Best textile motorcycle trousers tried and tested by MCN to complete your two piece suit

Getting the best textile motorcycle trousers to go with your textile jacket is a key element of sorting your motorcycling kit. Many manufacturers will produce a matching pair of trousers – or motorcycle jeans, though this doesn’t necessarily mean denim, it’s just a term for trousers – to go with their textile jackets and of course, this can often be the most convenient way to build your wardrobe.

However, sometimes you may just need to upgrade your trousers while your motorbike jacket is still good: you might have damaged them getting on and off the bike or you might not like the fit or style of those that match your jacket, for example.

Things to consider when buying textile motorcycle trousers

As with any motorcycle clothing, it’s important to be aware of what CE rating they have been awarded. When it comes to the overall rating of the garments for things like abrasion resistance, this is depicted by a letter system; B, A, AA and AAA, with the latter being the highest rating for protection.

With the armour, this will be either be CE Level-1 or Level-2, Level 2 being the more protective of the two. This means it absorbs more energy during in an impact than Level 1, and therefore protects you better. Ideally you are looking for hip protectors and knee armour in the trousers and trouser legs that will fit over boots so that if it rains, you don’t end up with puddle in your waterproof boots.

You will likely want to ensure that your choice of trousers have a waterproof membrane of some kind to keep you dry when the weather is less kind, but also air vents for when the sun is shining. A removable thermal lining will help to make your textile trousers as versatile as possible, covering you across many differing conditions.

Waist adjusters are really handy for helping to get the best fit for you and a pair of braces will help to ensure you don’t have to keep adjusting your trousers and also ensures you won’t have any unpleasant drafts or alternatively look for joining zips to pair them with a jacket and what pockets are there; hand warmers are useful but then so are cargo pockets on the thigh. Consider the ankle fastenings – are they big enough to go over your chosen boots and how do they close – zips, Velcro or poppers or a combination? Here are a selection of the best textile motorcycle trousers you can purchase.

Our favourite textile motorcycle trousers:

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to get the same trousers as my jacket?

No, not necessarily, it is easier and probably looks nicest if you have the matching set to make a suit but as long as you check that any connection zips are the same, there is no reason why you can’t choose an entirely different jacket to your trousers.

Does it matter what type of boots I wear with my trousers?

Not particularly, however a pair of boots that fit under the trouser leg will ensure that you don’t get water filling up your boots. A pair of touring boots will offer the most practical pairing for your trousers as they tend to be waterproof and have nice grippy soles.

Can I waterproof my kit myself?

There are sprays and wash in treatments available for waterproofing fabrics, however these will only go so far in actually keeping rain out. They will help the water to bead on the surface but at speed it is likely to not provide enough protection. Water will still likely work it’s way in through untaped seams and zips, so buying a quality waterproof is usually a better more reliable option.

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How MCN tests textile trousers

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, textile trousers 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 textile trousers for a variety of things, both subjective and objective. Factors assessed include the protection levels, whether there is a thermal liner, if they are waterproof, how heavy they are and if they include details such as zipped ventilation, waterproof pocket and adjustable fit.

However, we also assess how they fit, their perceived build quality, how many pockets there are and how comfortable they are for long rides in the saddle.

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 textile trousers 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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