Most motorcycle jackets are designed with one core philosophy — to protect the rider in the event of an accident. Everything else, like comfort or weather protection, is secondary. In this pursuit of safety, motorcycle jackets also lose a little bit of their style quotient and practicality. When’s the last time you saw someone wear an armored motorcycle jacket on a casual night out? Yup, probably never.
However, most riders would conclude that trading in style and everyday, casual wearability for protection is undoubtedly worth it. That said, we’re sure some of you out there are looking for form over function — perhaps, for a short ride around town — so we’ve put together this list of five stylish motorcycle jackets.
There’s one for every kind of rider on this list, from something that will look perfect with your retro cafe racer to a jacket you can wear just as confidently on and off the motorcycle.
The Difference Between a Style Jacket and an Armored Jacket
Before we proceed any further, we want to reiterate that the jackets on this list cannot be considered a replacement for a genuine motorcycle jacket. Armored jackets from brands like Dainese, Alpinestars, or Klim go through a comprehensive R&D process and rigorous testing before they make their way into the market.
So what’s the difference? Bona fide motorcycle jackets frequently use multiple layers and materials to offer the best possible impact and abrasion resistance. Other factors include fabric thickness, burst resistance, stitching location, and even down to the type of fasteners use.
A style-oriented jacket, on the other hand, while better than wearing no jacket, will not provide the same level of safety.
It makes sense to always be as safe as possible when you’re on a motorcycle, and that’s why the ‘ATGATT’ acronym is so popular in the motorcycling community. ‘All The Gear All The Time’ may not be the most practical approach, but it’s definitely the safest.
The jackets we’ve compiled for this list aren’t entirely devoid of protection and come with (or have the option to add) some basic armor.
Urban Style Jacket
Leather Skin Shop Black Moto Jacket
Leather Skin Shop is an independent company based out of Oregon, committed to producing premium leather goods with style and an affordable price. If you’re looking for a leather jacket to cruise in this season, Leather Skin Shop offers a variety of leather motorcycle-style jackets, including hooded and cafe-racer-styled selections.
Of all the options they offer, we’re most impressed with the Black Moto Jacket. Made from high-quality cowhide, the Black Moto Jacket is put together by hand with exquisite attention to detail.
The jacket also features stretch panels along the outer chest and sleeves, making for a comfortable fit. It has shoulder and elbow armor on the jacket but is important to note that it has not received a safety rating on its product page. It’s a great looking jacket if you’re looking to emphasize style over function.
The Black Moto Jacket is made in various sizes, from XS to 5XL, so you will definitely find one that fits you just right. Still, if you’re looking for something more bespoke, they can also customize your leather jacket in various colors, embroidery, and more.
First Manufacturing Co. has been around since 1987 and has built quite a name for itself by specializing in leather apparel. Their portfolio comprises everything you’d expect from an established apparel manufacturer, from belts and gloves to vests and jackets. This Top Performer Jacket is one of the company’s more popular offerings and is an excellent option if you ride a cafe racer.
The full-leather jacket has a timeless look, sporting a generous American cut and a single-snap mandarin collar. Thanks to two vented chest pockets and zipper vents on the sleeves, you should be comfortable even on a hot summer’s day. While it doesn’t come with any armor, First Manufacturing has equipped the jacket with pockets that can accommodate CE-rated armor. The jacket also features padding on the shoulders, elbow, and kidney area.
Cruiser Style Jacket
Roland Sands Ronin Leather Jacket
Roland Sands Design is an American company spearheaded by championship-winning GP rider turned bike builder Roland Sands. The firm specializes in custom hardware for Harley-Davidson, BMW, and Indian Motorcycles but also sells an extensive range of apparel.
Of the many jackets the brand has on sale, we recommend the Ronin because it perfectly blends everyday functionality with impeccable styling. RSD says the Ronin is “Versatile and stylish both on and off the bike, it’s the jacket you wear for a night out even when you don’t bring your bike along,” and we definitely agree.
The Ronin is made from 0.9mm — 1.1mm hand-finished leather, offering abrasion resistance, with pre-curved sleeves and pockets for RSD x Forcefield armor. Other features include perforated leather interior trims and sleeves, a snap collar, and multiple pockets.
