Vanucci's VAJ-1 ladies textile jacket, a logical answer to layering that ends up being too much faff

7

Having been primarily a leather jacket wearer when riding my motorcycles, I was on the hunt for a more practical textile jacket to commute in. Cue the VAJ-1 from Vanucci – no sniggering – the idea behind this particular jacket is that it is a modular system, where you can add and remove the layers that best suit your riding needs; so you can add waterproof layers, thermal mid-layers and so on, depending on what conditions you are likely to encounter when out on your bike.

So it sounds like the ultimate practical answer to riding in the unpredictable British climate, when using my bike as my main form of transport for getting to and from the office and milling about on weekends. Does it translate in real life use?

Is the Vanucci VAJ-1 comfortable?

The cut of the jacket allows for good movement, however the fabric itself is quite rigid and has still to fully give and be genuinely flexible and supple. The mesh lining isn’t especially plush and doesn’t feel cosy when it’s on, but this does allow for great airflow in warmer climates and with a thermal layer worn underneath this would probably add a more ‘snuggly’ factor.  

I like that the collar doesn’t have a Velcro closure at the top. I rarely zip my jackets all the way up and often find that the Velcro at the collar will rub and irritate my chin and just attract my hair to it, pulling on it, quite distracting. The collar is padded and comfortable and I had the optional addition of the storm collar, which does help block out the cold unpleasantness that can be the British winter.

It’s easy to adjust the fit using the multiple straps and poppers across the sleeves and waist of the jacket, however this said, I still never felt that it fit quite as well as some other ladies jackets that I have worn.

How practical is the Vanucci VAJ-1 jacket?

The ability to add and remove layers to suit the conditions that you will be facing each ride, does make this quite a versatile jacket, however, they remain separate to the main chassis of the jacket. This means that when you want the thermal layer and the waterproof layer, you are having to put on three jackets over one another, which when you have finished a day in the office or are running slightly late, bleary eyed in the morning, is quite an unwelcome faff. This added layer of hassle in the morning, unfortunately resulted in me picking up an alternative jacket in preference to this one.

The vents at the chest allow a good amount of air into the jacket, however they are a bit awkward in the way that they are held open: if you want them open fully, you unzip two zips, to then Velcro it back up onto itself, creating this strange flap.

The long wrist zips are handy, allowing you to easily put them over glove cuffs and allow a little extra air in, and up the sleeves in hot weather. The hip area has zip open gussets, to allow you to let it out a little to accommodate wider hips, which is definitely a handy feature for female riders. I found that the waist adjuster, however, didn’t really cinch me in as much as I would have liked.

The front pockets are an improvement on the smaller ones on offer with most leather jackets. But I still wanted them to be a bit larger than they are as my admittedly unnecessarily large phone doesn’t quite fit in them. There are two additional internal pockets, with zip closures which are a good size, ideal for things like paperwork. There’s also a connection zip to attach it to a pair of motorcycle trousers, but I have not done so.

Is it good looking?

I’m not a huge fan of the look of this jacket. It’s not ugly, but there’s nothing that makes me think ‘that’s cool’ about it. The pockets could be shaped more with the lines of the jacket and the fit could be a little more feminine. The colour choices are a little flat with black or beige being the only options available, with no coloured details and it has a very utilitarian look to it. But then again, do we buy touring textile jackets for the way they look?

What’s the quality of the VAJ-1 like?

The jacket feels well-made and robust, the zippers feel sufficiently chunky that I’m confident they will last thousands of uses and the fabric feels really strong. A couple of the seams have shown a little bit of wear, with some loose threads appearing here and there, but they do not appear to be unravelling.

The additional layers are well thought out, with the waterproof jacket fitting neatly underneath or over the main jacket. It has proven to be genuinely waterproof in the rain, keeping me warm and dry.

Does the Vanucci VAJ-1 jacket offer good protection?

At only an A CE rating, it’s not as protective as I would like it to be, so I found myself layering a Pando-Moto armoured base layer underneath it to give me a bit more confidence that should the worst happen, I would be protected. I would expect a jacket within this price bracket to be AA really, especially as the fabric feels substantial and thick, even compared with some AAA rated kit.

The Level 1 armour that’s fitted to the shoulders and elbows, is flexible enough to not be distracting, however, I would ideally like to have Level 2 in the sort of jacket that is designed to be used for many road miles. There is a pocket for a back protector, which is an additional cost of around £40.

Is it good value for money?

On its own, the jacket is around £200 before shipping costs and so on, which is not overly expensive, but, as this is only the main core jacket and any additional waterproof or thermal layers are an additional expense at roughly £100 a piece, it becomes a much more expensive jacket at more like £450 if you want the back protector and weatherproof layers too. I’m not sure it’s the best way you could spend that money, with other jackets like Furygan’s Apalaches or Alpinestar’s Bogota Pro also offered around this price point.

So what’s the verdict?

On the whole, this jacket doesn’t quite do it for me. That’s not to say that it isn’t a good jacket, it’s just too much faff for me with the multi-layer system. It makes perfect sense to have a jacket that you can adapt layer by layer to what you need, however, for me I don’t have the patience every time I ride. I think for a big tour, where you can cover off all eventualities, it probably works well, but I’d like to be able to attach is all together so that when I require it again the following day, it’s all set to go.

The lack of protection is also something that would put me off this jacket. If I’m wearing full riding gear, I do expect to be quite well protected. If I were spending my own money on a practical textile jacket, I would opt for something with fixable layering and a more flattering appearance, as vain as that may make me, but what girl doesn’t like to feel and look good, even when on a bike in the cold and the rain.

- Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us.