Help a newbie out! Textile vs. Leather Jackets

Ms_Kady · Post by **Ms_Kady** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:12 pm

I've been looking for a new motorcycle jacket and can't decide between textile or a leather jacket. I've been told by people who've been riding for a while that leather offers the best protection. What are some of your experiences/recommendations?

TIA

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:38 pm

My friend and I both prefer Textile. I like it myself because it's cheap, light, breathable. There are different textile jackets made of different materials which can be better than leather, others will offer similar/same performance.

You can never really go wrong with either jacket, it's more what fits you better body and wallet, and what style you like better.

I own 2 jackets, 1 from cortech, another from corazzo, both are different jackets but both are textile. I just have the corazzo for summer use, the cortech for winter.

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:18 am

Leather definitely gives the best protection, but even the perfed leather is hot as hades in the summer. Textile is good in the winter, but again, even with zips open in the summer, its hot. In the hot humid climate I live in, its armored mesh in the summer and textile in the winter. I would wear leather in the winter but my kids whine too much when I try to spend food money on leather.

NO DADDY, PLEASE NOT AGAIN!

Its not unusual here to have 90s with humidity to match in the summer and sometimes the temps at night only drop 10 or 15 degrees.

Winter is all over the place. Hot, cold, wet, dry, and that's just in the morning!

Consider your climate when deciding which way to go.

oryx · Post by **oryx** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:16 am

i only wear textile, but it's for specific reasons (ima vegetarian).

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:18 am

oryx wrote:i only wear textile, but it's for specific reasons (ima vegetarian).

You're not supposed to eat your jacket, just wear it!

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:34 am

DennisD wrote:
oryx wrote:i only wear textile, but it's for specific reasons (ima vegetarian).

You're not supposed to eat your jacket, just wear it!

I got a kick out of that joke

No matter what jacket, leather/textile, both will be hot in the summer if you get a big jacket. A small light one should do better, but wont be any good in the winter time. You can get mesh jackets which provide good protection but are designed for very hot climates to help keep you cool.

brape · Post by **brape** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:35 am

I got a corazzo 5.0 because it was the least motorcycly. And I know that I'll only wear it if I like it.

gr8dog · Post by **gr8dog** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:47 am

I got leather because I like the look of it better. As leather ages it looks better and it should outlast a textile jacket. My jacket has six zipped vents and keeps me comfortable up to the mid 80's in temperature, as long as I am moving. It also has a snap in thinsulate liner and keeps me warm going 50 mph in 40 degree weather. It is water resistant. Leather smells good too. The bad part is the cost. Mine ran $300, that was a special price from a retailer who I have known for 20 years. Normally it was $400. Hide Side in Door County Wisconsin.

I have seen textile jackets I like. I may get one to wear in the warmer weather. When the temp rises into the upper 80's and 90's I tend not to wear the leather jacket because it is far too hot. The cost on those is around $100 to $150.

LisaLisa · Post by **LisaLisa** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:51 am

Aaaand I got a nice pink leather medium Joe rocket jacket for sale for 70 bucks...

Portland_Rider · Post by **Portland_Rider** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:54 am

Dress for the 1) possible crash, 2) protection from the elements, and 3) comfort while on your scooter. Riding a scooter is not the place to dress as if you are on the catwalk or trying to impress.

A quality leather jacket will hold-up absorbing more of the road friction in a slide than most/perhaps all textile materials. Either way, you must still get quality armor in the back, shoulders, and elbows. You will probably be fine with a high quality textile jacket.

CE approved armor is the common key-word for armor in riding jackets. However, not all CE approved armor is the same quality and neither is the quantity used in jackets the same. Corazzo uses knox armor which I've heard is some of the best armor available.
http://www.corazzo.net/node/331

Since you live in southern California (unless you will be riding into mountain or cold country) you possibly do not need to be concerned with a winter-season jacket for riders. You might also consider getting two jackets: a three season and the other to deal with the fourth season.

I left you a link a couple days ago to Corazzo women's jackets on the that post where you posted about the cotton jacket. Corazzo offers great materials, armor, and style.

Ride safe.