Sport Style Jacket
Alpinestars Chrome Sport Hoodie
At first glance, the Alpinestars Chrome Sport Hoodie looks like just another piece of casual clothing. However, take a good look, and you’ll find that this was designed with safety features that you’d find on many other entry-level motorcycle jackets. For instance, the jacket uses aramid reinforced panels on the shoulder, elbow, and back for added abrasion resistance and protection.
It comes standard with Level 1 CE-certified Bio Lite armor on the elbows and shoulders and features a pocket on the back designed to accommodate the Alpinestars Level 2 Nucleon CE-certified back insert.
Other features include a removable hood, a zippered hoodie-style hand pocket, and an internal waterproof pocket. The Alpinestars Chrome Sport Hoody is available in six styles, and you’re likely to find one that best suits your style.
The Knox Kenton is perhaps the most stylish jacket on this list, with a simple yet elegant cut that resembles that of a pea coat. This fully waterproof mid-length jacket features two ‘hunting pockets’ on the chest and two zippered waterproof pockets at the waist. Its waterproof and breathable membrane comes with fully taped seams, ensuring you’ll stay dry even during heavy downpours.
Know has also equipped the jacket with its unique-dual fitting system that allows you to adjust the fit, so you can adjust it to suit you best whether you’re on or off a motorcycle. The jacket also features an inner zip that allows you to attach it to your riding pants.
Eight motorcycle jackets and five pairs of riding pants have been added to the growing list of motorcycle gear rated by the award-winning MotoCAP website so riders can compare items before buying.
MotoCAP has now tested a total of 443 jackets, gloves and pants and now includes helmet safety and comfort ratings.
In the latest round of testing, RST Kevlar Tech Pro CE Mens denim pants and BMW PaceGuard textile pants were the highest performing, receiving four out of five stars for safety.
BMW Paceguard gear
The BMW PaceGuard pants are now the highest performing non-denim textile pants for safety and also received ten out of ten for water resistance.
The new ratings for jackets can be viewed here. The new ratings for pants can be viewed here.
The online site also allows readers to view items side by side for easier comparisons before buying.
It is based on evidence from crash injury research and the test protocols of the current industry standard. It is an initiative of state automobile clubs and transport departments.
In 2019, MotoCAP, has won a Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) road safety award.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
All gear rated so far has been obtained through a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
As I sit here literally sweating over this article in 34C heat and humidity, it’s comforting to know that Australian motorcycle gear ratings authority MotoCAP also rates breathability.
The internationally awarded MotoCAP online safety ratings service not only provides riders with information about the safety of jackets, pants and gloves, but also tests jackets and pants for breathability and comfort in hot conditions.
This is an important primary safety factor. You can’t be a safe rider if you are uncomfortable, dehydrated and distracted by the discomfort of heat.
In the latest round of testing, MotoCAP rates six leather and six textile jackets, with four leather jackets scoring a safety rating of four out of five stars.
While most riders associate textile jackets with keeping cool while looking daggy and leather jackets with looking cool but feeling hot and sweaty, that is not always the case.
The new ratings reveal the RST TracTech EVO 4 Mesh CE jacket ($A299) scored four stars for safety, but was also awarded a four-star breathability rating and a score of 10 out of 10 for water resistance.
RST TracTech EVO 4 Mesh CE jacket
That shows that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for safety.
MotoCAP has now tested a total of 415 jackets, gloves and pants, with a recent adjustment to their testing regime that makes it tougher for manufacturers to score well.
Deakin Uni Institute for Frontier Materials Senior Research Fellow and Honda GB400 rider Chris Hurren says the changes are the result of “ongoing tweaking of the system based on new research conducted by Deakin University”.
Chris says these changes mean that accurate ratings are assigned to gear based on the latest research and testing, allowing consumers to make informed decisions on their purchases and increasing their protection on our roads.
The original MotoCAP ratings were developed with the limited information at the time of the risks involved for the hand.
MotoCAP testing
Dr Chris Hurren with one of the uni’s testing machines
All gear tested and rated by MotoCAP is bought covertly.
In 2019, MotoCAP, has won a Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) road safety award.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
All gear rated so far has been obtained through a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
The award-winning Australian MotoCAP website has issued safety and comfort ratings including vital waterproof abilities for two jackets and eight pairs of pants as we head into a wet summer.
