It’s a nice sunny day; not too hot. Skies are clear, the wind is smooth, and the clouds are at a far distance. It’s a good day for a ride. You put on your pants and boots, but when you get to your jacket, it’s the same old hi-viz, retina-burning, neon green/yellow leather or mesh jacket. The feeling is all too familiar for a lot of riders. We want to enjoy the fine weather and the freedom of the ride but we don’t want to look like a power ranger all the time. If only there was a piece of gear that looks super casual but still gives great impact and slide protection. Well, there is!
Quick answer: This is the best Hoodie
Looking for a quick answer? The best kevlar hoodie for motorcycle riders is the Merlin Hamlin Hoody (Revzilla).
Going out on a ride and trying not to stand out too much with riding gear has long been a problem for many riders. Fortunately, motorcycle gear manufacturers have listened to our plea and now even hoodies are getting in on the action. A lot of riders might be skeptical of how protective such a piece of equipment could be. A lot of hoodies are made from soft cotton material and anybody knows that every time you go out riding on a motorcycle, it’s like subjecting your skin to the risk of sliding on a belt sander, and cotton jackets don’t do so well on a belt sander. This is why motorcycle-specific hoodies are lined with Kevlar.
What is Kevlar?
Kevlar is a synthetic fiber that possesses great tensile strength and heat resistance. It was developed by DuPont in the ’60s and can be found in race tire rubbers, bulletproof vests, and everything in between. With Kevlar’s development, motorcycle gear manufacturers finally had a new material to reinforce soft cotton jackets. Recently, Kevlar got integrated into hoodie jackets and now riders can have protection, style, and comfort in their gear.
Are Kevlar hoodies safe?
On their own, cotton would do very little to protect a rider in a crash, but when you take a full-body Kevlar suit and use it to line the inside of a cotton jacket, then you have yourself one bulletproof hoodie. Well not exactly bulletproof, but pretty close to it. Kevlar hoodies provide just about the same protection as Kevlar leggings. Kevlar adds a reliable layer of complete protection around a rider. These jackets have been proven to protect riders in crashes and have saved countless lives. Most Kevlar jackets also come with hard armor or soft like D3O that hardens and protects riders from bumps and impacts but is soft and malleable when moving.
Want to know more on just how safe Kevlar leggings are? You can read more about it here: Best Kevlar Leggings for Men and Women. And here’s a Kevlar Leggings Drag Test Video from Bowtex for skeptics who need more convincing.
Advantages of Kevlar hoodies
Safety
One of the obvious advantages of Kevlar is safety. Kevlar provides undeniable and reliable protection for many riders, and some riders don’t even buy a specific piece of gear unless it has Kevlar in it. And because of this, Kevlar has slowly become a staple in every rider’s closet. A Kevlar-lined jacket, manufacturers boast, can give rides an extra five seconds of slide protection. For some gear manufacturers, five seconds is just the benchmark and most even try to go above this.
Style
I’ve experienced it time and time again, I walk into a mall with full regalia of motorcycle gear and everyone just stares. And because I’m tall, I stand out twice as much! We don’t need skin-tight leathers each and every time we want to go out riding around town so we might as well get something that looks and feels like regular clothing. One reason why riders would prefer wearing Kevlar is the style choice they get from it. A Kevlar hoodie will give riders the benefit of not standing out too much when getting off their bike.
Disadvantages of Kevlar jackets
Kevlar is hot
With the many advantages of Kevlar, there are also drawbacks. One of the few disadvantages of Kevlar is heat. Kevlar doesn’t breathe as well as other fabric so it can get pretty hot. Luckily, motorcyclists can bypass this problem by simply twisting the throttle. Kevlar doesn’t feel as hot as long as you’re at speed.
Kevlar can be rigid
Although Kevlar is strong and tensile, its ability to cope with compression is poor. Kevlar can be a bit limiting with movement. For the full sleeve, full torso lined jackets can be a bit hard to move in especially if the cut isn’t the right match for your body type. To give riders more freedom of movement, some jackets have Kevlar reinforcements only on the high-stress and impact areas like the shoulders, elbows, and back.
The best Kevlar hoodies for men
Merlin Hamlin Kevlar Hoodie
The Hamlin Kevlar Hoody from Merlin combines an urban classic style with modern protection. This jacket comes with a 100% Dupont Kevlar lining with removable CE-approved level 1 armor for shoulders and elbows and an is ready for an optional back protector. The jacket also has a mesh lining for added comfort and air circulation. If riders wanted improved protection, they can pair it with the Merlin riding jeans because the Merlin Hamlin Kevlar Hoodie comes with a YKK jacket-to-pants connecting zipper.
DBX Motorcycle Hoodie
The DBX Motorcycle Hoodie comes with a full body 320GSM knitted Kevlar cloth for an inner lining and comes with removable CE-approved armor for shoulders, elbows, and a pocket for an optional back protector. The jacket also has a full mesh lining to keep riders cool, dry, and comfortable and the jacket is of a breathable knitted fabric. The jacket also comes with ribbed cuffs and a ribbed waist to cinch tight and prevent cold air from running up.
Other features of the Merlin Hamlin Kevlar hoodie include:
- Beefy YKK center front zipper for durability
- Ribbed cuff and hem for more insulation and to prevent cold air from riding up
- Drawstring hood for added style, and;
- Two front pouch pockets for utility
Want more choices for commuting or stealthy but protective jackets? Check out Ryan’s video from Fortnine where he shows his top picks for the Best Street Motorcycle Jackets.
What to wear them with
These hoodies actually pair great with Kevlar-lined riding jeans like the Merlin Brooklyn Jeans or the Merlin Blake Stretch Jeans. These riding jeans not only have the same level of protection as Kevlar hoodies, being lined with Kevlar and having removable level 1 CE-approved armor on knees and pockets for optional hip armor, but they also greatly add to the style factor and the stealth theme that a lot of casual and daily riders are gravitating to.
Should every rider get a Kevlar Hoodie?
If you’re a rider looking for safety and style, and you don’t want to stand out too much in your motorcycle gear, then yes. A Kevlar hoodie is definitely for you. But Kevlar hoodies are not for everyone. Some riders still prefer the regular riding jacket and riding pants and that’s completely fine.
Though Kevlar hoodies have been around for a long time, some riders prefer to keep their closets clean and don’t want to have redundant motorcycle gear. Some riders want to have just one set of gear and that’s it. If you’re one of these guys, you can still easily rock a casual and stealth look without a Kevlar hoodie jacket. Simply wear your regular leathers and put a bigger-sized hoodie jacket over it and you’ve got yourself clothes that don’t stand out too much.
Safety is the number one concern when riding a motorcycle and lots of riders actually prefer not wearing proper gear because they dislike the style or they think it’s unnecessary. With manufacturers making more casual and regular-looking motorcycle gear, more riders are also moving towards wearing gear every time they ride. The rise of regular-looking motorcycle gear gets more people into riding motorcycles and more riders who are already riding, to wear the proper equipment.