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Whether you're commuting to the office or planning a cross-country journey, find the motorcycle jacket you need.

The one sure thing about riding a motorcycle: you need to be protected from every eventuality, whether that's heat, rain, wind or a possible crash. A jacket will be your second-best friend after a high-quality helmet — so we've pulled together a guide to the best motorcycle jackets on sale to armor you against all of the above.

Our choices for the best motorcycle jackets reflect seasonal thinking (from heat to cold) and versatility. We looked for options with more pockets, manual vents, and when a jacket is armored, we made fit and freedom of movement a priority—because not all armor makes that possible. Even if a jacket on our list doesn't have its own integrated protection, it's built to allow wearing armor underneath, and every piece here is designed to protect you during a slide.

Some of our choices reflect a preference for the one motorcycle jacket you'll keep forever, with all the bells and whistles you'd want for a pan-nation moto adventure, while others are more for grocery-getting or coffee meet-ups. Still, while we prioritized protection, we at Gear Patrol always have an eye on style, too.

The main point of a motorcycle jacket is to protect you. The best motorcycle jackets will have armor at the joints and along the spine to do so. CE Level 2 armor, designed for more high-speed applications, is more protective than CE Level 2 armor. CE Level 1 armor is better than nothing.

They will be more important for a motorcycle jacket than a normal jacket. Cuffs should be secure. Zippers should let you hold your stuff in confidently and be easy to operate with gloves on.

A motorcycle jacket should fit tightly, but not too tightly. You want it tight enough to keep the armor in the proper place and to keep from flapping in the wind. But you still want it loose enough to be able to move. Many jackets will offer stretch panels and be adjustable. You may want slightly longer sleeves than a typical jacket to avoid them riding up while you hold the handlebars.

Leather is the classic choice for a motorcycle jacket. Leather jackets look great. They also provide strong abrasion resistance, durability and comfort once broken in. Textile jackets can be a compelling alternative to leather. They can be specialized to offer features like waterproofing and extra ventilation. They are also cheaper.

A lot of riding happens in warm weather. No one wants to look, feel or smell like they just exited of schvitz after hopping off the bike. Airflow is critical. Leather jackets often have perforation for this purpose. Textile jackets often have mesh paneling.

Even if you’re going for that Darth Vadar look, the best motorcycle jackets will still help riders see you at night, usually with reflective paneling.

Note: We have noticed motorcycle jackets coming in and out of stock as manufacturers experience supply chain issues. So please check back often for updates.

We've tested this jacket for about a year in conditions ranging from freezing wind to summer's driving rainstorms to mud and muck. We love it because it can handle all of that and keep you protected, dry, and (unless it's below 30 degrees or above 85) reasonably warm or cool. Credit the zip-out liner for warmth, and the Gore-Tex laminated directly into the shell, so it's always breathable and windproof. If it's a hot day, flip open the active chest vents and keep them open via magnetic anchors. If it's a scorcher, also unzip the exit vents behind your shoulders.

The Trench is also bristling with utility, and it shows it was built by experienced riders. Exhibit A? Flap pockets at your hips that are extra deep. These have zippered tops, but even if you space on sealing them shut, they retain whatever you've stuffed in there and more than once have prevented us from losing a phone, cash, keys, earbuds, etc. Plus REV'IT! layers in two more pockets on the jacket's interior, and a hidden security Napoleon pocket where you might want to put your registration or insurance card, etc.

This jacket is also a tough garment, with CE Level 2 armor on the elbows and shoulders. REV'IT! includes a sleeve to fit a Seesoft Back Protector (not included) that you should add to make a very bomb-proof coat that much safer.

The Klim Marrakesh jacket offers unbeatable value with its excellent temperature management and water repellency, features you'll need whether you're heading out on an epic cross-country journey or a daily commute.

The jacket uses tough, tightly woven 1000D Cordura impact zones at the shoulder and elbow and D30 CE level 1 armor at the elbows, shoulders and spine with a four-way stretch core and shoulder blade portion. Klim added micromesh so the chest breaths well, but the material also gets a DWR water-resisting treatment to prevent most weather from soaking you.

Klim added Scotchlite's C790 carbon black for visibility, which looks stealthy until headlights illuminate it. Klim included softer stretch fabric at the neck and the wrists. The Marrakesh also gets zip-shut cuffs to prevent wind turbulence at your arms.

If an airbag is suitable for car drivers, surrounded by metal and further anchored with seatbelts, why can't motorcyclists have at least an airbag? Now they can. Dainese developed its airbag vest using MotoGP racing kinematics (studying the extreme g-forces those riders generate). It is thin enough to wear beneath other riding clothing but expands into a 360-degree pillow when you're separated from your bike. Yeah, okay, but you already wear a back protector. Swell. That's good. But Dainese R&D shows their airbag protects at seven times the shielding of a CE Level 1 spine guard. Do you want to wear seven spine protectors? Probably not.

And, sure, this is expensive protection, but a single visit to the hospital, not to mention just about any injury to your upper body, will cost you thousands of dollars.

In our testing, the Smart Jacket is also reasonably comfortable because you can remove the spine protector from your outer layer. You could wear just a lightweight jacket with integrated elbow and shoulder CE armor, with the Smart Jacket either over the top or underneath. And, yep, it has two larger hand-sized pockets at the front and a smaller chest pocket, so you have the same kind of storage you get with non-airbag clothing.