With a La Niña wet weather system dominating the Eastern states this summer, riders will be interested in assessing the waterproofing abilities of their gear.
MotoCAP provides those details on all their testing.
In the new round of testing they found the MotoDry Eco-Therm jacket provided good protection in wet weather, with a water protection score of 8 out of 10 and a protection rating of 2 stars out of five.
MotoDry Eco-Therm jacket
The two pair of pants — Draggin NextGen and Rev’It Lombard RF Products— had previously been tested and rated.
However, since they have been on the market for more than three years, they were reassessed to identify any potential changes in production that may affect their ratings.
The new ratings for jackets can be viewed here. The new ratings for pants can be viewed here.
This was based on evidence from crash injury research and the test protocols of the current industry standard.
Deakin Uni Institute for Frontier Materials Senior Research Fellow and Honda GB400 rider Chris Hurren said the changes were the result of “ongoing tweaking of the system based on new research conducted by Deakin University”.
MotoCAP testing
All gear tested and rated by MotoCAP is bought covertly.
In 2019, MotoCAP, has won a Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) road safety award.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
All gear rated so far has been obtained through a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
The award-winning Australian MotoCAP website has now published testing and issued safety and comfort ratings for 373 items of motorcycle jackets, gloves and pants.
Not only does the site show five-star ratings for safety and breathability, but you can get more detailed information about the product, its composition and price.
Even the safety rating is broken down into an abrasion score, impact absorption and the ability of the seams to not break or burst open in a crash.
The breathability score is also broken down into thermal comfort and water resistance.
Furthermore, those interested in the finer details can download the comprehensive technical report which shows even more detail about each score.
For example, here is page one of a five-page technical details for the Oxford Hampton leather jacket.
The MotoCAP website is now a comprehensive resource for any order looking for gear that will not only protect them but keep them comfortable in all types of weather.
New ratings for jackets can be viewed here while new ratings for pants can be viewed here.
Riders are urged to consider checking the safety and comfort ratings of gear before they buy.
While some have disputed the veracity or usefulness of the tests, rider representative groups and road safety experts say MotoCAP at least makes riders more aware of wearing protective gear.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
All gear rated so far has been obtained through a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
With the hotter weather approaching, riders can check the breathability standard of their gear on Australia’s internationally awarded MotoCAP online safety ratings service.
Sixteen new MotoCAP safety ratings have just been published, providing riders with safety ratings for 11 jackets and five pairs of pants.
Importantly, they also test the breathability and comfort of the gear in hot conditions which is an important primary safety factor.
The Richa Daytona 2 leather jacket performed best, receiving three out of five stars for safety yet two out of five for breathability.
The new ratings for jackets can be viewed here. The new ratings for pants can be viewed here.
MotoCAP has now performed testing and issued safety and comfort ratings ratings for 356 items of rider jackets, gloves and pants.
Riders are urged to consider checking the safety and comfort ratings of gear before they buy.
While some have disputed the veracity or usefulness of the tests, rider representative groups and road safety experts say MotoCAP at least makes riders more aware of wearing protective gear.
The breasthasbility score also shows how the gear may perform when out on the road, something you can’t test for when trying it on in a store.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
All gear rated so far has been obtained through a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
Detailed tests are required on the efficacy of blow-up vests and jackets as used by MotoGP riders, says Australian safety expert Dr Marcus Wigan.
The Emeritus Professor of Transport and Information Systems at Edinburgh Napier University says funding for such tests should be provided to the internationally awarded MotoCAP* motorcycle gear safety ratings service.
“Dr Liz de Rome’s MotoCAP initiative, eventually supported and taken up by the national governments, enables riders to discover the difference between many claims made and the actual performance of different clothing types from rider jeans to gloves. The results are often surprising,” Dr Wigan says.
“Another under-used safety clothing is the range of blow-up vests that every MotoGP rIder uses with phenomenal results.
“But MotoCap cannot do the incredibly useful Australian detailed tests and reports on their actual performance.
“All it needs is the funding to do it; then the far more detailed and relevant results MotoCap is rightly famous for can be made available for Aussie use.
