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B&M Vest Restraints vs the original ones

which is better: B&M Vest Restraints or The original ones?

  • Total voters
    57
Archie

Archie

Mega Poster
Just a general question about B&Ms newer Vest Restraints. Which do you prefer? and why do most people not like the vests?
 
Personally, I prefer the original OTSRs. Yes, they’re quite simple, but I think they work well for what they’re designed to do and are perfectly comfortable. They’re pretty good as far as OTSRs go, in my opinion!

I actually used to like the vest restraints a lot in my early Swarm-riding years, but as I’ve gotten bigger (I was only 11 when I first rode Swarm), I’ve found them far less comfortable. The vests themselves are quite stiff (or at least, they are in Swarm’s case) and clasp around your chest quite tightly, and I’m also not too keen on the way they dig in and tighten during the ride. I don’t quite know why, but the tightening seems to bother me more now than it did when I was younger.
 
Depends, as a big lad I prefer the original restraints as on Nemesis or Oblivion.

However you may not notice this if you’re not ‘large’ but the ‘traditional’ restraints on Inferno, Black Mamba etc, are much less forgiving than the older ones of the AT B&Ms. They’re a LOT tighter around my shoulders and the straps are not adjustable… This is part of the reason I rate those inverts so much lower than others.
 
Nicky Borrill said:
However you may not notice this if you’re not ‘large’ but the ‘traditional’ restraints on Inferno, Black Mamba etc, are much less forgiving than the older ones of the AT B&Ms. They’re a LOT tighter around my shoulders and the straps are not adjustable… This is part of the reason I rate those inverts so much lower than others.
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Interesting to hear you say that; I honestly never thought there would be any difference! I wonder why B&M changed it?

Although seeing as I’m not especially tall at 5’9.5”, and generally have a good few inches of room above my shoulders within OTSRs (even on the likes of Colossus and Stealth/Rita, which are notoriously unkind to the tall), I guess I’m not really best placed to comment…

Also, what do you mean by the straps being “less adjustable”? Are they shorter or something?
 
Matt N said:
Interesting to hear you say that; I honestly never thought there would be any difference! I wonder why B&M changed it?

Although seeing as I’m not especially tall at 5’9.5”, and generally have a good few inches of room above my shoulders within OTSRs (even on the likes of Colossus and Stealth/Rita, which are notoriously unkind to the tall), I guess I’m not really best placed to comment…

Also, what do you mean by the straps being “less adjustable”? Are they shorter or something?
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The straps on the B&M’s at Towers are longer… So allow for more adjustment in the tightness of the restraint itself. The strap itself is not adjustable. But this isn’t the only difference, the seat feels tighter on Inferno and Mamba too… it’s subtle, but as I’m right on the edge, very noticable for me… Especially when I’ve done Towers and Thorpe trips in the same week. I always assumed the often discussed ‘heavier old style trains’ on Nemesis had something to do with it. But honestly I’ve no idea beyond personal observations over multiple visits to each park.

Interestingly, the strap itself can be adjusted on Rita, whereas it cannot on Stealth. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Again making Rita’s restraints more comfortable than Stealth’s.
 
The new age vests kill Valravn and Yukon Striker and make Banshee considerably more uncomfortable. Def the old ones
 
In order it's clearly:

1. Old restraints.

2. Vest restraints.














3. Vest restraints with locking.
 
Out of interest then, why did they feel the need to swap?
Are the vest restraints deemed to be 'safer' or do they simply accommodate a 'larger' range of riders?

Still can't be as bad as RMC restraints or those vile things Intamin used to use.
 
While I generally prefer the OG restraints, I don't really have a problem with the vest restraints. When a B&M is bumpy, I wish it had vest restraints. And when it's butter smooth, I wish it had the OGs.

As for the reason for the switch, it was the direction that the industry was trending. It provides a more forgiving system as the ride ages. The locking vest also provides a tighter, more customized fit than the OGs.
 
Not a fan of vest restraints at all. I wouldn't mind if they didn't get tighter as the ride progresses. I have a Portacath in my chest and while it doesn't cause me any pain - it can be uncomfortable/distract from the enjoyment of the ride having a vest pressing on it. The Swarm is/was the worst offender for this!
 
Find the vest quite smothering and claustrophobic, especially when you move backwards into the seat and it tightens.
 
Will said:
Out of interest then, why did they feel the need to swap?
Are the vest restraints deemed to be 'safer' or do they simply accommodate a 'larger' range of riders?

Still can't be as bad as RMC restraints or those vile things Intamin used to use.
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The newer vest restraints mean that they can manoeuvre trains in ways that include hangtime, something that is generally much more uncomfortable with the OTSRs.

Hydra is the only example of hangtime I can think of with OTSRs, and that part is just uncomfortable, whereas a lot of the newer wing coasters are able to comfortably do slow rolls, and hangtime elements.
 
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Vest restraints are fine, original OTSRs are better.

I don't mind vest restraints - I understand the marketing hype and push for why they have infiltrated Inverted and Dive Machine models. But agree original OTSRs fit a bit more snug, and allow for larger capacity/quicker load times on some B&M models.
 
I actually prefer the vest restraints over the more recent OTSRs... But I wouldn't like them to change anything else about Nemesis, for fear of it affecting the ride!!! Replace the trains like for like? Sure... But change them? NO WAY!

I do find the vests comfier, and feel they offer more freedom. However, it must be said that I don't think they would work very well on any coaster with any amount of 'air time.'
 
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Will said:
^
I don't especially like hangtime.
One reason why I'm not as enamoured with RMC as most.
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I agree tbh, I’d rather Colossus ended after the second corkscrew, and I hated Slammer. But despite this, I’ve never minded Swarms final roll. I guess cuz you’re kept in place like on a flyer.

I think both vest and OTSR have their places, both have positives and negatives. For example, if you wanted to put your arms in the air on an OTSR coaster, you’re basically blocking the person next to you from doing the same. This isn’t an issue on vest coasters cuz they’re wicer and each seat has more room.
 
Being a tall person, I prefer the vests every day. The OTSR are locking quite tight on my shoulders, limiting my movement and locking me tightly on the seat. The vests on the other hand give me a decent amount of room. In addition, I really enjoy the feeling on a dive coaster, when I "fall" a tiny bit foward until the vest locks into place.

One disadvantage of the vests: They tighten down during the ride, and with them being stepless they always close down a tiny bit until they are decently locked in the final brake. That is something, that is easier to avoid on the OTSRs.
 
I don't hate the vests as much as most. I think they work fine on some coasters (probably ones with the new gen, less tight ones but I don't know which ones those are off the top of my head) and they reduce the worry of headbanging as a few of the older or more aggressive B&Ms can throw you around a bit. I always assumed that reducing headbanging was the reason for the change. I still prefer the old style but I don't find the new style necessarily ruins a ride for me as much as it seems to do for some people.
 
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