Padded shoulders help reduce the chance of injury from karts climbing on top of one another, and times when the driver is ejected from the seat. An option that can be added to these pads is shoulder caps. These help cover the top of the outer shoulder, and are sold seperatly.

The side panels help pad the rib and kidney area of the body. Inside these panels are plastic inserts, to help distribute blows to the side of the body while driving.

To customize the vest even further, it's possible to order additional side pads. Layered pads take up that extra space in the seat, absorb the pressure on the right hand side in an oval kart, or give more padding to a previous injury.

During the summer months, the 10 to 15 minutes that it may take to run a heat or feature race can be at times almost unbearable, if not dangerous. The Cool Pad can be Velcro to the inside of the chest panel to help cool the driver. Right before a race, attach the Cool Pad as shown in the picture, zip up, and go racing. After the race, pull out the Cool Pad and toss it in an ice chest, fridge, or freezer and they’ll be ready for the next race. The Cool Pad and also be put into the top of the helmet to keep the driver's head cool. Cool Pads can be recharged in 10 to 15 minutes and can last up to an hour. Each Cool Pad comes with its own Velcro pad to attach to the inside of the Armadillo Rib Vest and most helmets. The Cool Pad can also be put in the chest pocket of previous designs of the Armadillo Rib Vest.