“The costs are now down to that of upper-level ordinary protective clothing and proper promotion could reduce these costs and this access tremendously.”
He says MotoCAP tests could also include assessments of the electromagnetic radiation interactions that stop pacemaker and implanted device users using them.
Dr Wigan is currently researching what these measures need to be and has been unsuccessfully trying to access available Victorian Motorycle Safety Levy to fund his study.
“I’ve had little success so far as there is almost no way of engaging with the bureaucrats (not motorcycle riders) who apparently control the levy,” he says.
“These people are inaccessible even to appropriate professionals, such as myself as an example, to discuss these issues.”
Last month, Retired industry veteran and Two Wheel Action Group spokesman Stuart Strickland OAM complained about the secrecy of the fund and the ministerial advisory panel on motorcycle issues.
*About MotoCAP
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
All gear rated so far has been obtained through a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
From the green hills of the Central Hemisphere comes Ashley Watson.
Ashley is a designer who has been itching to update the laminated fabric of traditional motorcycle gear into a more classic, sustainable choice – and he’s gone and done it with waxed cotton.
According to a report from MCN, The Eversholt MkII (don’t ask us to pronounce it) is a variant of the Eversholt – the first waxed cotton jacket made available from Watson, and one that he made sure to test on an extensive trip across Europe prior to its release.
Quoted by Watson’s website as “one of the world’s most protective textile motorcycle jackets,” the Eversholt MkII passes CE testing with a triple-A rating and comes with a hybrid Dyneema/Aramid abrasive resistant lining that houses the latest D3O Armour.
And the sustainability is sound, considering the market’s alternatives.
“Waxed cotton can be easily maintained at home – making the garment function for longer…laminated waterproof fabrics (the alternative to waxed cotton) are woven from virgin synthetic yarns which are derived from fossil fuels”, says Watson.
“The adhesive used to bond the layers of these fabrics together means that they can’t be recycled. In effect, this means that after a relatively short lifecycle, a jacket made from a laminated fabric will become landfill and take centuries to decompose.”
The jacket is rounded up to the neat sum of £765, as Watson is apparently making each by hand in his shed – adding to the exclusivity of the jacket. Watson is also limiting this batch to 300 units – though we hope in future he will consider expanding his brilliant ideas to the colonies.
Motorcycle jackets and pants that have good breathability for the warmer riding months sacrifice safety standards, according to the latest test results from Australia’s internationally awarded MotoCAP motorcycle gear safety ratings service.
MotoCAP has now performed testing and issued safety and comfort ratings ratings for 354 items of rider jackets, gloves and pants.
It has now added 14 more products to its online ratings of 172 jackets, 90 pairs of pants and 92 pairs of gloves.
The new safety ratings for seven jackets and seven pairs of pants range from one to three out of five stars for safety.
They show that you can’t have it all when it comes to safety and comfort in hot conditions.
Jackets and pants that have good breathability score low for safety and vice versa.
For example, the Bullit Easy Tactical Icon pants score just one safety star but a maximum five for beathability.
Meanwhile, Dainese Delta 3 leather pants performed well for safety with three out of five stars, but just two for breathability.
It’s not that we haven’t suspected the trade-off on comfort and safety, but it’s interesting to see that sciebce back up our suspicions.
The new ratings for jackets can be viewed here. The new ratings for pants can be viewed here.
Riders are urged to consider checking the safety and comfort ratings of gear before they buy.
While some have disputed the veracity or usefulness of the tests, rider representative groups and road safety experts say MotoCAP at least makes riders more aware of wearing protective gear.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.
All gear rated so far has been obtained through a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
Let’s face reality here: it’s only really been in the past two decades that women’s jackets have been coming out in force. Before then, in what was historically a “male-dominated hobby,” women had to make do with either custom gear or modifying men’s gear to fit. We put the quotations there because ever since the 1970s, we know that women made up a good portion of riders, usually hovering in the 5 to 10% ridership range.
Flash forward to 2021, and now women account for about 22% of riders, worldwide. That is refreshing to see and has forced even a lot of the “old school” to recognize that there are badass ladies all over the globe that will swing a leg over and crank the right wrist. It’s also refreshing to see that in what was once traditionally a male-dominated sport, road racing and even MotoGP are seeing more and more women rising in their ranks.
