How Helite compares
Airbag vests aren't all built the same way, and the right one depends on how you ride and how you like to wear your gear. Here's how our Turtle range compares with five alternatives sold in New Zealand, including the areas where they do better.
~$1,400 (e-Turtle)
~$1,600 in leather
Plus In&box module, bought or rented
Plus ongoing In&box subscription
Why we don't carry EN 1621-4
EN 1621-4 measures how much force a protector absorbs at the point it's struck. We think that's the wrong question. What decides whether you walk away is how far that force is spread before it reaches you, which is exactly what an airbag with a rigid shell over it is built to do.
So Helite tests with CRITT Sport Loisirs, an independent French lab accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, against a protocol written for each specific product. Alienor Certification, an EU notified body, then issues the certificate. Both are independent third parties. Neither is Helite marking its own homework.
So that you're making an informed decision: New Zealand has no standard, mandatory or voluntary, covering motorcycle airbags from any brand, ours included. Read the full explanation
~ means approximate. Correct as at September 2026. Prices are indicative and move often, so check with each retailer. Specifications come from each manufacturer and from Bennetts BikeSocial's independent testing.
Where the Turtle range leads
The widest coverage here. Neck, chest, abdomen, back, hips and sacrum. Only the Klim and IXON match us on the neck, and nothing else covers the hips.
A hard shell over the airbag. That's what stands between you and a post, a kerb or a mirror. In CRITT testing it spread the force 10 times more effectively than the airbag alone. How Turtle Technology works
A Level 2 back protector as standard. The only one here. Bennetts found the Turtle 2's back would meet EN 1621-4 Level 2.
You pick the trigger. Lanyard or electronic, same airbag and same coverage either way. Everyone else here is electronic only.
17 to 28 litres of airbag. The only volume anyone here publishes.
Nothing to pay after you buy it. No subscription, no module fee, no service schedule. Just a cartridge when you use one, from about $55.
Worn over your jacket. Fits the gear you already own, and comes in hi-vis.
It fires even when you're stopped. With the fork sensor fitted. None of the others claim that.
Where it differs
Not certified to EN 1621-4. A deliberate choice. That test measures what a protector absorbs at the point of impact, not how far the force is spread, which isn't how a crash works. More on how CRITT testing works
The chest is the hardest area to protect. In Bennetts' toughest chest test the Turtle 2 let through about 40% less force than the Tech-Air 5 Plasma, and it's still where we're working hardest to improve.
No airbag catches every scenario. The Turtle 2's lanyard may not fire if you're hit while stationary or in a gentle low-side. The e-Turtle detects from 18 km/h, or from a standstill with the fork sensor.
It's worn on the outside. That's what lets the airbag reach your neck and hips, and puts the hard shell over your back. The trade-off is that it's visible, and in hi-vis if you want it to be.
No shoulder coverage. Of these six, only the Plasma has it.
Which one suits you
The Turtle 2 or e-Turtle makes sense if you want the widest coverage including your neck and hips, you'd rather wear it over the jacket you already own, you want the option of hi-vis, and you don't want to pay anything after the day you buy it.
One of the others may suit you better if you want the vest hidden under your jacket, if you believe EN 1621-4 certification reflects a real world crash and it's the only thing you're measuring on, or if you want the lightest option on the market.