Do motorcycle jackets protect you? The short answer is yes, and the long answer is no.
Yes, motorcycle jackets protect you because they come with padding all around elbows, shoulders, chest, and spine areas. And no, because the chances for the best protection depends upon the impact of the accident.
In short, motorcycle jackets are best for low-impact accidents after all they protect you from any severe injury.
So what actually motorcycle jackets are, what is the CE rating, and how to choose the best motorcycle jackets for you?
We know you must have these questions, and we promise you’ll get all your answers in this post.
What is Motorcycle Jacket:
As with other jackets, motorcycle jackets are solely made for riders to protect them from slow impact or low-intensity accidents.
Manufacturers make motorcycle jackets usually from leather, but sometimes they make from an artificial fabric like Kevlar.
As mentioned above, these jackets are made to protect the rider from minor impact accidents. That’s why motorcycle jackets come with special padding on the shoulder area, elbow area, chest, and spine area.
Along with low-impact accident protection, motorcycle jackets also protect you from cold winds during riding.
Do Motorcycle Jackets Protect You:
Yes, motorcycle jackets protect you. Some experts believe if you can’t afford reliable motorcycle jackets, you don’t have the right to ride the motorcycle.
Well, you wouldn’t find reliable research on this topic. Maybe because, in each study, subjects always wear helmets which protect them from severe injury.
In 2011 Australian scientists researched the relationship between injury and accidents. Scientists found that people who wore safety gears face less impact than those who didn’t.
This Australian study is more than enough to conclude the relationship between safety gear and accidents.
There’re minimal studies available; still, there is plenty of evidence that concludes the importance of motorcycle jackets.
Some studies also revealed that factors like paddings could help to save lives.
Factors like color and fashion are not that important. Still, we recommend choosing a motorcycle jacket color that other riders can see at night easily. Red, yellow, and orange are some colors that other riders can see at night easily.
We also recommend that you focus on the build quality of motorcycle jackets while buying one for you.
People generally love to buy leather jackets because of their thickness and build quality. And if you’ve some ethical reason not to buy a leather jacket, then you’re free to purchase similar synthetic material jackets.
Motorcycle jackets are one of the crucial needs of riders despite the lack of valuable data that proves motorcycle jackets alone can save your life.
Why Motorcycle Jacket is Important for You:
Before buying yourself a motorcycle jacket, you must learn the importance of a motorcycle jacket.
Why Motorcycle Jacket is Important for You |
For Protection. |
For Harsh Weather Conditions. |
Take Care of Your Style. |
For Protection:
While riding a motorcycle, it’s crucial to protect your upper body.
Try to remember the last accident you faced. And you’d find the shoulder, chest, spine, and elbows area are some of the most impactful areas.
These are the areas where riders who didn’t wear motorcycle jackets experienced abrasion and burn during accidents.
Motorcycle jackets come with elbow, chest, and shoulder padding, which protects you from the impact of the collision. And without any motorcycle jacket, even the light impactful accident can be fatal for you.
Please note that motorcycle jackets couldn’t save you from a high-intensity jacket.
If you generally ride high CC sporty motorcycles, then we’d recommend you with advanced safety gear.
For Harsh Weather Condition:
Motorcycle jackets not only protect you from accidents but also protects you from harsh weather conditions.
We know how hard it is to ride at high speed without any motorcycle jackets in cold weather. It must be hard for you. Right?
Motorcycle jackets protect you from cold and warm winds, sun, bugs, etc. And you’ll feel amazed to know how these small factors would affect riders hugely.
For Style:
We don’t want you to only focus on the protection and comfort benefits of motorcycle jackets.
The manufacturer makes motorcycle jackets also for style purposes. Motorcycle jacket brands offer you a variety of styles, colors, textures in the jacket.
Now it’s up to you to choose the best motorcycle jacket for you according to your stylish needs.
So what’re the best motorcycle jackets out there? And what to consider while choosing the best motorcycle jacket?
We know you must have these queries, and you’ll get your answer in the last section of this post.
Why CE Rating is Crucial:
You’ve to pay attention to some indications and marks while buying a motorcycle jacket for yourself.
For instance, the CE mark, which stands for European Conformity, is an indication which states that the riding gear is subjected to harsh tests.
These harsh tests include burst strength, the collision of subject material to the sharp object, and abrasion resistance. And every motorcycle jacket has to pass these tests to get the CE mark.
Please remember CE marks are used in European countries only. In contrast, AS is the Australian mark for safety in motorcycle jackets. And unfortunately, American motorcycle jackets don’t have any such marks.
We recommend you to buy motorcycle jackets which come with these marks.