What this means is that many of the big manufacturers and gear makers have had to adapt to provide proper racing suits and gear for these women. This, naturally, has led to the traditional trickle-down style of motorcycle gear from racing to street, which means that more and more jackets, pants, boots, gloves, and other pieces of gear are appearing every month.
Rev’It is one of those companies that has made women’s protective gear pretty much since their incorporation, as there are quite a few female riders in the Netherlands. On top of that, they have a history in both circuit racing and enduro racing, so both the full leather track jackets and hot weather mesh jackets are packed full of cutting-edge design.
The Eclipse is just one such example of this, with an open, flowthrough style mesh that would seem to not have any abrasion resistance at all. However, that mesh is made of polyester ripstop material, as is the main chassis of the jacket. While the solid panels are rated to 600D, the mesh itself commands a respectable 400.
With adjustable bicep and wrist closures, full YKK zippers, two external pockets, and one internal pocket, the Eclipse is also quite fashionable to boot. The armor comes in the form of Knox Flexform in both the shoulders and elbows, which feels extremely light but carries CE-rated impact protection. An optional back protector can be fitted to the jacket.
Roland Sands, with the Mia jacket, ticks off two-rider fashion styles in one go, without sacrificing any protection. The retro and cafe crowd will love the classic British asymmetrical styling, while the sport and the sport-touring crowd will love the aggressive fit with the included thermal lining that doubles as a hoodie when the leather is taken away.
That leather is one-grain style better than cowhide, as it is oiled buffalo leather at 1.0 to 1.2 mm thicknesses. In areas requiring stretch, premium-grade elastic ripstop polyester is used. The hoodie liner is also breathable and waterproof, meaning that even if you have to do a dash from the bike to your front door in a downpour, simply flip up the hood and you’ll get there dry.
Protection comes in the form of Knox micro lock CE level 2 armor at the shoulders and elbows, with the leather jacket’s inner mesh liner holding a back protector pocket for optional armor. Accordion panels at the elbows and a quilted stitch design around the shoulders allow the jacket to move freely, despite being pre-curved for a front tuck position. Ventilation comes via some very well hidden shoulder intakes and vents, which keep the jacket looking premium when zipped up.
If Roland Sands has the women’s cafe market cornered, it’s fair to say that Alpinestars, realizing there was a gap to step through, made a sporty cruiser jacket with the Alice. Carrying all the right looks of the double-breasted front flaps, the asymmetrical zipper, and the relaxed arm curvature makes this both a classic and a modern sports cruiser jacket, all in one.
Don’t let its old-school looks fool you into thinking it’s not armored to the nines. Alpinestars has included their super lightweight, breathable Nucleon Flex armor, which is certified to CE level 2, at the shoulders and elbows, with a forearm extension on the elbow armor. This is carried in a mesh-backed cowhide 1.3mm leather chassis, with a back protector pocket for optional armor.
As with other jackets of the sporting style, the thermal liner of the jacket is easily detached and serves as a hoodie. Ventilation is hidden well in the underarm stretch panels, allowing just enough air to pass to wick away heat without being overly cold.
This is a jacket that would look at home being used while riding either Honda Rebel 500 or an Indian Roadmaster. Classic, timeless styling with modern armoring deserves a spot on this list.
Roland Sands strikes again with a superb classic English cruiser jacket. Solidly in the retro cruiser fashion sense, the Riot jacket would look perfectly at home being worn in the crowd at an Iron Maiden or Judas Priest concert as much as it does astride a Royal Enfield or a Triumph Bonneville.
Much more of a summer cruise jacket, the Riot is made of microperforated top grain cowhide sourced from Blackstone, which means it is soft, supple, and abrasion resistant with a thickness of 0.9mm throughout. The asymmetrical zipper is, of course, full YKK, and is of the bronze classic style. Quilted leather highlights and aggressive cuff YKK zippers make the jacket scream “Rock n Roll!” in that quintessential British understated-but-loud way.
