ArmaUrto Impact Pro Base Layer Elite

The ArmaUrto Impact Pro Base Layer Elite offers protection to your elbows and shoulders in the event of a crash. The ARMA padding is claimed to absorb 80 per cent of impacts as well as reducing road rash and hence reducing time off the bike. I found it comfortable to wear, not hampering my performance, and ideal for icy rides, commutes and some crit racing. The 3/4-length sleeves mean it's best suited to wearing under long-sleeved outer garments, and it's easy to forget you're wearing it when the temperature is below the mid teens.

Hitting the deck is one of the major drawbacks of cycling and whether you're a seasoned racer, weekend warrior or commute by bike, it all hurts the same and can lead to significant time off riding. Over the years we've seen several brands try to minimise the potential impact of these crashes with clothing such as team DSM's Dyneema-infused jersey or Castelli's Free Protect bib shorts with double layered panels over the hips. The issue with most of these protective garments is that rip-proof fabric is usually thicker and less breathable than your standard clobber, hence why we don't ride about in them all the time.

> Buy this online here

ArmaUrto says its Impact Pro baselayer is designed for use in a variety of conditions, and thanks to using the 'finest fast-wicking Italian fabrics' will still be capable of regulating body temperature effectively. There are even some videos of Cameron Jeffers (Ribble Weldtite rider) wearing one on the turbo, and as road.cc's possibly most prolific crasher, the ball fell in my court to see whether this was legitimately bearable or whether he just got paid a lot of money.

In hot conditions, the baselayer does indeed perform well, with the fast-wicking material drying fast, resulting in a more comfortable and cooler ride as the evaporative effect cools the skin. You're very unlikely to actually wear this on the turbo, so I've been using it under a winter jacket through most of the winter and under a Gabba on milder days, where it's also performed well.

The 3/4 sleeves mean that, for me at least, I'll only be pairing it with long-sleeved jerseys or jackets, giving it an upper limit of about 12 or 13°C when worn with a lightweight jersey. At these temperatures the padding was easy to forget about, but it wouldn't be my first choice for hot summer climbing because of the shoulder and elbow pads limiting breathability in these areas.

Those pads are made from a material that feels like a flexible plastic, and are about 4mm thick. They're not water absorbent so they don't get heavier when you sweat, but on a windy day it is noticeable that they block it.

As they're flexible, they conform well to the shape of the shoulders and elbows; under a jacket they're undetectable from riding buddies, and even when wearing them under a skintight jersey it doesn't look like you've walked straight out of the 1980s.

I found them perfectly comfortable for riding both in an aggressive position on my road bike with arms bent, or when riding more upright on mountain bikes and commuters.

ArmaUrto says that despite the thinness of the padding, the 'ARMA' is capable of absorbing and safely dissipating up to 80 per cent of impact energy. The pads are cleverly shaped to cover all the knobbly bits of bone on the shoulders and elbows, and although miraculously I've managed to keep it rubber side down for the last six weeks, I'm hoping that when I next fall off I'm wearing this baselayer.

Without deliberately falling off, it's rather hard to assess the effectiveness of the padding. I did try dropping a tennis ball onto it and it bounced about quarter as high as when dropped from the same height onto the ground. Scientific, eh?

What we do know is that it will drastically reduce road rash, and conforms to the EN1621-1 standard. If, like me, you don't know what that means, then here you go: EN1621-1 is a European motorcycle standard for protective clothing and ARMA has successful passed the joint protection tests carried out by SATRA. What this means is that you can be assured the baselayer will significantly decrease the chances of breaking a shoulder or elbow.

That's impressive from something that weighs just 233g, about the same as a typical set of elbow pads.

The baselayer fits well with a slightly stretchy fabric, the neck isn't so high that it sticks out the top of a typical jersey, and I found that the size medium put the pads in the right places, as the size guide said it would. The baselayer is also machine washable so no special maintenance is required.

You may have also read our recent article summing up the wind tunnel results of the ArmaUrto. Spoiler alert: it won't slow you down and might even make you a little bit quicker. The UCI is unlikely to look too kindly on padded baselayers if they do indeed offer a performance benefit, even if it does protect its riders, but this doesn't affect the vast majority of us and we can happily ride around with our shoulders and elbows protected with no significant hindrance in aerodynamics.

Value

At £109, the protection the Impact Pro offers doesn't come cheap, although there is the quite similar non-elite version for £10 less. But body armour never seems to be cheap – a quick glance through off.road.cc's recent reviews shows that you're looking at paying upwards of £60 for a pair of pads; add £30-£40 for a typical baselayer and you soon arrive at the £100ish mark.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best cycling baselayers

Only you can decide what protection from crashes is worth to you, but something else to consider is that the ARMA can withstand multiple impacts in the same place, unlike PU or EPS foams, so it's not a one hit wonder.

Conclusion

Overall, I'm impressed with the Impact Pro. As someone who often has a get down, I'd certainly be happy wearing this for any icy and off-road rides where the chances of crashing are higher, for commutes for added peace of mind, and winter crit races where I'd be wearing long sleeves over the top.

Aside from the ARMA, the baselayer itself is perfectly functional, wicking sweat well. The 3/4-length sleeves mean you'll probably want to wear it under something with long sleeves, which does restrict it to slightly chillier weather, but the padding is unrestrictive and easy to forget.

The price is high, typically double that of a similar base without the padding, but it's one that I'd personally pay a few times over to avoid another broken bone and missing skin.

Verdict

Light and comfortable base with body armour that performs well and could prevent time off the bike