DOWNLOAD THE FREE BUYER'S CHECKLIST & GRAPHS HERE: rewards.bennetts.co.uk/rewards/best_textiles_free_buying_guide See all our honest, in-depth product reviews here: www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/reviews/products

I imagine very few people who have spunked over 2k on kit is going to admit it's as good as kit that cost a quarter as much.

Pet hate: velcro on the collar which both fails to keep the collar closed securely, but still manages to eat away at helmet straps.

30:00 I would recommend ALWAYS to get laminated waterproof textile instead of the gear with the liners! I was traveling with my friend and my Gore-Tex jacket lost its DWR throughout the day. The Z liner was keeping my body dry, but the whole jacket was completely soaked and at 130km/h it got seriously cold. My friend had Gore-tex Pro with laminated water proofing. For him it was perfect. When we arrived at a hotel, my jacket kept dripping on the floor the whole night and the jacket was still wet the next day! My friend could just shake his jacket and all water droplets just fell of. 10 min later his jacket was completely dry.

Went with rukka cos it’s consistently up with the best cold/wet weather gear live in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

🤯. What I gleaned from all that information is, use a motorcycle specific base layer, laminate jacket and trousers with level 2 armour throughout, and use electric heated garments for winter, not forgetting to try everything on first to make sure it fits. Or, use what I already have, including my waterproofs over the top when it rains. 😉 Excellent information, as usual. 👍👍👍

Great video as usual John - however, the modelling was hilarious.

I mostly own Dainese gear, because it fits me well, because i can find it at a decent price (i'm italian). Even though i own one of those fully transformable 4 season jackets with different layers and basically bulletproof against water/wind/etc, i only ever use it in its winter configuration. I have a dedicated jacket for autumn and one for summer. Especially for summer, here you can't ride with anything other than d-air gear (or whatever they call it), in 30+ degree temperatures. I have a couple of leather jackets, but i don't use them often: too hot in summer, and always a chance of getting wet in the colder season.

Thanks for a great video. I’ve worn Klim in 30 degree heat and down near freezing. Close to perfect. My gf has Klim laminated jkt paired with Halvarsons drop liner trousers for more lower half comfort/flexibility. All has been battle tested in severe, hours long rain with no issues.

Absolutely outstanding and comprehensive review! Currently using a Richa Infinity 2 Pro jacket, a Richa Scrambler 2 jacket and a Bull-It jean; very happy with all of them.

I think weather you go for a drop down or laminated liner really depends what sort of riding you do, how often, the weather conditions and whether you can afford two sets of gear for the different conditions. Definitely I have been out in some horrid weather in the past in my RST Ventilator III jacket and Paragon jeans and been completely wetted out, and that has been in late spring. However I have also been out if some quite heavy rain and had no issues with a drop liner and it does provide the flexibility from warmer and drier conditions to wetter and colder ones. The issue I found was in sizing that the Ventilator came up very small whereas the Paragon Jeans come up extremely large. Thinking of replacing these with at least AA gear I discussed this with RST some months back and not only can they not say that the sizing between different models will be similar but cannot say even that the sizing between jacket and jeans (trousers) within the same model will be the same. It looks like this is still where you have to try both out before purchase to ensure that they fit. (Hopefully RSTs latest gear sizing is closer than a few years ago.) I think that this will probably be similar for several manufacturers especially if they have the garments made in places like India, and if the jackets and trousers are made at different locations this will possibly add to the issue. I don't know about outside of the UK, but within a UK it was quite common for the actual manufacturer to offload some of their manufacturing of entire garments, considering top and bottoms being separate garments, to sub contractors. The original garment manufacturer wants to make a profit over the sub contractor, who in turn may have a sub contractor so there is the possibility with every level of subcontracting the control and preciseness deteriorates.

Amazing video. Such killer information. The modelling shots, however, took the cake 😂

About the gloves tucked inside the jacket. This works great for most, except if you have tall handelbars. With Most bikes your arms positioned with your hands lower than your elbows. Cruiser and some advs with high bars where your hand is higher than your elbow while riding. I find it creates a wind/water tunnel down your jacket arms. I found gloves outside works best for higher bars. Right until you step off the bike and gravity wicks all the water down you arm and into the inside of your glove.