Ms_Kady · Post by **Ms_Kady** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:42 am

Portland - I took a look at Corazzo's jackets and I like the 5.0 jacket. However, I'm looking for something under $200, preferably even under $150. There are lots of sales right now, so I've been keeping an eye out.

You are also correct about the weather in SoCal, particularly where I live. I'm close to the beach, so it does get cold late at night and early mornings, usually around 40 or so degrees. During the day we still usually hit 60s even in the middle of winter.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:44 am

Take a look at these websites:

- www.newenough.com

- www.motorcyclecloseouts.com

Both great and trusted websites many modern buddy members use frequently to purchase gear.

Here's a easy one click link to motorcycle close out's women textile section. Several fashionable and nice jackets under $150 or around.

http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/women/womens+textile

Ms_Kady · Post by **Ms_Kady** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:00 am

Thanks jfrost!

tercesflow · Post by **tercesflow** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:09 am

I bought this one just recently because of the super-duper sale.

http://www.bikebandit.com/fieldsheer-wo ... ina-jacket

I had some of the same issues because leather is hot and heavy. This one the liner zips completely out and it is only leather along the arms and shoulders so you get extra protection there without the extra weight.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:25 am

I'd look into getting a medium/heavy jacket since the winter is coming. If you plan to ride at night or early morning in the 40's you'll want a heavy warm jacket.

A medium/heavy jacket can still be used in the spring and summer, but you might get to the point you're burning up at stop lights and it becomes annoying and uncomfortable. You can always worry about a lighter jacket 4-5 months from now.

I ride to school when it's only 30 degrees every morning, my heavy jacket keeps me toasty and it isnt even heated. It's a 20-30 minute ride to school for me. Pants are what make me slightly cold.

Although here's a nice cheap DIY guide to making battery powered heated motorcycle gear.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-heated-clothing/

myras_girls · Post by **myras_girls** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:53 am

I personally prefer textile. My textile jacket has held up great so far! And I really, really like that I can wash it in the washing machine. You wouldn't believe how dirty my jacket gets so fast. It still looks new. Plus, it's comfortable and manageable in warmer weather.

Hillhopper · Post by **Hillhopper** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:21 am

Field Sheer makes a hi-temp jacket with a really warm zipout lining that keeps you warm in the winter and then take it out for the summer and presto, you're good to go! It is made of armored mesh with CE armor inside. I've had it for a year and ridden in cold 35 degree weather and been warm as toast. Also, cool in the summer with the lining out. I bought it at leatherup.com
Hope this helps.

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:33 am

Here's a quick list of my opinions and findings on leather vs textile.

Leather is more durable and is generally considered to have higher abrasion resistance.

There are some speculations (possibly even studies) that suggest that certain types of textiles offer more abrasion resistance than leather, but most manufacturers don't make an entire garment out of them - it'll have the better stuff in "high impact areas" such as the elbows, knees and shoulders.

Leather requires conditioning for it to last for a long time, and leather will last a long time.

With said conditioning, leather has a natural tendency to repel water, but certain types of leather have more exposed grains and water can mess them up (those types of leather are rarely used in riding apparel).

Some textiles come treated to let water bead up on them, even after long exposure to rain. Those that don't can be treated with products like Nikwax to make them water repellent.

Leather smells heavenly. Textiles smell like whatever they spend the most time rubbing up against (also reads as: retains body odor, cologne/perfume or worse yet, food stains)

Leather is harder to put patches into than textiles.

Textiles offer much more versatility such as more venting, more liner options etc.

However, there are certain red flags to look out for with textiles: some cheaper apparel call their textiles names that sound similar to the tested/rated stuff.

The stitching in textiles will wear faster than a similar style in leather.

Textiles are also more flexible (as related to movement, not versatility) than leather, but that's less of an issue once the leather has worn in a little.

Textiles have a wider range of cuts than leathers. This is partly due to the whole flexibility mentioned above.

I personally prefer textiles because the temps can change 20+ degrees in a day around here and then there's the precipitation (and local weather failcasters inability to even get it close in the mornings before work). I like the versatility and cut of my 3/4 textiles. I do plan on purchasing some leather gear in the future, should I find a style and cut that appeals to me.

