hf1

I just received in the mail a Momo Pro Racer 3-layer suit (supposedly pretty light at 400 gr/sqm) plus Nomex underwear and tried everything on... It fit me perfectly and it made me look like I own all podiums but, boy, do I feel like I have way too much stuff on top of me!! I could go skiing in a -10F blizzard geared up like this! Technically, there are FOUR Nomex layers in this set-up if you count the underwear.

I see there are 2-layer SFI/FIA rated suits and, IIRC, Stand21 suits are all 2-layer. They also seem to be among the most concerned manufacturers about heat-stress to the racer. Would a 2-layer suit + a Nomex underwear equal the fire retardant properties of wearing a 3-layer suit buck naked? If so, the former alternative is superior since I can change/wash the underwear much more often than wash the whole 3-layer suit in the latter option.

Related, I asked in another thread about wearing cotton underwear under a Nomex suit and in response I was shown videos of how cotton burns much faster than Nomex when exposed to a direct (flash) fire. The question remains, are there studies (or videos) showing the difference between wearing cotton vs Nomex but UNDER a 2 or 3 layer Nomex suit?

I'm all about not skimping on safety gear and having as much safety as possible but it seems to me there are other costs that start to creep up as Nomex layers are being piled on. One is decreased comfort (sweating like a pig!) which both spoils the fun and decreases concentration. The other is heat stress and increased risk of a heart attack.

I would appreciate hearing people's experiences with different suits. Are Stand21 suits really THE reference, and how much do they cost?

winders

I really like the Sparco suits. The Superleggera M-9 suits weighs just 230g/sq m and is three layers.

Scott

Coochas

This season I started wearing the OMP One Evo suit which is simply amazing. Sooooo light. It is 3-layers and 235 g/m2. I used to have the entry level Sparco suit and this is night and day.
And Clark at Apex gave me a great price!

hf1

Scott, Dave, both great suggestions. Would love to hear more from others, as well.
Wow, 230-235 gr/sqm is almost HALF the weight of the Momo I just tried! It's like wearing two suits.
At this point I'm almost sure I'll be returning the Momo suit back.

KaiB

I've had a Sparco Superleggera for two seasons now. It's a wonderful light airy suit, but in all honesty...

...compared to a new Stand21 it seems heavy and dense. It has never felt hot though and the extra $ may or ay not be worth it to you (for the Stand).

The Sparco does have a nice minty smell though.

DOUGLAP1

I was at the Stand21 store a few weeks ago, and the sales guys there had a demonstration of how easy it is to blow air through one of their 5 layer suits. Definitely better air flow than my old Simpson suit.

hf1

Kai, thanks. Which model Stand21 and how much?

MUSSBERGER

Stand21 is the $hit. If I am able to continue track driving that will be my next suit.

hf1

Stuff like this confuses me. Is the purpose of a suit to just not melt when exposed to a fire or to ALSO prevent the fire from reaching your skin? If air can easily blow through an expensive suit wouldn't this mean fire can easily reach my skin? Somehow it seems that my Momo "tank" of a suit would block away much more fire than a "breathable" expensive one. Feels like a game of marketing Whack-A-Mole at this point with the simple equation being: How much discomfort will your a** take for the benefit of being extra safe? Or is extra comfort AND extra safety actually achievable?

EDIT: To use reductio ad absurdum, wouldn't wearing just a couple of layers of Nomex underwear make the most breathable Nomex suit? It would be pretty light and cheap too. Not the safest maybe, but surely the most comfortable one.

Thoughts?

mglobe

I bought a Spraco Xlight Evo4 from OG this year. It is wonderful. So much better than the Simpson I had previously. I can't say how it compares to Stand21, but it is very lightweight, 3 layers, and breathes pretty well. I love it, and would never go back to a suit that was heavier.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

That may be a Freudian statement regarding a possible race car project,...

Matt Romanowski

To check the "fire retardency" you have to compare the SFI numbers (after the /). Here is a good article about it http://www.sfifoundation.com/driversuit.html

An important thing to remember is to not wear synthetic fabrics underneath your suit. They will melt to your skin. The Army stopped issue shirts with "Army" on the front because when guys are exposed to IED blasts, they are getting a permanent "Army" brand on their chest.

Surfbum

Got a Stand 21 "Air Force" model, put the air blower option through the coolsuit box into the suit and it is amazing cooler that my Sparco super light.
Caution though it is crazy expensive and designed to be worn with their underwear.

Toby Pennycuff

Ditto on Surfbum's comments.... I have a Stand21 ST3000 suit. Five years old, 2-layer and the most comfortable suit I own. All my gear is Stand21. Wouldn't buy anything else!

hf1

OK, now I'm intrigued. So how much are Stand21 suits? What's with all this secrecy?