Your vlog on crash protection was enlightening. Waterproof leathers have come a long way and offer comfort, weather and crash protection that rivals my textile kit.

Great video, looking forward to your airbag reviews. I had looked for an airbag vest recently, my criteria have been: - electronic vest (didnt want to attach myself to the bike) - no hidden costs like subscription fees - no expensive or time consuming replacement of co2 cardridge (do it myself on the go) - wearable over the jacket (inside makes only sense if its directly integrated due to inflation space required) With these criteria, only Helite eturtle was left. They even offered online advice for sizing (free video call).👍😀

I was given a great bit of advice by my cousin who, was a London dispatch rider. He said, BUY THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD! He wasn’t wrong. Ride safe. Ride lucky an ride well boys an girls👍👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏍️🏍️🏍️🏍️

Brilliant video on textiles. I work for J&S Accessories and I pick textile clothing everyday at work. I personally wear a Alpinestar tsps jacket myself as it fits within my budget

The best overall review on motorcycle clothing I ever saw. Thank you.

I commented earlier before watching the video. I'm just blown away by the generous amount of information, just amazing. Thank you very much 🏆

What matters is triple-A rating and CE Level 2 protectors including chest protection. After that I look for style (no huge brand names or pockets as if I was fishing). Next whatever I need - particularly good ventillation, waterproofing, leather, airbag-compatibility etc.

I've recommended this channel to all my bikers friends. Amazing research as usual

I have been riding bikes for almost 40 years, my Goretex Pro Rukka ArmaS jacket and trousers are the most waterproof and expensive kit I have ever used. The Rukka kit feels like a fitted suit. I do not see the point in having a waterproof layer under the outer jacket, why would you want to wear a soaking wet heavy outer jacket.

I bought the ALPINESTARS GP PLUS R V3 RIDEKNIT leather jacket. I bought it for the summer days since the jacket has many parts that are knitted rather than leather. So far it's pretty spectacular overall, a major issue would arise wearing it during winter, but during the warmer months it's fantastic for what it is, and holds up to the average amount of rain (in England) for up to an hour with no problem. I haven't come off of it, but its AA rated, and the materials are pretty sturdy. Comes at a cost though, RRP at around £450 depending on where you buy it... I'd recommend it, for warmer days even with a chance of rain.

I met John at Rownams services recently and he's hands down one of the nicest blokes and certainly knows his stuff. Sounds like I'm reviewing or giving him feedback on ebay 😃

Cheers for yet another great video. I got back into biking recently after a way too long layoff. The only bit of kit I'm still using from then is my Frank Thomas textile jacket. It seems to be fine and has kept me dry in the pouring rain. With regards to the gloves inside/outside of sleeves, I put mine outside. When it's raining the water goes up your glove and over the top of your sleeve, if it was inside the sleeve it would go in and wet your arm.

Been riding for 51 years , all year riding , all weathers . I’d only get laminated kit nowadays, dry quickly and are a lot lighter . Great vlog , who was the old bloke doing dad dancing? 😂😂

I have a Oxford Mondial laminated suit which is absolutely amazing, been out in some seriously crap weather, snow hail and absolute downpours and had no issues what so ever, even without the thermal liners, however with the rain running down the outside on a sportbike I did start to get pretty cold., Not at all if I have the thermal liner in, been out in winter with just a t-shirt and the thermal liner in and was fine in almost freezing temperatures

Halvarrson kit all the way for me... Great vid again chaps 💪

Thos is a brilliant channel. Well done folks. Keep up the good work

The other advantage of laminated gear is they keep the wind out. So on a cold day they are a really good barrier to keep you warmer, but you do need to wear a good windproof layer beneath, should there be any drafts. Great survey with a lot of results. And having had Klim gear the past year i concur with the results for them as a brand. I'm highly impressed with it and glad i spent the money on it.