Hope that helps.

Howardr · Post by **Howardr** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:49 am

I've got textile and a nice leather jacket that was given to me. Honestly, I don't see how cows wear that leather. It is incredibly hot AND, it doesn't have armor. Speaking as an emergency room nurse, bikers don't die from road rash (which is leather protects you from best.) you die from impact with a fixed object or vehicle. That is what armor protects you from.
So, you can find leather with armor, but it's still going to hotter than hades and expensive as well.

My $.02
Howard

rsrider · Post by **rsrider** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:55 am

Leather. You can get jackets that have leather at the impact points and textile for the rest of the jacket. It's a compromise. I use to wear textile, but I found that leather is superior for fit, comfort, and protection. Leather will form around your body, textile never will. You can wipe bugs off leather with warm water and a rag, bugs stain textiles (some you can throw in the washer, but the bug stains still don't come out). Textiles do have their place, but for everyday riding, it's leather.

Drumwoulf · Post by **Drumwoulf** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:37 pm

I have a textile Joe Rocket jacket for sale in the Sales section here.
Judging by your avatar pic tho it definitely wouldn't fit you, as it's a men's XL-XXL.

However I did put a lot of info out there about a good textile jacket's benefits, what it's like, etc...

n2tattoos · Post by **n2tattoos** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:06 pm

http://www.scooter-girls.com/

Ms_Kady · Post by **Ms_Kady** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:30 pm

n2tattoos wrote:http://www.scooter-girls.com/

Those styles are super cute! I tried linking to one of the pics, but it won't let you.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:33 am

Ms_Kady wrote:
n2tattoos wrote:http://www.scooter-girls.com/
Those styles are super cute! I tried linking to one of the pics, but it won't let you.

They are cute! I work with the ScooterGirls.

There will be a ScooterGirls launch event in SoCal later this month. I'll announce it in the events section.

Ms_Kady · Post by **Ms_Kady** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:47 pm

ericalm wrote:
Ms_Kady wrote:
n2tattoos wrote:http://www.scooter-girls.com/
Those styles are super cute! I tried linking to one of the pics, but it won't let you.
They are cute! I work with the ScooterGirls.

There will be a ScooterGirls launch event in SoCal later this month. I'll announce it in the events section.

Awesome! Is it open to the public or invite only? I'd love to go!

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:05 pm

Ms_Kady wrote:
ericalm wrote:
Ms_Kady wrote: Those styles are super cute! I tried linking to one of the pics, but it won't let you.
They are cute! I work with the ScooterGirls.

There will be a ScooterGirls launch event in SoCal later this month. I'll announce it in the events section.
Awesome! Is it open to the public or invite only? I'd love to go!

It'll be open to the public. I'll definitely let you know about it. Just finalizing the dates. The ScooterGirls themselves are in Europe for a few weeks, showing the line in London, then going to Milan for the lines "official" debut at EICMA, the biggest European motorcycle show.

Am I jealous? HELL YEAH. Maybe I can go next year.

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:58 pm

I am planning to get a leather jacket (I am not easy to fit, and if I am going to shell out for a leather jacket it is going to fit!)

I recently bought a denim look jacket for my son, it looks like just a stylin' denim jacket instead of an armored jacket and it is something he will be willing to wear (my top criteria in an armored jacket, if you hate it, ya won't wear it.)

I will not be taking my son along when I go shopping for a leather jacket next time, I had to listen to all sorts of teenage comments about the fact that I am not suitable for a leather jacket and he did not hold back one little bit.

I currently own a Fieldsheer textile jacket that I hate the loooks of but it fits pretty well and is large enough to allow me to put lots of layers underneath it if necessary but is adjustable so that I can wear it with just the quilted liner and it still protects. The worst thing is that it is not washable at all. I didn't know about this and did not think to check, so be warned to check that your jacket is washable before you buy it.

I also have a Scorpion Mesh jacket that I love how it looks and feels, because it is mesh I wear it when it is hot outside.

