
If it feels like armour in your bike kit then the law demands it is actually proper, protective armour. Here's how to tell how effective your impact protection is...
Been thinking of getting one of these jackets for a while and after reading reviews and spending hours on YouTube went for the Bowtex Elite. Great piece of kit , lightweight cool on the skin and once you get used to it you don't notice you have it on. With the cold weather you just layer up 10 out of 10 for me. SBS are probably one of the best retailers for bike gear in Europe.
Great Service and Price
This is exactly what you want if you plan on wearing jeans and a hoody, the material is stretchy so mobility certainly won't be an issue, very very comfortable
Outstanding service from sbs as always
As a born again biker in my seventies, I am having to re-equip totally and this armour means I can just wear whatever I have from other pursuits but still remain safe. I find the feel of the inside fabric a bit weird but I wear a T shirt underneath and it's fine. Once on, you forget it's there. It fits under all my clothes including my Harley leather jacket which is a leisure product and quite fitted. I am very pleased with my choice.
Very cool feeling on your skin. I was worried that this layer would add unwanted warmth, but so far (I've only tried it in March) it actually has a cooling effect which you can feel from the moment you put it on. I'm hopeful it will still have the same cooling effect when the weather warms up. Nice and close fitting with decent sized armour. If like me, you are a bit rounder around the waist then you are around your chest, I had to size up and found that adding the back protector took up the extra material that I had around my chest from sizing up, which saved it from feeling loose.
Supremely comfortable, it doesn't feel like I'm wearing any armor. Very well made, comes with shoulder and elbow protectors, I added a back protector too.
Feels almost cold to the touch, in the sense that it doesn't act as a thermal layer of any kind. Which means it's probably enough by itself during the summer, and can be combined with your regular winter clothes during the winter. Brilliant idea.
I really like how I don't look like RoboCop or something whenever I go for a ride. I'm normally a size L, and I got mine on size L too. Fits exactly as expected.
This is an excellent bit of kit - unbelievably comfortable for motorbike protective wear, and even more so when considering that it provides AAA protection.
I could wear it all day long, even when working at my computer - it really is that comfortable.
It is very easy to put on and take off because the material is so soft and flexible, is extremely light, and airflow through it is great.
I wear a windproof layer over it on chilly days and when it gets really cold I feel the need for another insulating layer. I cannot wait for warmer weather to find how well it works on its own (with maybe a warm weather base layer underneath).
Sizing is just right for me - if you prefer a tight fit you may want to consider going a size smaller, but that might have an effect on how the arms fit for length.
Worth noting is that BikeSocial have it wrong: there actually are belt loops inside the jacket for connecting it to the top of your pants, if you can be bothered to use them.
All in all, I am thrilled with this product and have officially converted to Bowtex fanboyism.
One minor niggle: it doesn't have a loop in the collar for hanging it on coat hooks!
XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | |
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UK SIZE | 35-36 | 37-38 | 39-40 | 41-42 | 43-44 | 45-46 |