Great review John, I have a few textile suits the first was the BMW coverall that’s worn over normal clothes. It has armour and isn’t a waterproof over-suit but a proper protective suit. I’ve had it several years and it has always been 100% waterproof and generally comfortable to wear. The only problem with this suit comes in hot weather as there aren’t any vents so not so great. I bought an Oxford suit thunk it was the Mondial laminate suit but I ride in all weathers lots of miles on a blood bike so was disappointed when I was about 100 miles from home in heavy rain and I was soaked. I have replaced this with a Dane suit and ridden for the last year. It had a good fit has proved to be completely waterproof and has enough vents for summer. For extra protection I also wear a Helite air vest.

I now wear a mesh jacket all year long. When it gets cold I put in the waterproof liner. I do not use the liner for rain as it is cold with a wet liner near the skin. I have a thin waterproof jacket I wear over the mesh for rain and for near freezing cold. The waterproof liner over the mesh provides an insulated air barrier against the cold. I am still looking for great mesh pants.

Great video as always John, consistently fantastic content. I ride in an Oxford hinterland suit for the last year. I've ridden in 0 degree and up to mid 20s on my hour commute wearing just cotton trousers and shirt underneath. It's my first laminate kit and I'll never go back. Perfectly dry in horrible weather, liner keeps me warm, open the zips in summer and the breeze flows through. It's been comfortable in all weather but it's not perfect. I'd like to see an improvement in the collar. Although the material is soft it needs a slight redesign as my work shirt can pop out over the top sometimes.

I'm so sad that I only just found this video after buying my gear online without ever seeing it. I wish I could join your community but in from Australia.

Getting off the ferry in plymouth a couple of weeks ago into driving rain. Welcome back to blightly! No prob's thought i, Dane gore tex pro jacket and new Held trousers. Over the next five hours of non stop rain my cotton neck tube wicked the water under my jacket into the base layer and down to my shreddies. I was cold wet and bloody miserable when i got home.

All i can say is i have not a very good experience with Hein Gericke brand. I`m a Dutchman living for many years in the hot and humid climate of Malaysia. When my wife had to go to Munich Germany for a business trip i followed her and while there i went to the Hein Gericke shop and bought a jacked. I only wore it a couple of times not more than 10. But now 2 of the zips that seam to be glued in let go completely. I think it has to do with the climate here because i also face many times problems with sport shoes where the sole let go while they still almost like new. Any way only my 2 cents. take care ride safe

I have to say I’ve never been a fan of the outer jacket for my main protection. I have a Knox Urbane Pro which is AA and has Level 2 armours. Belt loops keep it secured and I just layer up with other gear I already have. GoreTex Packlite for the rain, woolly army jumper for the cold, puffy decathlon jacket for the proper cold. Maybe I’m a cheap bastard but I like using the kit I’ve already bought and paid for. I want the armour and abrasion resistance but apart from that - if it’s good enough for winter paragliding it’s good enough. Tbh it’s so easy to overspend.

Excellent, interesting content! The airbag and internal "tap-on-the-shoulder" technologies of near-future are exciting. Good on yah, BKS!

I'm fairly oldschool in my gear these days, an old Richa leather jacket has treated me well for around 10 years with a bit of treatment whenever I can be arsed. it's flawed but it's outlived any textile clothing that I've ever had and has been down the road. Trousers are RST Paragons, they've been amazing and were waterproof in even the worst weather but the waterproof lining has given up now so I usually end up jumping in the waterproof boil-in-the-bag if it's particularly bad. For me you can't beat the durability and longevity of leather with a bit of feeding. Textiles tend to get a bit tatty over time and lengthy commuting all year round even if they keep you dry they get saturated and heavy in time and start to stink when they get old so the waterproof oversuit comes out anyway. I'm starting to think sod it I'll stick to leather if I'm going to end up in the bag when the weather is rough.

Excellent video, appreciate your effort. One exception, please don't accept claims of durability from riders who've only been using gear for a couple of months! PS obviously I've subscribed!

I've been impressed with my Halvarssons Walker jacket. I've ridden 9000 miles in all weather so far, stayed dry every time.

