The right pair of safety stirrups is one of the few gear upgrades that genuinely changes what happens when you come off. If your boot hangs up in a rigid iron during a fall, the horse is coming down with you. A release mechanism on the outer branch is the difference between a dusting of sand and a moon boot, and that's the whole pitch in one sentence. Here's our honest rundown of every safety stirrup we can put in a box and post to you, all from Freejump, the French brand that built this category.
You'll notice this is a list of seven, not ten. That's deliberate. A top 10 padded out with stirrup-shaped jewellery and things we can't ship would be dishonest, and you'd smell it a mile off. Every model below is active in the store right now, priced off Shopify in AUD, with live stock counts. Nothing here is a brochure reprint.
Before we get into it: if you're pairing new irons with new straps, read our stirrup leathers guide afterwards. The Soft'Up family pairs with the Freejump 4x6 and Classic Wide leathers, and the wrong leather can undo half the safety benefit.
1. New Soft'Up Pro (2026): $620 AUD
The New Soft'Up Pro is the flagship, full stop. The new-for-2026 version is 100% made in France, and the core of it is Freejump's patented flexible outer branch in Elastollan: in a fall, the branch flexes away and your boot comes out instead of staying welded to the horse. Inside, a tempered spring-steel single branch takes the jolts of landing so your ankles and knees don't have to.
My take: if the budget is there, buy this one and stop thinking about it. The wide removable elastomer tread grips in the wet, and this is the stirrup you see under most of the serious show jumpers at ag shows and World Cup qualifiers alike.
The New Soft'Up Pro (2026), Freejump's flagship safety stirrup. $620 AUD.
2. Soft'Up Pro Plus: $599 AUD
The Soft'Up Pro Plus runs the same patented release system as the flagship: flexible Elastollan outer branch, spring-steel single branch under the tread. What you're choosing between here is spec and finish rather than a different idea, and at $599 it sits interestingly close to the new Pro, which is why I'd compare the two listings side by side before you click pay.
Eleven sets in stock at time of writing. If you like the Pro's engineering but prefer its predecessor's shape and price, this is your pick.
Soft'Up Pro Plus: same release system as the flagship, $599 AUD.
3. Soft'Up Classic+: $589 AUD
The Soft'Up Classic+ is the traditional-look member of the family: the same flexible outer branch that frees your foot in a fall, dressed in a more classic silhouette that suits riders who want the safety without the sporty look. The wide tread is the same principle, shock absorption through the single branch rather than your joints.
Heads up: only 4 sets left at time of writing. If you want the Classic rather than the Pro, I wouldn't sit on it.
Soft'Up Classic+: the classic look with the same release branch, $589 AUD.
4. Soft'Up Lite: $390 AUD
The Soft'Up Lite is the cheapest way into the single-branch system, and in my opinion it's the smartest money in this list. Lighter than the Pro, same flexible outer branch, same foot-freeing behaviour. What you give up is some of the flagship's plushness, not the safety.
This is the one I put teenagers and everyday training riders on. Fourteen in stock, and at $390 it undercuts the family nicely.
Soft'Up Lite: the $390 entry into the single-branch system.
The rider's take: I'll be honest, the first time someone quoted me near $600 for stirrups I laughed. Then two rounds into a show in Soft'Ups I stopped laughing. My left ankle used to ache for two days after a full schedule in rigid irons, and the flexible branch takes that jolt instead of your joints. The one time my boot got deep on a dodgy take-off, the branch gave exactly the way it's designed to and my foot came straight out. That's the whole pitch, really.
5. Air'S Full Black: $435 AUD
The Air'S Full Black takes a different route to the same goal. No metal single branch: instead an elastomer sole over a mechanical joint that Freejump calls an "air cushion", absorbing the shock of landing while the whole outer side gives way under force. The all-black finish is stealthy and the listing includes custom colour options if black isn't your thing.
Six in stock. This is the one I recommend to eventers on a budget: cushioning for the jumping phases, release when it matters.
Air'S Full Black: elastomer air cushion and a release outer branch, $435 AUD.
6. Air'S Full Black Dressage Edition: $435 AUD
The Dressage Edition is the same Air'S mechanics in a full-black, ring-appropriate presentation, right down to details that pass the fussiest gear steward. Same elastomer-sole cushioning, same give-way outer branch, just dressed for the white boards.
Four in stock. If you compete dressage and jump, this and a Soft'Up Lite on a second saddle covers both worlds for under a grand.
Air'S Dressage Edition: the air cushion system in full-black competition trim.
7. Air Pure: $575 AUD
The Air Pure is the dressage-first flagship: a wide, super-grip floor over Freejump's shock-absorbing elastomer-and-mechanical system, built so long hours in a big trot stop grinding on your joints. Of everything in this list it feels the most planted under your foot, which is exactly what you want when the judge is looking at your leg.
Fair warning: 2 left in stock. If the Air Pure is your pick, today is the day.
Air Pure: Freejump's dressage-first safety stirrup, $575 AUD.
Bonus: the $40 budget option for standard irons
Not everyone needs new stirrups, and this is the cheapest genuine safety upgrade in the store: the Elastic Stirrup Belt from Lady Godiva Equestrian, $40. It's a rubber-band release belt that retrofits a standard pair of irons so the outer side lets go if a small foot gets trapped. It's the classic peacock principle, and for kids on lead-line ponies it's hard to argue with 96 in stock and a $40 price tag. Pair it with the rest of the gear in our kids riding collection for the full junior safety kit.
The Elastic Stirrup Belt: a $40 release upgrade for standard irons.
