Yeah - the difference is that with the brush guards, 5-10 mph causes collateral damage worse than if you had just a stock front end...and zero damage with a steel bumber.

Obviously, after a certain impact force, as the aftermarket bumpers are attached to the frame horns, which are not titanium rail road ties running the length of the truck, etc...the frame will absorb the impact as normal, and crush zones will absorb crash forces as noraml, and if the rate of decelleration would hurt you, the air bags will deploy as normal.

The advantages is that the forces are distributed across both horns, and across the entire face of the steel bumper....rather than making a point of entry type penetration typical of a stock crash...

Which means that the severity of the impact is diluted, and your rate of decelleration is slower, so you are less likely to be hurt.

It also takes more impact force to CAUSE any damage...I've hit full sized deer at hwy speeds with zero damge to my Shrock, or to the truck, other than fleshy shards requiring clean-up etc. (Venison Puree...)

People who hit deer with a Brush Guard typically need a new radiator, brush guard, hood, fenders, bumper, etc...and their air bags sometimes go off too.....

Replacing fired off air bags is very expensive....and involves a lot of downtime btw.

I'd much rather have a Shrock, venison puree, and no truck damage, than a Brush Guard, and need a new front end and the airbags replaced, etc.