Every bit of RST kit I've bought have leaked from new. I find RST kit to be a complete disappointment and waste of money if rain is a concern. I've bought from their budged end to their expensive end and where waterproofing is concerned it been money wasted, I'll never buy it again. And before anyone says "no motorcycle kit is truly waterproof" I've hadn't had an issue with any of my Risha, wiese or alpinestars kit. Great video by the way 👍

Got a Dainese laminate jacket and Dane laminate trousers.100% dry in many hours of deluge. Very well cut for comfort and useful details for adjustability. For comparison I recently got given a Richa Infinity 2 Pro which suffers from many of the design faults mentioned in the video, although it is waterproof. Check Fit while on a bike, pocket configuration, wrist adjustment method and neck fastenings.

I've spent a lot of time looking at jackets as I really want the best option for my needs... however, one thing I have noticed regarding reviews etc is that the demographic of the owner is hardly ever considered. For example I heard rave reviews about Rukka so I order a number of jackets from SBS due to free returns. I ordered multiple models and 2 sizes of each. Every single one was awful when it came to fit. Sleeves were too short and the main body was definitely designed for someone carrying far more weight than I do. I sent them all back and paid more attention when out and about and realised that the majority of Rukka owners are middle aged or retired men with significant beer bellies... (usually riding BMW GS's) which isn't surprising considering that you need significant, disposable income to pay upwards of £700 on a jacket. Trying to get a good jacket that fits is one of the hardest things I've had to do since I got my license 6 years ago.

Great video John, as usual. Top stuff. Can I just add something about venting: vents are great but to work effectively you need intake and corresponding exhaust venting. Venting into a waterproof liner is pointless and vents with overflaps severely restricts their effectiveness. Features like this are normally sorted on the high end jackets and trousers.

Many thanks, John, for an extremely informative video.

Diggin' the moves John! Awesome content as usual, too. :)

Cheapskate here: I'm still using a Frank Thomas textile jacket I got for £50 19 years ago. It stays dry for about an hour and with multiple warm layers underneath I rode for about 7 hours with temperatures just above zero this winter. I gave up on the matching trousers from the beginning because of poor fitting at the ankle.

Unfortunatly notting about the visibility in traffic or bad weather-conditions. Most of the shown suits are dark greyish. If you like to be noticed, and like me you don’t like the pull over yellow or orange vests, you are stuck to an limited stock. I kept an older and warmer suit for the colder seasons, and a nice ventilated suit (Louis) for summer. 👍🏼 Nice channel i got to say, greetings from the Netherlands.

Another great video from bike social. These are really proving to be invaluable. Well done all behind them.

Awesome video John!! Great information to day to day riders but also for new riders or anyone wiling to come back to riding after "life" got in the way for a few years, like me. Keep it up doing theses reviews, you're doing great and they're really valuable! 👍👍 PS. Any chance you can do a review of Summer gloves? Thank you.

An important thing to inform about is if jacket from brand X can be zipped together with trousers from brand Y. I have rukka, but the jacket is now too small, but the trousers is still perfect

The last BMW adventure suit I had wasn't totally waterproof. The back of the liner was breathable...

Went with Rukka 5 years ago. Their zips always break (my jacket being sent back 5 times) and their customer service is atrocious. When I bought it I was told if the jacket went wrong I’d be given another till it was repaired, not once did I receive a loaner. Not sure which I will go with for autumn but Rukka aren’t looking like the favourite.

A noble effort. I think the scoring overall is a bit difficult to appraise because people won't have necessarily owned multiple suits of the same construction etc to compare. My Halvarssons laminated suit is worlds ahead of my previous Oxford and Spada kit but they were cheapo drop liner affairs. When I win it big and get a Rukka or Klim suit maybe I'll be able to compare! The stuff that just doesn't get the job done stands out at least.

I wouldn’t put a camera no matter how small in a back pocket, if you come off, which is the whole point of such protective clothing, landing on your back could easily be made worse as essentially it would be like landing on a rock in the low back drastically increasing your chance of spinal fracture. Always wear protective clothing like you will need it on that ride.

John really does PhD level research for Bennetts. Give the man his doctorate 😉

Thank you for the thorough explanation.

