Ophena S magnetic safety stirrups: ‘I really enjoyed riding in these’ *Score 8/10*

Welcome to our group test of technical stirrups. All of the stirrups in this group test have been put through their paces by professional event rider Sam Jennings. Find out what she thought below

Official description: Ophena S magnetic safety stirrups

The Ophena S magnetic safety stirrups bring safety to the next level. Thanks to a unique open design and an advanced magnetic system, getting caught becomes virtually impossible. The soft magnetic connection is enabled through a magnetic insole, which is included. And Smart Attach technology enables quicker attachment. Made in Sweden. BS Legal.

View at ophena.com

First impressions

My first thought was “wow”. I thought they were a beautiful and elegant design and they came in lovely packagaing. I was intrigued to find out how they worked and how strong the magnets were. ow does it work? How strong are the magnets? I found getting the insoles in to be a bit tight, so I would consider ordering a smaller size in the future..

Overview of performance

These stirrups were so interesting to test and I enjoyed riding in them. The magnets worked really well and were more powerful than I expected. They really keep your foot in place and if you lift your foot the stirrup comes too. They are, however, perfectly safe and would definitely detach easily if you fell off. I can see where Ophena are going with this and I’m sure it will help some riders with their position and foot placement but, personally, I like to be able to rebalance myself. I think they help you stabilise your foot to allow your hinges to work, but I wouldn’t say they enhance the comfort and support for your joints. They were also quite heavy.

They look gorgeous and the packaging was lovely. They’re so nice that I put them back in the box each time I use them, which is a faff and I’d say they were high maintenance to look after, but it shows how lovely they are. They’re not legal for BD or BE as they’re magnetic, but they are permitted by BS.

Sam’s likes and dislikes

Overall, I enjoyed riding in these stirrups but they weren’t ideal for me on an everyday basis. If you’ve got the spare cash I would say they’re a good tool to help with your training. It could be a bit of a pain if I wanted to change to other stirrups I would keep having to take the insoles in and out. They are really easy to attach to your stirrup leathers as you don’t need to completely remove the leather from the saddle to do so.

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