I got the Fieldsheer jacket first because it spans more seasons for my area than the mesh and then I got the mesh this spring. I am hoping to find a leather jacket that I love for the end of winter and next spring when I start riding again and then I will semi-retire the FS jacket for just super cold weather that requires lots of layers and such.

My daughter rides with me more than my son, so her first jacket was also a textile jacket that was for keeping her warm last fall. This summer I got her a mesh jacket for a great price so I snagged that. I am not buying leather for children that are so actively growing (ages 11 and 14) I prefer to buy more armor to cover more of their bodies, and I doubt either of my kids would be willing to wear leather if I got it for them anyway.

No jacket is going to protect from any trauma, crushing and blunt impact types of injuries might be lessened a bit by armor but I doubt by much. Armor is for the sliding kinds of things that happen so you keep as much of your skin on you as possible.

And no jacket is going to protect at all if it is in the closet, so get one that you like, that fits you well, the armor is where it is supposed to be, and that makes you feel good.

Cheers,
-v

purple · Post by **purple** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:14 pm

I got a Fieldsheer Hi flow 2 mesh jacket from New Enough. I really like it!
It's a men's jacket and is a little big, but it has straps on the arms to aadjust to a smaller size. The neck doesn't rub, and I feel really safe wearing it. The armour (CE) approved stays in place also. Some of the women's jackets I tried on: the armour moved around on my arms. The jacket is $75!!!

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:43 pm

Vic makes a lot of good points. I'm often torn about how much compromise I'm willing to make with my gear. As with many riders, the longer I ride, the more demanding I've become. I started out with a heavy canvas Joe Rocket jacket with foam armor. It held up in a crash, but the armor was very weak; better protection may have spared me an injury and a lot of pain.

Unfortunately, a lot of new riders wind up spending a lot of money because they don't plan their gear very well. Part of this is just from underestimating what and how much you'll want. When I started, I wound up wasting money on "bargains" instead of investing in quality gear that lasted longer, offered better protection and gave me a little more peace of mind.

I would guess that a fairly high percentage of new riders wind up replacing a lot of their gear within their first year or two of riding. This usually comes after reading about others' crashes, being in one themselves, or witnessing one.

In less than 5 years, I have bought 5 jackets, 6 pairs of gloves, 3 helmets and a few pairs of boots.

As this is the end of the season, there are a ton of closeouts and sales on jackets right now with some really good deals out there.

Remember that if you buy from Newenough.com, you can help ModernBuddy by choosing to donate $1 of your purchase to the site! This money goes to gift certificates for prizes and so on (i.e., not in my pocket).

Motorcycle Superstore (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/) also has a lot of good deals.

Corazzo is closing out its Max jacket and some dealers may have that on sale.

For SoCal, I think you'll find you'll ultimately need at least 2 jackets, a mesh or lightweight one for the summer and a medium weight one (that you can wear with layers) for the rest of the year.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:46 pm

ericalm wrote:I would guess that a fairly high percentage of new riders wind up replacing a lot of their gear within their first year or two of riding.

In less than 5 years, I have bought 5 jackets, 6 pairs of gloves, 3 helmets and a few pairs of boots.

+1

I have similar numbers in excess gear at this point, outside of only 2 pairs of gloves.

Two reasons ... not really researching things enough before I purchased (I'm a huge impulee buyer ... Billy Mays loved people like me) and also purchasing some things online before I checked them out in person.

Rob

Ms_Kady · Post by **Ms_Kady** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:50 am

I just got this jacket. It's a First Gear Women's Allure Jacket and it fits PERFECT!! Much better than the Icon jacket I have!

I'm turning into a gear fanatic!!

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:26 am

Nice looking jacket! It will go great with your white scooter too. If you want to get some more warmth from any of your jackets, Joe Rocket makes a waterproof/windproof liner that works with most any jacket brand. Only $40. I use it under all of my jackets, even my all mesh Vanson, and I can be comfortable in much, much colder temperatures.

Modern Buddy

Help a newbie out! Textile vs. Leather Jackets

Help a newbie out! Textile vs. Leather Jackets

I vote for the Field Sheer Hi-temp Jacket

textile/ mesh jackets