I use RST jeans, leather jacket find them comfortable only ever been in light rain also have RST long jacket and bottoms the same can zip them together very happy overall for the price ,RST short leg boots all great value all products have back elbow shoulder and knee protection 👍 Last 2 helmets been a HJC lovely comfortable helmet however the clip at the front that locks the visor down is very poor in my view, less than 6 months old clip broke at first company didn't think it was a genuine fault eventually replaced it again same thing happened I bought a replacement myself that went the same way in under a year old so don't use the HJC at all ,I replaced it with a shark it cost £ 190 it's been great till 2 days ago over 3 years old and it's just broken on the visor on the holding point on the side of the helmet but been very pleased, so need to get a new visor, Great video,

40+ years here, swear by Rukka gear. 👍

I appreciate it might be difficult to comment on in the UK but as an Aussie I'd love to know what (if any) *full* mesh jackets are safe and trustworthy. Maximum irflow with some level of safety are literally the only things that matter some days, I've never ridden in a t-shirt but the temptation is very real.

Haven't taken notes since university

I've never understood why a jacket should have a thermal liner. The zipping in and out seems kind of pointless too.. just wear a jumper underneath.

Best jacket I ever owned was a KTM Adventure. Got a good fifteen years out of it. For the most part I don't want to feel encumbered by my kit and too much of the gear out there does exactly that.

It doesn't matter how much the kit costs (£2K), if the importers habitually refuse warranty claims. Apparently a jacket within the 6 year warranty period is "old" and accordingly not covered.

Dane gear is way underrated. I had my sealand pro its priced competitively with best material available in the market. I dont have much joy with Rev It the stitch failed in shownroom before I buy...

Oh wow! I didn't know that the like button lights up now when you tell us to like the video! That's awesome!

Fantastic video as always! Quick question…realistically, how waterproof are the wax cotton jackets?

Great video. Thanks

Great vid John 👍🏻 as always. What about over jackets and trousers ie Rev’it Cyclone

Nice video mate, moving back to Scotland from NYC, looking for KTM 1290...... and all the gear that one needs. TY

If your trousers have a short hanging loop then use an old shoelace or similar to make a bigger one by looping it through. Simples.

i ride in a tremendous laminated textile suit and you don't even mention it: Stadler (super vent 3). How come?? I upgraded from the Revit Neptune, also very good. I ride almost 30 k kms a year , year round commute, Brussels region on my XR, so good gear is very important.

I trust this guy.

Klim needs to fix the collars in those super expensive jackets. When you sit on the bike, it will choke you and you cannot even turn your head around. I bought and sold it immediately after a few rides.

Thank you for doing this roundup and while this review is a good idea in theory, brands are using multiple types of waterproofing, thermal, and outer materials within there lineup's including how they are bonded. Its difficult to rely on the information presented due to this. No idea how you would get around this without going into even more detail, maybe a test on the individual materials inc seam strength, waterproof pressure test, and an oxford abrasion test to go along with the general consensus? Anyway, thanks for putting in the time to pull all of this info together.

I'd urge anyone who wants high end textiles to get along to Hideout in Saffron Walden. Surely the best available anywhere in the world. AAA rated. M2M and customised if required. Can always be repaired or altered. Made to last for many years.

hmmmm ... so ... for £2.5K would you go for the Rukka suit ... or ... a bespoke made to measure BKS textile suit??

great video and info - thank you. can we have a video of just you posing? very funny!

Bought some Rukka Apollo gloves for £200 In the space of 9 months the liner has pulled straight out 3 times, had it replaced under warranty those 3 times. Not particularly roughh with my gloves, these are the only ones that has ever happened to me. My Lindstrand, revit and richa gloves did not do this for me ever. Also, not 100% waterproof, running the tap over them in the sink or submerging in water, they do leak in the finger tips, but I don't know if I'm being unreasonable with that test seeing as thats not a realistic waterproof test. They have been waterproof in the the times I have been caught in rain and my fingertips are underneath the handlebars I guess scratchchin I am thinking of buying some Rukka gear off ebay, £160 for a gore-tex textile jacket that has been barely used. am I just unlucky with my experience with Rukka or is this a general trend recently? All their stuff is made in China now.

