’t like the simple over the head design of the Atlas. Alpinestars BNS has one boot style buckle on the front and is simple to use once you get the hang of it, the x-strap is super simple when you get the hang of it too. The Leatt Moto GPX has two latches or buckles, whatever you prefer to call them, most of our test riders just used one and used the other as a pivot, sometimes we felt like we were chasing the strap around when trying to hook it up. The Omega X1 should be right up at the top of this list,as it just slides on, but its strap is absolutely horrible and can be a real pain in the ass at times. The EVS R4 has a simple push button style latch, but it can be hard to use, especially when wearing gloves. Adding to the difficulty is velcro padding that spans the gap where the brace comes together (you need to undo the latch and the velcro) and a kind of weird strap system that you either have to un-velcro or kind of take up over head like a shirt to get arms out – hard to explain until you see it.
Strap System:
1. Atlas
2. Alpinestars BNS
3. Leatt Moto GPX
4. (Tie) Omega X1 / EVS R4
Comments: The Atlas took the win easily in this category. It came with an x-strap system like the Alpinestars BNS and another strap system that can best be described as a very improved version of the Leatt’s system. The x-strap that comes with the Alpinestars BNS is uncomfortable off the track, but unnoticeable and very effective on the track. Can’t really say anything bad about the Leatt strap, but it’s nothing special, it’s a strap and it does its job. Both the EVS R4 strap and the Omega X1 strap can be a real pain in the ass at times. The Omega X1 strap is less of a pain in the ass most of the time, but the EVS R4 strap is much more effective.
Adjustability:
1. Atlas
2. Leatt Moto GPX
3. Omega X1
4. Alpinestars BNS
5. (Tie) Neck Roll / EVS R4
Comments: The top 3 are all very adjustable. The Atlas beats the Leatt Moto GPX because the width is adjustable. The Omega X1 lost to the Leatt Moto GPX because it wasn’t wearable for our larger test rider and even though you don’t have to use tools to adjust the Omega X1, it is more difficult to get adjusted correctly. The Alpinestars BNS isn’t adjustable, but has many different sizes available. Both the neck roll and the EVS R4 aren’t very adjustable and are only available in youth and adult sizes.
Neck Brace Design:
1. Omega X1
2. Atlas
3. Alpinestars BNS
4. Leatt Moto GPX
5. EVS R4
6. Neck Roll
Comments: The Omega X1 wins this department because of its open front, flexible design and because it rests on your back and chest muscles instead of your sternum and spine. The Omega X1 is designed to absorb energy and direct it away from your sternum and spine while protecting your neck. The fact that it’s flexible helps because in theory this would lower the chance of causing another injury while protecting your neck. The open front limits potential injuries to the front of your neck. Atlas comes in second because of its flexible design and the fact that it rests on your chest and back muscles (explained above). Alpinestars BNS is third because they did a lot of testing using cadavers, but they lose points for the brace resting on the sternum and spine. The Leatt Moto GPX was designed by a doctor (Dr. Chris Leatt) and tested using some sort of test dummy, so it beats out the EVS R4 and neck roll becuase who knows how the design was developed for these products? We are not doctors though and we had no way to actually test these theories, they are the culmination of companies’ claims and reading other reviews.
Styling:
1. Alpinestars BNS
2. Atlas
3. Leatt Moto GPX
4. EVS R4
5. Omega X1
6. Neck Roll
Comments: This category really depends on your personal preference. Alpinestars BNS won, with Atlas and Leatt Moto GPX coming in second and 3rd with help from the color options available for these two braces. EVS R4 gets 4th, it was easy to beat out the not so awesome looking padding on the Omega X1 (you have to see it in person to understand). The neck roll was the subject of many jokes and was the obvious loser in this category.
Overall Ranking:
1. Atlas
2. Alpinestars BNS
3. Omega X1
4. Leatt Moto GPX
5. EVS R4
6. Neck Roll
Comments: This is the final ranking we came up with. Every single rider really liked the Alpinestars BNS and Atlas neck braces. Atlas edges out the Alpinestars BNS due to design and adjustability. Some people really liked the Omega X1 and ranked it at the top, but others didn’t really like it. The Omega X1 also lost points to looks, horrible strap design and the fact that its difficult to adjust for some. The Leatt Moto GPX is restrictive in almost every direction – front, back, side to side, but the EVS R4 was so restrictive in the back, it was difficult to ride in for some. The neck roll isn’t horrible, but also doesn’t really have anything going for it. If you’re looking for a budget option the EVS R4 is a good choice, but I would recommend getting the Omega X1 from BTO Sports for $164.99. They’ve got a special running on it and its better than the EVS R4 in almost every aspect for just a little more money.
If you’re looking for more info on any specific brace, visit the links below. They offer quite a bit more info (and a lot of pictures!). Don’t worry they just go to another page on our site, they aren’t gonna send you off to anywhere else!
More Info from PPS Moto:
*Everything written in this article is the opinion of PPS Moto. We are not doctors and can’t make any suggestion to which neck brace will protect you best in the event of a crash.*