In today’s post we are going to show you some guidelines on how to choose a suitable CO2 cartridge for an airbag vest. Before ordering in any CO2 bottle shop it is essential to know the cartridge format needed for our airbag vest. The formats are designated by their volume: 48cc, 50cc, 60cc, etc. That is to say, the volume of the container expressed in cubic centimetres
Another aspect to take into account is the volume of gas that will be released into the waistcoat when it is activated, being this information indicated in grams (g), an indication that should be mandatory but is not always clearly indicated.
In order to maintain the exclusivity of selling cartridges to their distribution network, some manufacturers express only the total weight of the cartridge, ignoring the weight of the CO2 content, which is essential information for the purchase of a refill.
How do I know the weight of the CO2 charge in a cartridge?
To find out the weight of the CO2 charge, perform this simple operation:
Weight of the full cartridge – Weight of the empty cartridge = weight of the CO2 charge.
Also to be taken into account will be the thread used in the cartridges, being the most common for most brands the 12.70mm (1/2″) threads used in smaller volume waistcoats, generally vests for small children, and the 15.88mm (5/8″). Since each vest, depending on its manufacturer, will have a different thread for CO2 cartridges, it is important to make sure that the size is the right one.
Lately, the purchase of vests directly from commercial platforms in the Asian market has become widespread, where incredible offers can be found a priori, especially for vests intended for motorcycling. Pay special attention to the type of thread that this vest uses, as you may find yourself in the unpleasant situation of not finding CO2 bottles capable of filling your vest, since small threads are linked to small vests and are not generally used for bottles with loads greater than 30g of CO2.
Do CO2 bottles expire?
Yes, these usually have a maximum expiry date of 4 years after the date of filling and sealing engraved on the bottles themselves, reject all those CO2 bottles with prices well below the market, they are probably close to the end of their useful life, or come from suppliers of dubious reliability.
Is the manufacture of CO2 cartridges regulated?
Of course, Directive 2014/68EU is responsible for regulating the production of such products, make sure that the CO2 cartridges you purchase come from a certified manufacturer, in Vimele we have no problem in showing the certification of our supplier of CO2 cartridges.
Once you have understood all of the above, you can choose the cartridge that goes with the motorbike or riding waistcoat you have. And remember that if you have any questions about our products you can contact us.