Great work mate

Such a shame stadler was not hear , things like there treasure pro jacket and all4all pants , probably the best kit on the market

Good amount of information👌

Top catalogue modelling 😆

That was a great video, thank you

Great, objective, and informative video, as always. Thank you for educating us. Curious, though as to why no offerings from Knox? Aren't they one of the most safety-conscious brands?

great video , however your square not hanging square on the side of the cabinet kept drawing my attention away ...ocd trigger

I brought a Knox unban pro 2 and came off while out dirt bike riding in the bush ( from Australia) anyway broke my wrist and injured my right shoulder, it was a slow speed off , in my 40 years road and off road riding experience Level 2 armour SHOULD be in ALL shoulders ( as this is one ☝️ of the most injured areas on a crash 💥) so I have upgraded my shoulders to level 2. Actually BEST vented jacket is the knox urban pro 2. So your telling no one ☝️ voted for any KNOX gear .

Can anyone recommend some laminate trousers that don't feel 5 sizes too big, loads of the textile gear is easy to get a nice fitting jacket but anything over 32 waist in the trousers and the legs are huge and baggy

Good video thanks

Merlin gear has let me down. I have two jackets the same, one for home one for work. Both exhibiting the same failures. Merlin warranty repair was shockingly bad and a Twitter search will find my video showing their idea of a repair. They literally sowed the pocket shut and we’re rude over the phone when I called to explain my issue with the returned jacket. Loved the modeling in this video! Brilliant!

Can you do a video on riding hoodies i have just started riding and comuting i am only 16 and find that comuting in a jumper to be by far the most comfortable.

So the majority surveyed are old guys on Adventure and sport touring bikes doing less than 6k miles a year? Seems consistent with the kit being highlighted 😂

I biught the #rukka ARMA-T kit in 2016 for daily commuting and it's been exceptional at keeping my dry through the winter. The challenges have been keeping we warm when the weather gets proper cold - so I have a mid- and down-layers from #adventurespec and #klim - and then cool in the summers as the vents are useless. One other issue I Has was the take on the wrist zips; they're corroded to the point they fell off a don't take a replacement, so it's been frustrating and hard on the closed fingers now pulling the zipper closed. For me, if I had the money for a new suit, I wouldn't;t be going back to Rukka and have my eyes on the Klim range...

Scott ergo waterproofs over the top, no one ever seems to talk about road grime riding in winter, the ergos are inexpensive and easy to keep clean

Currently have a Rukka Kallavesi suit (having owned various Rukka and Rev’it suits over the years), very disappointed with the quality now. Stitching on jacket inner sleeve cuff ripped out, when I withdrew my hand through the cuff (jacket was only a month old and worn a few times). Had to be returned to UK importer for repair. Now the stitching on Kallevesi trouser are starting to unthread in various places, again they have had to be returned, but this time they have had to go back to Rukka in Sweden, with a 8 to 10 week turnaround! No offer of lone trousers, so I have to go 2 and half months without kit. So can’t recommend Rukka anymore, their quality seems to have taken a huge drop, at the customers expense, NOT at all impressed. 🧐 Edit: I need to also add that this suit is only about 14 months old and only worn the equivalent of twice a month (when we weren’t in lockdown), so not heavily worn everyday, and not done thousands of miles!

Presenter is 100% but male model,??????? Love your work, keep it coming please!

And Stadler don't appears in this comparision review? Oh my god!. Probably Stadler could be the best protective brand out there, Yes, better than Rukka, Rev'it and so on; (except if you ride in Greenland all year round, you may need better thermal layers inside the suit). It's quit expensive, it's not so stilish; but, with no doubt, it's the best protective brand that you money can buy. And for me, the principal check box it's protection; active and pasive. Check out Stadler brand, you will see. Thanks for your honest reviews. Regards

1898 members surveyed. "the group is always more knowledgeable than the smartest of their member

Great review - thank you! After a low-speed crash on gravel that left me with a spleen laceration, I've been looking for brands that offer some decent flank protection. In my case, as I hit the ground, my elbow (itself well protected with D30) unfortunately pushed hard into my flank causing my internal injuries. Have you come across any kit that offers decent flank protection?