Top 5 Best Jackets For Cool Weather
5 Best Motorcycle Jacket Buyers Guide
To help get you suited up wearing the best possible garment for your bike, riding style, and intended application, we’ve pieced together this guide to the best motorcycle jacket for each riding category. To get to the best of the best, we judged each jacket on the following criteria:
- Application: There is no one best motorcycle jacket, but rather, motorcycle jackets that happen to excel in specific applications.
- Materials: What a jacket is made of plays a pivotal role in its overall quality.
- Armor: Integrated armor basically consists of internal padding that provides ample protection from impacts in the event of a crash.
- Ventilation: The armored and layered elements that shield the rider from abrasions, impacts, and the elements, also make for a rather hot and stuffy garment, which is why solid ventilation is so key.
- Layering & Versatility: Using modular shell and liner systems enables certain motorcycle jackets to suit a wide variety of riding situations, climates, and conditions.
- Features & Amenities: Recent years have bared witness to a slew of innovative features in the moto jacket realm, that have added functionality and, in some cases, hugely-improved safety capabilities.
1. Adventure
The most rugged go-anywhere jacket is ...
THE DAINESE CARVE MASTER 2 D-AIR GORE-TEX
Since 1972, Dainese has been producing some of the world’s very finest riding gear, and the Italian brand’s Carve Master 2 D-Air jacket is by no means an exception. Extremely hardwearing, this adventure jacket is constructed from Mugello fabric (the brand’s proprietary micro-nylon and elastomer material) and features a full water- and windproof GORE-TEX membrane. The Carve Master 2’s armor is made from a special composite, and is covered in 3D-Stone Fabric (a special high-tensile twisted nylon) and uses PU rigid plates over the shoulders (plus has a slot for supplementary chest armor). The jacket is appropriate for a wide variety of climates thanks to its bevy of ventilation flaps and removable thermal collar and liner. What really sets this jacket apart, however, is its use of Dainese’s cutting-edge D-Air smart wireless airbag system which can detect crashes and deploy in just 30 milliseconds.
2. Café
The best vintage-inspired modern standard is ...
THE ALPINESTARS OSCAR CHARLIE (TECH-AIR)
Though it may be a bold statement, we’d argue that Alpinestars’ Oscar Charlie jacket is hands-down the best cafe racer jacket in existence. Part of the Italian moto gear brand’s retro-themed Oscar lineup, the Charlie seamlessly blends the timeless style of a vintage riding jacket with the latest in modern safety, boasting a full-grain leather shell with pre-curved construction that conceals the company’s removable Bio Light elbow and shoulder armor (plus a slot for Astar’s Nucleon back protector) and is compatible with Alpinestars’ Tech-Air wireless smart airbag system — which is sold separately but can be swapped between any Tech-Air compatible garment. Decorated in double red stripes down the arm and an embossed OSCAR chest patch, and featuring an LED light display for the airbag system in the forearm, the Charlie jacket also takes on a wonderful patina over time that gives each one its own unique character.
3. Sport
The pinnacle of two-wheeled performance jacket is ...
THE DAINESE TUONO D-AIR
If you look at the grid of any professional race series, you’re practically guaranteed to see several riders wearing Dainese suits, which makes sense considering the brand churns out some of the most cutting-edge race protection on the planet. This particular jacket essentially takes the brand’s latest and greatest replica race suit, removes the pants, and slightly tones down how aggressive the cut is, allowing for the same top-notch level of protection afforded to world champion riders, in a more practical, street-friendly package. Equipped with a host of features hard-won out of extensive R&D and real-world completion experience, the jacket packs Pro-Armor, which conforms to the shape of the wearer’s body and sits beneath pieces of composite armor at the shoulders and elbows, both of which are fortified via (replaceable) seamless aluminum slider plates. Made from the brand’s cutting-edge D-skin 2.0 (specially-treated and processed) full-grain cowhide leather), this jacket is also armed with Dainese’s D-Air system, offering the absolute pinnacle in modern moto protection.
4. Textile
The most fashion-forward jacket on or off the bike is ...
THE ALPINESTARS OSCAR TRUCKER
The Oscar by Alpinestars Trucker Jacket is ready to flip into "hi" and split some gears. Waxed canvas cotton along with poly-fabric give the Trucker its casual look that is perfect for urban riding. Triple stitched seams and robust material help to keep the jacket together in a tumble. CE rated armor at the elbows and shoulders provide impact protection without adding bulk. Add the chest and back armor (sold separately) to upgrade the impact protection.
5. Cruiser
The most classic American low and slow jacket is ...
THE ROLAND SANDS CLASH
Whether it’s aftermarket upgrades, custom motorcycles, or riding gear, pretty much anything wearing a Roland Sands Design label is going to be stylish, well-made, and performance-focused, and such is the case with the Southern California brand’s Clash Jacket. Offered in black, oxblood (red), or brown, the jacket sports a unique appearance with an asymmetrical main zipper, and quilt-stitched overlays on the shoulders and lower back. As the garment’s moniker suggests, the jacket definitely sports a bit of a rocker influence, without being too loud or over-the-top. The jacket made from a top grain 1.1mm cowhide leather that’s been washed, oiled, waxed, and finished by hand. Rather than utilizing generic armor, the Clash Jacket packs RSD armor at the shoulders and elbows — the latter of which is decorated in low-profile external metal studs, adding equal parts style and protection.