Best motorcycle shirts and hoodies | MCN have tested these casual armoured options

Motorbike shirts and hoodies are a great way to stay comfortable and look casual on the road without sacrificing your safety, if you don’t want to wear a proper leather motorcycle jacket.

There are times when you don’t want to look so obviously like a biker. You might be heading to an event or just to meet up with some friends but you want to relax and spend a bit of time off the bike when you get there without the world knowing you rode there.

• Related: Best urban motorbike boots

You might be riding a bike that cries out for a certain type of clothing, where a sportsbike gear or adventure clothing simply isn’t the right look.

If, for example, you’re on a custom or a retro, then you might find you want to be wearing a shirt or in the city you might feel more comfortable in a motorbike hoodie, but you still want to maintain your protection and ensure that you are safe while you look relaxed. So you need an armoured shirt or hoodie.

What to look for in a riding shirt or hoodie

With the advances in material and design technology nowadays, there is no reason that you should have to compromise your protection when you come to choose your style. So even though you’re looking for informal clothing, you should still be looking for a decent overall CE rating, from B to AAA in increasing levels of protective ability as well as decent armour in at least the elbows and shoulders and ideally, a back protector as well.

You want to ensure that it is still long enough to cover your lower back, especially if you ride a bike where you need to reach over to the bars, because if your skin is exposed, then it will not be protected if you have an accident.

Pockets are a good thing to consider also, it’s always nice to have a couple of pockets for small items like earplugs or your keys when you get off the bike. Zipped or popper closure pockets are best to ensure that you don’t lose your things when riding.

You way want to consider a water resistant option, we do get a lot of unexpected showers even in summer after all. This way you won’t be soaked if you get caught out in a little rain.

Here is a selection of armoured shirts and hoodies that we’ve rated

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How MCN tests textile jackets

Our team of expert journalists, with decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles, test as many textile jackets as we can get our hands on so we can tell you which is worth spending your money on.

We don’t test our kit to destruction or crash test it (on purpose…); we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.

Some of our testers specialise in sportier kit and ride a lot of sportsbikes on the road and track while others prefer touring in textiles.

Whatever we’re riding and wearing, the testers are asked to think about certain aspects of their armoured shirt or hoodie when they are writing their review. These categories should be given a star rating out of five, with only hoodies and shirts that are awarded four stars or more overall included in a buying guide.

Comfort

Is it comfy? This may seem like a pretty basic need but it’s one of the most important factors. If you’re thinking about how uncomfortable you are, you’re not thinking about the road ahead! Comfort also covers aspects like the venting/insulation and the feel on and off the bike.

Practicality

How easy is the shirt or hoodie to put on and take off, can it be worn in a few different scenarios? The testers will also consider the number and location of pockets and versatility in this category.

Looks

The look of a shirt or hoodie is completely subjective, but we like our testers to give an opinion. They know their onions after all!

Quality

How does it feel? You can often tell from the moment you pick up a jacket whether it’s likely to last a lifetime or barely a season. If it’s waterproof, does it stay dry? What are the zips like to use and are they sturdy?

Protection

This is an objective element to this category as we only test shirts and hoodies that are designated as PPE and so meet the required CE testing criteria. The overall garment abrasion standard and the level of the armour is taken into consideration, but it’s not as simple as scoring a tougher jacket higher.

Shirts and hoodies are designed to be lightweight, cooling or casual-looking and so any CE rating is impressive. Similarly, a high-rated jacket could have armour that doesn’t stay in place as you move around.

Ultimately, we ask our testers if they would you feel confident crashing in it (or how it performed when they did crash in it).

Value

Is the asking price fair compared to other jackets on the market and the quality of garment you get. Cheap doesn’t mean the same as good value here.

Overall

An aggregate of the other scores that may be rounded up or down at the discretion of the tester. The big question is, would they spend their own money on the shirt or hoodie?

If you can’t see a review against a jacket on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These jackets will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

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

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Our scores explained

When we review a textile jacket, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given jacket, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product 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 product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product 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.

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