Ride Engine Saber Vs Mystic Stealth (Saber Review)

This week I’m going to do a review on the Ride Engine Saber harness. To help you understand what this harness 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. So if it sounds like I’m leaning too much towards the Saber in the review, don’t be mistaken. I used Mystic for three years straight and I think they are simply awesome! A more fair comparison would be the Ride Engine Carbon Elite vs the Stealth but as the Saber and Stealth both offer Torsional flex and I’ve used both I’ll start with this comparison.

So right out of the gate, 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. 

Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic

Many people dream of quitting their job, traveling the world and pursuing their passions. Rygo is one of those people who pulled the trigger. A few years into his career, he decided to change everything and travel as a kiteboarder, freelance videographer & writer. His mission is to share the stoke & help people put the boarding into their kiteboarding. Get outside and kite!

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Producer of: Ride with Blake I Sessions I Versus I Destinations I Foil Fridays