The jacket is also, of note, made with a very aggressive black dye process, as the color will lighten the more it is exposed to UV light until it reaches the classic light black that well-worn leather fashion jackets eventually reach. This is also the only jacket recommended on this list that does not come with pre-installed armor. However, pockets for elbow, shoulder, and back protectors are ready to accept your own choice of the best armor, from Alpinestars’ Nucleon Flexto Icon’s D3O and Rev’It’s SeeSoft.
With the increase in women’s participation in BSB, ASA, MotoGP feeder series, and the like over the past three decades, Alpinestars has had a lot of exposure to creating gear that is suitable to both genders, or those in-between genders. For the men, the T-GP Plus R v3 Air is one of the best mid-range sport and track rated jackets you can get, and by simply adding a Stella to the front of that name, that same legendary jacket is available to women.
The Stella T-GP Plus R v3 Air, apart from being one hell of a mouthful of words, is made of 600D highly abrasion-resistant polyester. Interspersed between these polyester panels, abrasion-resistant, tightly woven polyfabric mesh allows just enough air to wick away heat, but not chill you to the bone. A full mesh lining also helps boost that airflow’s effectiveness in carrying away sweat and warm air.
Protection is in the form of Alpinestars’ Nucleon Flex CE level 1 armor, with the shoulders being additionally armored with GP Lite slide shields. As sport riders will often choose between vest-style back protection or using jacket pockets, no back protector is included. However, Alpinestars has included both chest and back protector pockets, suitable for Nucleon KR-Ci CE level 2 armor.
A definite warm-weather riding winner, those that ride sportbikes where it never really snows have a go-to jacket that can be armored up as the need arises.
If you want a sport riding jacket that is both warm-weather rated and contains the abrasion resistance of leather, Dainese has you covered with the Racing 3 Perforated women’s jacket. The “mortal enemy” of Alpinestars on the MotoGP grid, Dainese uses a special treatment on all the leather they use for track and street gear, naming it “tutu leather.”
This leather is always 1.2mm or greater in thickness, while the treatment makes it highly water-resistant, supple, and reinforces the abrasion resistance through chemical bonding. And if that wasn’t enough protection for you, the stretch panels between the leather chassis panels are made of S1 bi-elastic, a Dainese and Cordura co-development that mixes the elasticity of regular polyfabric with the 500D+ abrasion resistance of pure Cordura.
The jacket is also microperforated in key areas and includes zip closure vents in the upper chest, with intake and exhaust vents on the sides of the jacket. Protection comes in the form of Dainese composite CE level II elbow and shoulder armor, with the shoulders being covered by an aluminum impact and slide plate that is mounted on a composite base, meaning the plate is replaceable. The jacket features a back protector pocket suitable for a Dainese G1 back protector, or a Dainese D1 airbag vest can be worn under the jacket itself.
It’s a premium leather and polymer jacket that passes CE EN 1621.1 and CE Category II – 89/686/EEC Directive protection standards, meaning it is ready for track use. Dainese themselves note that the jacket does tend to run on the tighter sport fit side, so they recommend buying one size up from your measurements.
If you have spent even two seconds at the local gear store’s ADV and off-road touring gear section, Klim is a name that is plastered literally everywhere. Specialists in the long-distance touring style of gear, both on- and off-road, the Artemis is a design that is not shared with any other jacket in their lineup, making this one of the very few women’s only jackets.
Named after the Ancient Greek goddess that protected nature, the Artemis does a very good job at protecting whoever is within its confines. A true three-season touring jacket, this jacket is made of Klim’s own Karbonite textile, which is rated at least 600D, and up to over 750D, abrasion-resistant across multiple certification tests. Behind the chassis sits a full GoreTex membrane layer, which itself is over a Klimatek mesh layer that acts to both wick away hot air and sweat, and supports the jacket on the body.
In making the Artemis specifically for women, Klim did not have to worry about ventilation for the male torso, so airflow has been mapped specifically for the female torso. Ventilation is controlled via two centerline chest vents, two cross-core vents, 2 forearm vents, and two bicep vents, all of which exhaust out two massive vertical back vents.
Protection beyond abrasion is reinforced by D3O level 1 armor in the back, shoulders, and elbows. The Karbonite fabric is also penetration resistant, so no sharp rocks on an off-road trip should leave much more than a small bruise and a memory. The collar is comfort-lined to not be abrasive to the neck, and both sides of the collars can be pinned back to the upper chest to allow ventilation air to pass down from the neck roll into the body of the jacket.