The Comparison, Side by Side
| Model | Price (AUD) | Best for | Release / cushion system | Stock today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Soft'Up Pro (2026) | $620 | Serious jumping, all-round flagship | Flexible Elastollan branch + spring steel | 18 |
| Soft'Up Pro Plus | $599 | Pro spec, previous generation | Flexible Elastollan branch + spring steel | 11 |
| Soft'Up Classic+ | $589 | Classic looks, full safety | Flexible outer branch | 4 |
| Soft'Up Lite | $390 | Everyday training, teens | Flexible outer branch, lighter build | 14 |
| Air'S Full Black | $435 | Eventing, all-rounders | Elastomer air cushion + joint | 6 |
| Air'S Dressage Edition | $435 | Dressage on a budget | Elastomer air cushion, full black | 4 |
| Air Pure | $575 | Dressage-first flagship | Super-grip shock-absorbing floor | 2 |
| Elastic Stirrup Belt | $40 | Kids on standard irons | Rubber-band retrofit release | 96 |
Prices and stock checked against the live store today, 12 October 2026. Everything above ships from our stirrups collection with Freejump models also browsable in the full Freejump range.
What Are Safety Stirrups and How Do They Work?
Every design in this list chases the same outcome: your foot must come out of the stirrup when things go wrong. Rigid irons are a closed loop, and a trapped boot turns a small fall into a drag. How each design gets there differs. Freejump's Soft'Up family uses a flexible Elastollan outer branch that deforms under abnormal force and springs back after. The Air'S and Air Pure lines use an elastomer "air cushion" sole over a mechanical joint. The old-school peacock style (and our $40 belt) does it with a rubber ring on the outside that bails out entirely.
What none of them will do is stop you falling. The job is limiting what happens after your foot slips deep and the horse keeps moving.
How to Fit Safety Stirrups on Your Saddle
Fitting is the same as any iron, with one extra check. Run your stirrup leathers through the tread's bar, flat side against the leather, and hang the stirrup at your ankle bone from the sitting position. Then the extra bit: bounce your weight in the tread and watch that the branch sits square, not twisted, because a twisted branch releases late.
Preparing the saddle before a ride, where the stirrup check starts.
On width: you want about a finger of clearance either side of your boot at its widest point. Freejump treads run wide on purpose. If you ride in chunky paddock boots with half chaps, size up, and if you're running new straps, our stirrups and leathers range carries the Freejump 4x6 and Classic Wide leathers the Soft'Up family is designed around.
Safety Stirrups With Cage, Bands or Elastic: Which Style?
Beyond the Freejump system there are three older styles you'll still see at every pony club. Cage stirrups (peacock irons) wrap the outside in a rubber ring that pops off under load. Bent-leg stirrups use a steel outer arm that bends sideways to let the foot escape. Elastic-band belts, like our $40 Lady Godiva retrofit, bolt the same idea onto a standard iron.
All three work; all three are bulkier and heavier than a Soft'Up. If your stirrups need to do double duty as your everyday pair and your safety pair, that weight and cage catches on the saddle flap, and that's the honest trade for the price. Browse the rest of the riding kit while you're weighing it up.
Best Safety Stirrups for Jumping, Dressage and Eventing
For jumping, get the deepest cushion you can afford: New Soft'Up Pro if budget allows, Soft'Up Lite if it doesn't. Eventers can save money on the Air'S Full Black, which cushions the jumping phases without dressing too sporty for the dressage phase. Pure dressage riders should look at the Air Pure first and the Air'S Dressage Edition second, both at home beside a good dressage saddle pad under a big-moving horse.
Show jumping, where a release branch is worth more than any badge on your jacket.
And whatever your discipline, this is one half of your safety kit. The other half is on your head: check our riding helmet range before show season, because helmet standards changed and January 2027 is closer than it looks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which safety stirrups are best?
For most riders, the Soft'Up family: New Soft'Up Pro at the top of the budget, Soft'Up Lite for everyone else. Dressage riders should start with the Air Pure or Air'S Dressage Edition. Kids on standard irons are well served by the $40 Elastic Stirrup Belt.
What are bent leg safety stirrups?
Stirrups with a steel outer arm that permanently angles away from the tread and bends further sideways to free a trapped foot. They work, but they're heavier and more old-fashioned than the flexible-branch designs Freejump uses, which achieve the same release with less metal.
Are Freejump stirrups worth the money?
If you jump or ride young horses regularly, yes. You're paying for a release system that has one job and does it every time, plus shock absorption your ankles will notice by Sunday. If you hack quiet horses twice a week, the Lite or even the $40 belt covers you honestly.
Can you use safety stirrups for dressage?
Yes. The Air'S Dressage Edition and the Air Pure are styled for the ring, and plenty of riders show in blacked-out Soft'Ups at lower levels. As always, check the current rules for your grade and discipline before a big show, since equipment rules change.
Are magnetic stirrups competition legal?
In the United States, USEF competitions have banned magnetic stirrups, so international riders can't use them there. In Australia, check the current EA rules for your discipline before showing in a new model. We don't stock magnetic stirrups; every model we sell relies on mechanical release.
Safety stirrups for kids: which should I choose?
For little ones on lead line and standard irons, the Elastic Stirrup Belt ($40) is the cheapest genuine upgrade in the store. For kids on their own saddle, the Soft'Up Lite is the lightest model in the family and easy for small feet to find the tread. Browse the rest of the junior kit in our kids riding collection.
What size safety stirrups do I need?
Same rule as any iron: about a finger's width of clearance either side of your boot at its widest point. Freejump treads run deliberately wide, so if you ride in thick-soled boots and half chaps, go up a width rather than squeezing into a smaller tread.
Ready to Upgrade Your Stirrups?
Every model in this list is in stock right now at iRide EQ, priced in AUD and posted Australia-wide. Browse the full safety stirrup range, match it with Freejump leathers, and pair it with a current-standard helmet so both halves of your safety kit are up to date.
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