Like similar systems for downhill skiers, the Smart Jacket reads when your body tilts and the velocity of direction changes to "understand" the nature of the event. A rechargeable battery fires to open the airbag if it detects an accident. And filaments inside the airbag prevent air from shifting away from the force of impact like they would if you put your thumb on a balloon and squeezed. That way, this system offers more protection than just a bag full of air.

What's unique about this system is that Dainese is constantly evolving the tech, so you'll get an alert about new firmware after you've registered yours and be able to add to the protection. Eventually, that will allow deeper integration of phone pairing with, possibly, GPS capability. If the airbag deploys, the vest could signal EMS about your exact location, much like Apple Watch Fall Detection now works.

Like the classic Belstaff jacket but find the price point too steep? Merlin's Edale offers similar retro-newfangled perfection at a far more affordable price. The Scottish-English startup blends a classic look with modern materials and tech, so you're getting the old-fangled look but with a waterproof and breathable membrane fabric and a removable Outlast thermal layer for warmth. Merlin bakes in D3O elbow and shoulder armor, and you can buy a separate spine protector for the built-in sleeve.

As for carrying wares with you, the Edale has more pockets than a high-end VRBO has guest quarters! There are four patch pockets at the front, a rear patch glove pocket that's offset, a Napoleon pocket, and a pair of internal pockets. Plus, both hip-level patch pockets also have hand-warmer side entry. Brass zippers at the upper chest and across the top of the back bring active venting to the Edale, too, so in case it's not Scottish Highlands cool where you ride, you can still look the part but sweat less.

While this jacket may look like the classic Belstaff dating back over 100 years, the Trailmaster has evolved slightly over time. So, in addition to being made of bovine leather that’s hand waxed and treated to provide safety during a slide, the Trailmaster Pro also gets CE removable armor for shoulders and elbows, and there’s an envelope to add a spine protector too.

But this jacket wouldn’t be a Belstaff if it didn’t retain classic features, from the four-pocket design to the belted waist to keep the wind from chilling you from beneath to oversized snaps that hold everything shut—and are easier to operate while wearing gloves. Further features include a slanted map pocket, cotton check lining and corduroy lining on the collar and cuffs to prevent wind penetration.

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REV’IT!’s Component H20 combines the best attributes of clothing built for off-road riding with traits you’d want for any street ride. In our tests, we especially love how it fits (and looks) like a jacket you’d wear for snowboarding or downhill mountain biking, and there’s no reason it wouldn’t work great for those activities. Plus, because it’s made with hydratex 3L membrane, it’s both breathable and waterproof, and the oversized hood is designed to fit over a helmet — whether you’re wearing that lid for moto or skiing.

Speaking of high-adrenaline use cases, we especially dig how REV’IT! adds so much active venting to its wares. The Component gets two oversized chest pockets that, sure, are pockets, but that also double as air scoops to suck in cooling, plus there are zip-open ports at both the lower sleeve and the shoulder and exit ports at the back, behind the shoulder blade.

REV’IT!’s protected the heck out of this coat, too, with 750D Cordura Ripstop across potential impact zones on the arms and shoulders and incorporates Seesmart CE impact protection on the shoulders and elbows. Do they add two interior zip pockets (one with a key loop), each large enough to hold both a phone and wallet, plus a huge back pocket that’ll swallow the zip-off hood, spare gloves or a sandwich? You bet. Lastly, REV’IT! knows riders have reduced tactile sense because they’re always wearing gloves, so every zipper pull on this piece is oversized, with an extended cord. You’ll be able to open and close vents in a hurry and get on with your ride.

Women wear motorcycle jackets too. The Street & Steel Athena is a staff pick at Revzilla. This classic leather jacket offers CE-rated armor at the joints and the pocket for a back protector, which you need to buy separately. It has perforated panels for ventilation and a removable thermal liner.

The Athena offers waist adjusters to allow the jacket to fit snugly and comfortably for a range of different body types. The jacket also features a reflective stripe for added visibility.

The Alpinestars T-GP Plus R v3 Air is a summer sport riding jacket (along with being a mouthful to say). And it's a staff pick at Revzilla. It's a textile jacket that goes heavy on the mesh for ventilation with a full mesh lining and extended mesh panels at the torso and arms.

The jacket features Nucleon Flex Plus CE Level 1 armor at the shoulders and elbows. And the jacket includes pockets for chest and back protectors, which are sold separately. Velcro fasteners at the wrist cuffs and in pockets provide extra secure closures. Alpinestars added large-opening front hand pockets and a waterproof internal pocket.

The Scorpion EXO Optima is a four-season jacket that has earned the staff pick designation at Revzilla. It's built from a seam-sealed laminate fabric that aims to be breathable and is 100% waterproof. And it has a removable Everheat thermal layer for riding in cold weather.

The jacket has CE-rated armor at the shoulders and elbows and a pocket for extra back protection, which is sold separately. It has a waterproof Napoleon pocket, two internal pockets and an additional internal media pocket. It also has a lot of NightViz material for added visibility at night.

When you're hitting the trails on your motocross or ADV machine, the slower pace and wearing a helmet and armor can cook you. The Moto 4.5 X-Flow gives you an edge, with breathable mesh on the chest and back and removable arms. Leave the arms on for added reinforcement with a protective film that resists cuts caused by tree branches or the occasional stumble off your moto.

If you like to run a hydration reservoir but would rather not wear a backpack, the 4.5 X-Flow has an envelope designed to hold up to three liters of fluid against your back, and the suspension system prevents that reservoir from bunching up. We also dig that there are a total of six pockets, which is especially handy if you don't have much on-bike storage.

Whether you're planning a cross-country tour or just want to rip trails this summer, one of these backpacks will be perfect for the job.