Laminated textile jacket buying guide | Brave the worst conditions and keep dry whatever the weather

Motorcycle textiles are a technical marvel, featuring advanced abrasion resistant fibres and intelligent design to make all-weather riding a joy. In order to achieve this, many textiles employ separate layers (or drop-liners) in their construction, taking an abrasion resistant outer layer, and adding a waterproof and thermal inner lining. But laminated textiles work differently…

The waterproof lining is bonded underneath the outer layer of the garment with high heat and pressure. This adds a lot of convenience for riding in all weathers: it means the garment won’t get waterlogged, which improves the wet weather riding experience quite considerably. They’re usually less bulky than those with drop-liners, as there’s no need for the extra waterproof layer bulking up the inside, meaning more freedom of movement too.

Laminated textiles are ideal for touring and light adventure riding, where you could be getting rained on for most of the day, and you want the most freedom of movement you can get.

With laminated jackets, there’s always a trade-off between waterproofing and breathability; no laminated textile will breathe as well as a non-laminated one on its own, nor will they be as waterproof as dedicated motorcycle waterproofs. The laminated linings can be fragile too, and can potentially get punctured by impacts with the ground, so hard adventure riders will likely be better served by an adventure jacket with separate layers. Laminating the waterproofing into the jacket also requires more complex techniques to manufacture, and that makes them more expensive to buy.

What to consider before buying

Waterproof and breathability

One of the main benefits of a laminated motorcycle jacket is to keep you dry, so check what the rating is for breathability and waterproofing on the membrane, and weigh up your choices based on your needs. A higher level of waterproofing will typically come at the cost of breathability, and vice versa, but high-end membranes score well for both. The typical maximum rating you’ll find is 30,000 for waterproofing, and 25,000 for breathability.

Check the seams

The seams are the most common point of failure for any waterproof garment, so pay close attention to how well they’ve been sewed in. Make sure they’re double stitched, and feel tough enough to take more abuse than you think they should. Over time, poorly constructed seams will fall apart, exposing the holes made while sewing the thread through them, which creates a place for water to make its way inside.

Which membrane?

There are many different kinds of waterproof and breathable membranes on the market, so it’s worth considering which specific one you want to opt for. Gore-Tex is the original and still best known, and they offer a lifetime guarantee on the membrane in any garment sold with it – even if the garment itself doesn’t. We’ve had good experiences with many others under testing though, including Drystar, SinAqua Pro, H2Out, and Dryway.

About the testers

Ben Clarke – Deputy Head of Digital, Ben has worked at MCN since 2018 testing bikes and kit every opportunity he gets. For this page he tested an RST Pro Series Commander CE.

Justin Hayzelden – MCN’s Products Editor and resident bike kit guru, Justin has covered hundreds of thousands of miles on two wheels both at work and in his personal life. In this page, he tested the Rev’it Poseidon GTX.

Michael Guy – MCN’s Sports Editor and consummate racing aficionado, he’s also appeared on numerous podcasts, has delivered live race commentary from the booth, and has competed in trials, enduro, rally and track racing to a high level. For this page, he tested the Alpinestars AMT-10R Drystar XF.

Dan Sutherland – MCN’s News Editor, his first love will always be performance bikes and racing, attending track days at every chance he gets, but he has a passion for all things two-wheeled. For this page, he tested the Richa Atlantic 2 GTX.

How MCN tests products

Here at MCN, we make it our mission to help you find the right kit for you, at the right price for your budget. We don’t crash test (on purpose), nor lab test; there’s no substitute for just putting in the miles with them. We test our jackets the same way you’ll use yours, by riding. And, we make sure to put at least 1000 miles with them before sharing our findings. Our word is backed by hundreds of thousands of miles in the saddle collectively, but our recommendations come from each tester individually.

While testing, we predominantly focus on comfort, practicality, looks, build quality, protection (of course), and value. When we write up our full reviews, we’ll give each jacket a rating out of five stars in each of these categories, and offer a final verdict too. This page is only for the best motorcycle jackets, so every piece you’ll see has been awarded at least four stars overall – that’s the passing grade – but here’s what each score really means:

1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A jacket with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A jacket with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level, and there is much room for improvement.
3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A jacket with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
4 stars – A jacket has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A jacket with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
5 stars – A jacket has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A jacket with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

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