If you are going to be off-road for any duration, you really cannot get a better ADV jacket than the Artemis. It’s designed for, built for, made for the active off-road riding woman, and it shows!
The latest trend in protective gear in 2021 has been the major push forward with armored shirts and hoodies. Either out of a desire to not look “kitted up,” or purely for comfort, there are varying degrees of quality with these newer pieces of gear, and Merlin has been at the forefront of the highest-rated, best quality shirts.
Looking like your average long-sleeved plaid shirt that isn’t out of place on a farm, the Madison shirt is much more than just a fashion statement. The Buffalo Plaid fabric, itself tear-resistant, is backed by a full, interwoven, 100% DuPont Kevlar lining that is rated to 1000D abrasion. A light mesh lining keeps things comfortable, as does a relaxed street fit, while the kevlar holds CE level 1 elbow and shoulder armor in place. There is a pocket in the mesh liner for a back protector as well.
What looks like a button up front is in fact a storm flap closure over a full YKK zip, with YYK zippered vents cleverly hidden along the tops of the chest pockets. The pockets have small inner pockets designed to hold hand-warmer packs, and if that wasn’t enough, the whole shirt is water-resistant but breathes easily.
If understated but superb protection is in your checklist for gear, or if you just want a good all-around riding shirt that pairs beautifully with some riding jeans and boots, Merlin has just the shirt for you.
To say that this jacket is revolutionary is understating just how important it is. It may not look like much, it may even look bland compared to some of the other options on this list, but Helite has made a women’s fit jacket that has the single most important protection feature that any jacket can have. Enter the Xena, a leather sport touring and cruiser jacket with a built-in, tether deployed rider airbag system.
Made from premium 1.2mm cowhide leather, the Xena hides stretch polyfabric under a cleverly designed panel at the top back of the jacket, whose importance we will discuss shortly. As well, the sides and lower back feature floating leather on stretch panels, allowing the jacket to keep a tight, close fit at all times. The arms are relaxed in their curvature, making it comfortable for long-distance cruising.
The importance of both the large stretch panel at the top of the back and the stretch panels on the sides and lower back is so that if you do come off your bike, in any way, shape, or form other than stepping off of it when it’s parked, a tether attached to a solid point on your motorcycle yanks an activation valve open, inflating the airbag hidden in the liner of the jacket in 0.1 seconds. This airbag, along with the full Sas-Tec CE level 2 back, shoulder, and elbow armor, provides extreme impact protection into the high tens of G’s.
As it is a tether-operated system, with no fancy electronics or GPS sensors, it works every time you need it to. In fact, the airbag will self-deflate over about half an hour, and as long as the jacket has not been penetrated by any object or otherwise damaged, all you need to do to reset it is replace the spent 60cc CO2 cartridge in the right lower front of the liner, and it’s ready to deploy again.
For disguising a life-preserving safety feature in a fashionable cruiser and sport-touring jacket, while it is expensive, nothing is more expensive than your life. Either this or the wearable Helite Turtle 2 airbag vest, comes highly recommended.
Much like a couple of the other jackets in this list, if you’re going for a retro look that hides otherwise superior protective features, Dainese has a retro jacket for you in the Lola 3. Just looking at it, you’d think it was a slightly heavier track jacket, or a zip-up spring jacket to wear on the walk to the grocery store.
However, the Lola 3 is so much more. Combining high-grade Iride matte leather with S1 bi-elastic polyfabric panels and Dainese Pro-Armor impact zones, the jacket passes both prEN 17092 Class A jacket protection and EN 1621.1 armor class 1 standards. The Pro-Armor elbow and shoulder protectors are also rated CE level 1, which, while not as protective as CE level 2, allows for the armor to be more flexible and comfortable, while still being able to take an incredibly harsh whack without passing the impact to you.
And the piping on the jacket is not just for fashion, either. It is fully reflective material in an artificial shape, so the eye at night recognizes an artificial shape among the organic clutter of the environment in their headlights. A pocket for an optional Dainese G1 or racing G2 grade protector is inlaid into the TechFrame internal comfort liner just in case that person doesn’t see you.