Americans have different testing standards, which make almost every motorcycle jacket safe to wear.
Factors to Know When Buying Motorcycle Jacket:
There’re many factors to consider while buying a motorcycle for you.
Factors like jacket thickness, CE marking, and labeling are essential, which most riders ignore.
If you want your motorcycle jacket to protect you from injury, then you should never ignore the facts below while buying a motorcycle jacket.
Jacket Thickness:
The general’s thumb rule while buying a motorcycle jacket is thickness. The thicker the jacket, the more safety it’ll provide.
However, in the 21’st century, the thinner material like synthetic leather fibers also provides similar safety.
A lightweight motorcycle jacket comes with 1mm thickness which is too thin to hide below your shirt.
Some leather jackets come with 1.2mm thickness which is considered the best thickness for leather motorcycle jackets.
Although extra 0.2 mm thickness doesn’t impart too much difference, it can still protect you from any injury better than 1.00mm.
If you’re a professional rider who always rides a sports motorbike, then we’d recommend you to buy 1.4mm thick motorcycle jackets.
Jacket Labeling:
CE marking or any equivalent marking is the second factor you shouldn’t ignore.
Whenever you see markings like CE and AS, then always consider motorcycle jackets best for you. These markings ensure you’re in good hands while riding the motorcycle.
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, Americans don’t have any marking for motorcycle jackets. In this case, you can reach out to the manufacturers and ensure their jackets are best for you.
Wind Proofing and Waterproofing:
We’re pretty sure you must be thinking why we’re recommending you to consider this fact. Let us explain this factor.
If you’re going to buy a leather jacket, you must know that 100% pure leather is not a waterproof material. Even when encountered with rain, leather leaked the water like a sieve.
It’d be better for you to investigate the quality and add synthetic fibers in leather jackets to protect you from rain.
If the added material is of poor quality in the leather jacket, then there’s no point in buying it. Some manufacturers use synthetic fibers which are strong enough as leather. And it’d be better to buy leather jackets from such manufacturers.
Also, pure leather is the best insulator of air which protects you from cold winds while riding. If you’re going to buy a synthetic material jacket, then you’ll probably miss this advantage.
Overall, build quality and stitching, dye layer, and grain quality also impact the quality of motorcycle jackets.
Finding the Perfect Fit:
It may be an obvious fact for you to try a motorcycle jacket while buying it. But unlike other clothes and jackets, motorcycle jackets are somewhat different.
You’ve to pay attention while buying a motorcycle jacket. Your motorcycle jacket shouldn’t be too tight and shouldn’t be too loose.
The thumb rule is to try a motorcycle jacket on your regular clothes. Tight jackets might tear in case of accidents that can injure you, and too loose jackets won’t protect your elbows and chest area.
Additionally, while ordering online, you must consider that European and US sizes are different. We’d recommend you to take your measurements in inches instead of centimeters.
It’s because you can easily convert your body measurement to any standards irrespective of any country.
Also, when ordering online, make sure always to buy motorcycle jackets with a return policy.
Always remember, good motorcycle jackets aren’t for fashion only but for safety purposes too. That’s why we’d recommend you always wear motorcycle jackets that perfectly fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do motorcycle jackets protect you?
Yes, motorcycle jackets protect you because they come with padding all around elbows, shoulders, chest, and spine areas.
Is there any reliable research for motorcycle jackets?
Well, you wouldn’t find reliable research on this topic. Maybe because, in each study, subjects always wear helmets which protect them from severe injury.
Is motorcycle jackets only protects you from accidents?
No, Motorcycle jackets also protect you from cold and warm winds, sun, bugs, etc. And you’ll feel amazed to know how these small factors would affect riders hugely.
How any motorcycle jacket get its CE rating?
Motorcycle jackets must pass harsh tests include burst strength, the collision of subject material to the sharp object, and abrasion resistance to get a CE rating.
What should be the thickness of motorcycle jacket for professional rider?
If you’re a professional rider who always rides a sports motorbike, then we’d recommend you to buy 1.4mm thick motorcycle jackets.
Our Verdict:
Overall, motorcycle jackets protect you. For a rider, it’s crucial to wear when riding a motorcycle.
Motorcycle jackets protect you from injuries and from cold wind and pressure that you may feel when riding. Also, choosing motorcycle jackets with CE marks ensures safety for you.
We’d never recommend you to buy motorcycle jackets without any CE or equivalent safety mark.
Factors such as jacket thickness, labeling, material from it made, and size play a crucial role. However, they seem small; still, you can’t ignore these facts.
At last, never ride a motorcycle without a motorcycle jacket.