Ride Engine Saber Vs Mystic Stealth (Saber Review)
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- A look at Ride Engines new Hardshell with torsional flex. How it compares to the stealth harness and an in-depth review of the Saber in general.
To help you understand what the Saber is like, I’ll be making a comparison to the Mystic Stealth Harness. This is more a review of the Saber than a full comparison but doing a small comparison will help the review be more in depth and hopefully help you decide if this is the harness for you.
the first difference is the weight. The Saber is heavier granted, it was not designed to be the lightest harness out there. It was designed for comfort and support. While holding these harnesses with the spreader bars attached they were similar in weight but I could tell by feel that the stealth is lighter. Now on the water, this won’t impact performance as the weight of a harness is at your center of gravity. If you are packing an airline bag, you’ll save a few ounces with Mystic.
In regards to feel, I find that I hardly notice the stealth while wearing it. It's super lightweight and easy to forget it's there. In contrast, I really felt the Saber but in a good way. The plush padding is super encompassing and wraps around your body for a secure fit. I rode this harness 3 days in a row and I found that when I get tired or sore, I enjoy the extra support offered from the Saber.
The Saber pays the price for being heavier but the inside is also softer. I mentioned in my Mystic review that some had expressed concern that the stealth wasn’t as comfortable if you wear it shirtless. I never found it uncomfortable personally. The Saber does get a 10 out of 10 for soft comfort on the skin. The extra padding feels awesome.
As for the stealth spreader bar compared to the unity, you can see they look very similar. Ride Engine has a sleeker design. Mystic has wider wings and a wider bar in general. The entry latch is similar on these spreader bars as well. Ride Engine takes a bit more muscle to open and close the latch. You also have the option of removing the spreader bar on both sides. This helps you get the unity system more snug on your core. An added benefit is you can remove and swap to a rope or windsurf spreader bar with ease as there is no webbing to deal with.
The unity is best paired with the ladder lock system that comes with the Saber Harness. This system very much reminds me of a snowboard binding. You can easily set the fit exactly where you want it. It’s easy to use and removes a lot of the difficult making adjustments that would come with standard webbing found on every other harness.
I wouldn't be surprised to see most harnesses move in this direction. Its actually really innovative. Ride Engine led the charge with the first hardshell, then they had to play catchup with the spreader bar but they took it one practical step further than everyone else. The unity and Ladder lock were cool enough to convince me to cross over. I do think Mystic is amazing and I’ve been nothing but happy with my harnesses over the years. It was time for a change and this new system was compelling enough to make the leap.
I think the Ride Engine Saber is a good fit for anyone who has tried a hardshell but didn’t like the locked in feel. Having some torsional flex is something I prefer in a harness and what initially led me to use Mystic in the first place.
In summary I’m excited to see these companies compete and make practical improvements to the gear. I’ll be using Ride Engine for 2021 and putting out more reviews on the gear as I go. If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments of the video or give the shop a ring.
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Great review, exactly the two harnesses I'm thinking of. I intent to like the RE's comfort, but also the lightweight and compact Stealth for traveling. So I will need to await when the RE drops in the stores here to compare the personal feeling. Any suggestions how to best try this in store? One thing I missed, how about short leash connection to the front? In any case, despite being a huge investment, it will be a major upgrade from my Brunotti smartshell which I really start to dislike more and more after 2-3 years. Thanks for another great review, keep it up!!!
Thanks Rygo. I however do miss a real comparison AND honest own opinion. Which one do you prefer? We all know that it will be depend on the shape of your body, and I don't think it boils down to the fact that one clip is a little bit more difficult to close, etc. I notice a bit that you get these harnesses for free and you want to stay friends with Mystic as well as RE. So just my 2 cents, give your honest opinion and don't let the brands (or the free give aways) influence you in these kind of comparisons, otherwise these comparisons have no value. Cheers
Right on bob. Thanks for the feedback. I’m having a tougher time comparing things outside of kites haha. I feel like harnesses are super subjective and difficult to get wrong if the brand is paying attention. Mystic and Ride Engine are the two brands I personally enjoy the most at the shop. They carry a few other major brands as well.
These harnesses belong to MACkite. I just borrowed them for a review. 🙌🏻 so no worries RE didn’t comp me a harness.
I will be choosing the Saber for 2021 after testing them all.
My goal is to help people understand what they are getting out of each product as well as possible to help them decide. I’ll work on conveying important points on these kind of products. For these two, Mystic has a lighter build and does a lot for being so streamlined. Highly engineered product. Ride engine is heavier but really is a lot more supportive and soft. I’m definitely geeking on the newness factor with the ladder lock. - Rygo
Thanks for this Rygo, appreciated!
I enjoyed the review, I just wonder how much does the ladder lock on the Saber prevent the spreader bar rotating up or do the wings do all the work like on the Stealth? I have tried a Stealth bar on my 2019 Ride Engine but it doesn't fit very well and still rotates
The Ladder Lock seems to be more for adjustments and getting a tight fit. I think the wings do the heavy lifting when it comes to preventing the rotation. When pairing the stealth bar with the stealth or majestic harness I’ve never had any twisting. Same for the unity so long as it was tight. I know you can mix brands but I imagine it’s not perfect when you do. - Rygo
When I watched this video 2 years ago, I decided on the Ride Engine Saber. After testing it for two years, I wouldn't even recommend this harness to a kite student. I had two blow ups where the mechanism on the side came off. Both times I almost lost the bar and the kite. It's extremely difficult to put the harness back together with the kite powered up. Now the hook has broken. Unbelievable, but the metal has broken. As a result, I cut myself on the reef, which led to an infection. Ride Engine only made empty promises. Now I've made it my mission to badmouth the harness wherever I can. I won't stop talking people out of Ride Engine. And the best thing is, I am doing you a favor by staying away from this faulty product
Awesome video! It would be really valuable to get a comparison between the two new RE harnesses? I want to go for the Elite V6 for maximum support coming from an older soft shell, however I don’t know if the Saber will be more suitable.
@Ryan Goloversic epic! Can’t wait man.
I typically tighten my Ride Engine harness while riding because I like it super tight, can’t do that with this ladder lock system. The only thing I imagine could solve this would be if you could close the locks with lot of tension, is that the case?
Hi Rygo, nice review like you always do! Does the ride engine has a knife pocket like the mystic? Regards.
Hi Rygo,
GREAT Rewiev 👍
I love the new concept of these harness but I m really worry about wearing my wakeboard impact vest below the harness(which is mandatory when foiling in light wind). The rigidity of the shell make me think it won't fit well with the vest. Today I have an old mystic Shadow that is soft. Any thoughts / test with impact vest on?
Hey, is the saber good harness for big air?
Thank you for sharing the stoke, my friend. 🤙🏽 Yeah, the Saber is an awesome harness, regardless of your riding style. Good winds! -Aaron
www.mackiteboarding.com/search.php?search_query=%22ride+engine+saber%22§ion=product
what size spreader bar do you have on your saber ?
Is there a reason why in all your harness your safety leash is attached to the back of the harness instead of the side metal ring?
It’s a classic way to use a leash for handle passing. - Rygo