Best AAA rated motorcycle jeans | Get the highest level of riding protection and look great too!

Motorcycle jeans are becoming a far more popular choice among a large number of riders due to their comfort and casual look, ideal for a summer ride to the local pub or bike meet. I am sure that there are a number of riders with concerns over the safety that a pair of jeans can offer.

Manufacturers in the industry have recognised this and more and more AAA safety rated jeans are coming to the market to give riders peace of mind when wearing more casual kit, however there are still quite a few that are only AA rated jeans, but the options for top protection are ever increasing.

The AAA rating that I refer to is the CE rating of the garment, with trousers and jeans the rating is measured by either A, AA or AAA. This letter refers to the impact abrasion resistance and seam strength with A being the lower level and AAA the highest. There is also the armour rating to consider, usually this will be either level 1 or level 2, with level 2 offering more impact absorption capability than level 1. If you are interested in learning more about the safety ratings that kit need to match up to then you can read more here.

Something else that is worth considering when you are choosing which jeans are best for you, is the cut and fit. For example if you like to wear longer boots then you will want to ensure that you can tuck the ankle into the boot or if you prefer, that there is enough space in the ankle are to be pulled over the top of the boot.

Single layer jeans

Single layer jeans, as the title suggests, are a pair of riding jeans that do not require several layers of fabric to increase strength and abrasion resistance. This type of jean instead uses a reinforced material such as Kevlar to give the resistance required to meet the safety ratings. This inherently allows for a more comfortable and less bulky pair of jeans.

Our top rated AAA rated jeans

Women’s AAA rated Jeans

As we all know women are a different shape to men and therefore require motorcycle kit that it tailored to their shape. Ladies can also have protective jeans that allow comfort on and off the bike for that casual look and feel that many of us desire, especially in those summer months.

Frequently asked questions

Are regular jeans okay for summer motorcycle riding?

Although they may look tough on the surface, regular jeans aren’t strong enough to protect you in the event of a motorcycle crash. Even during a low speed slide in a pair of denim jeans, the road will eat them up in less than a second, leaving you up a creek with no paddle in sight.

By contrast, motorcycle jeans are much stronger. They’re made by mixing the denim with other, tougher materials, which earns them rated abrasion resistance. They can also feature impact armour, and extra abrasion resistant linings, for a higher rated level of safety.

This combination of safety features will help significantly reduce the risk of injury, should you be involved in a crash. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good pair of motorcycle jeans, and compared to a pair of denim jeans it’s absolutely no contest which is safest.

How are single layer jeans different from lined jeans?

Single layer means abrasion-resistant material is woven directly into the outer layer. Conversely, lined jeans have a regular cotton denim outer shell with a separate inner lining made with abrasion-resistant material, usually aramid fibers or material like Kevlar.

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How we test AAA motorcycle jeans

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles in order to provide you with opinions and evaluations you can trust, alongside news of the most significant developments in motorcycling safety gear. We want you to stay safe, enjoy your riding and hopefully look great while doing so! 

We don’t test our kit to destruction; 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. To make it onto this list, AAA jeans must have been worn for hundreds or thousands of miles by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, and meet modern safety standards as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests their jeans for a variety of things, both subjective and objective. Factors assessed include the level of safety rating, what armour is fitted, how breathable they are, do they look good and do they have any additional features like waterproofing.

However, we also assess how they fit, their perceived quality, how we feel wearing them and how comfortable they are both on and off the bike.

We cover thousands of miles in these trousers and regularly compare them with one another in the office, so collectively we’ve built the sort of knowledge base you can trust.

If you can’t see a review against a pair of AAA jeans on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested them yet. These 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.

Here’s a brief run-down of the star rating system we use, and what each score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A helmet 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 helmet with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement. It might be lacking safety features, be poorly built or far too expensive to recommend.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A helmet 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 helmet with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A helmet 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.

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

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