Leather jackets and motorbikes have been synonymous for what seems like forever. What’s better than the sexy look and feel of a thick, safe and beautiful genuine leather jacket? Remember those ‘bomber jackets’ that became such a phenomenon many moons ago – regardless of whether it was the ideal riding gear or not?

Over the years the motorcycle jacket has evolved dramatically and today riders are spoilt for choice when it comes to new styles, safety features and materials. The question from some quarters, though, is whether a textile or mesh jacket can ever be as safe as leather. There seem to be two opposing schools of thought; one for leather the other for textile. So, let’s take a short trip through the features of textile or mesh, and you can decide.

What’s the difference between textile and mesh?

Textile is a broad term used to describe man-made materials such as nylon, ballistic and mesh. The most commonly used material for motorcycle gear is Cordura Nylon, which is known for its durability and resistance to abrasions, tears and scuffs. Essentially mesh is textile material with holes, and this brings us to our vital question. How safe are these fabricated materials?

Let’s talk safety

Textile will definitely provide safety although, unlike leather, may be limited inenduring a second tumble; which means that textile offers the advantage in terms of affordability and versatility but our main concern here, is whether it provides sufficient protection.

Textiles have come an exceedingly long way since the high school rain jacket, and these modern fabrics are strong and durable. Cordura is said to be twice as strong as nylon and three times stronger than polyester. Current textile jackets are robust enough to survive a considerable fall while still protecting the rider, especially when they are kitted out with CE approved armor for the back, shoulders and elbows as well. It can indeed have a higher abrasion resistance than leather.

At street speeds, a textile jacket is likely to do as good a job as leather, with their abrasion resistance strength definitely protecting your skin from dreaded “road rash” in a slide! You’d probably prefer a solid leather jacket though for racing speeds. Modern fabrics like Cordura are astoundingly strong, and provide incredible strength and protection for their weight.

Benefits of textile

Due to its strength, textiles can be made lighter, and this certainly benefits riders when it comes to comfort. Most textile jackets come in a variety of hi-vis colours and are also water resistant, they feature removable liners for added warmth and venting zips to allow ample airflow. You will also appreciate the number of pockets in most textile jackets. In textile, you can enjoy a comfortable ride in almost all weather conditions. While leather can be heavy with very limited breath ability, textile jackets deliver ample ventilation and durability. It has even been said by some bikers that their textile gear outlives their bikes.

At Moto di Moda we offer a select range of top quality, lightweight 600D Cordura motorcycle jackets in various sizes and hi-vis colours for men and women.

We always put our bikers first and continuously strive to uphold the biker lifestyle and help you look good, feel good, but above all – remain safe out there.