THE BEST MOTORCYCLE JACKET YOU CAN BUY
When it comes to buying the best Motorcycle Jacket for you, you need to take into consideration how you intend to use it. Motorcycle jackets are an important part of the protective gear for our riders and should be as carefully selected as helmets and gloves. For instance, the best Motorcycle Jacket for someone planning on travelling across the desert heat of northern Africa will be significantly different to someone that's touring the UK in April.
What Features should my Motorcycle Jacket have?
The most important features to check on any of the Motorcycle Jackets you choose include these:
- Outer Material: Will it last, is it abrasion-resistant?
- Waterproofing: Is it breathable, is it reliable?
- Ventilation options: Does airflow reach the torso, or does it only vent inside the jacket lining?
- What armour is installed at the impact points?
- Durability of the fasteners: How long will those zip pulls last?
- Visibility: Many motorists collide with motorbikes saying they never saw them coming, will you be seen?
- Comfort features: Comfort, for no better reason than a comfortable ride is also a safer, more alert ride!
- Fit: Does the jacket fit correctly, is the protection in its proper place should a crash occur, but is the jacket still flexible enough for you to comfortably control your bike?
'You get what you pay for' is as true for motorcycle jackets as it is for a coffee machine! The old sayings never fail us when it comes to motorcycle gear. You will always find cheaper Motorcycle Jackets, with some supermarkets offering them these days for less than £80. Is it going to be a reliably waterproof jacket? Probably not. Is it going to have strong and durable seams that won't burst on impact? Possibly, possibly not. Is it going to have CE-approved armour at all of the impact points: Yes, as that is required now - how comfortable is that limb protection? For budgetting: Be prepared to spend anywhere from £120 to £1,200 on your motorcycle jacket.
For the average short-distance commuter, you can be pretty comfortable spending in the region of £200-£300 on your motorcycle jacket and that will be a good, solid choice. For the all-year motorway commuter or hardcore tourer, you will want to spend more than that in order for your motorcycle jacket to give you benefits like:
- Guaranteed waterproofing from Gore-Tex.
- A Laminate construction, which prevents the outer material from absorbing rain water, preventing the jacket from getting heavy and allowing it to dry fully over night.
- Versatility to be cool and vented in the heat, yet insulated and dry in the cold!
- Generally, more durability and a longer product lifespan
No, absolutely not: Lightweight Summer Motorcycle Jackets tend to have mesh panels which are not waterproof. It is generally accepted that motorcycle jackets have 4 different levels of waterproofing:
- Not Waterproof: These Jackets are not waterproof, and are generally best for dry Summer riding
- Water Resistant This means the outer shell is treated to bead water off rather than absorb it. These are fine for very light showers, but the waterproofing does not last in heavy downpours, and the fabric needs to be regularly re-treated. On our site, we do not class ANY 'water-resistant' jacket as waterproof.
- Fixed or removable Waterproof Liners: Your jacket is waterproof by way of a membrane layer that is waterproof, windproof, breathable and durable at varying levels. That membrane is either permanently fixed between the motorcycle jacket's shell fabric and inner lining, or it constructed as an inner jacket that can be removed. Either way, without that liner membrane the Motorbike Jacket is not waterproof and the quality of the membrane is a huge factor as to whether the waterproofing will last and how comfortable the jacket is inside. Motorcycle Jackets with a Gore-Tex branded liner come with a lifetime waterproof guarantee for as long as the jacket lives.
- Laminate constructions: This is quite a new method - This is where the waterproof membrane is bonded to the outer shell of the jacket. The benefit of this is not only that water cannot penetrate the fabric shell, it means that the fabric doesn't get soaked in rain water. This means it doesn't get heavy in a downpour, it doesn't take days to dry, and it doesn't contribute to heatloss whilst riding. It's the most reliable of the waterproofing methods, and the Gore-Tex versions come with a lifetime waterproof guarantee, although they can be quite pricey.
Within our product naming rules, if you see the words 'WP' this means that it is a Waterproof Motorcycle Jacket. Our Gore-Tex Motorcycle Jackets can be spotted by 'GTX' featuring in the product name. Laminate waterproofing has the word Laminate in the product name.
We offer different ways to make purchasing your best motorcycle jacket easier, including a "pay monthly" option on 0% APR. To find out more how buying your motorcycle jacket on finance could work, see our practical explanation of the different flexible payment options here.
