Best motorcycle riding shirts and hoodies

Thanks to advances in technology, protection and design, the days when safe, protective motorcycle riding kit meant sweating it out in bulky leathers, multi-layer textiles or wax-cotton jackets are long gone. Today you can also get motorcycle specific, armoured protective riding SHIRTS –or even hoodies and jumpers, too. All of which is great for those times when you don’t want to look too obviously like a ‘biker’, like popping out on a short errand or going to an event where you want to be able to enjoy your time off your bike just as much as you did riding on it to the venue.
Which is where modern armoured motorcycle riding shirts, hoodies and even jumpers come in. Due to modern advances, you can now get all of these riding garments not only made in protective materials, such as Aramid, but fitted with the latest CE-approved armour. Of course, you should still be looking for a decent overall CE rating for the garment, from B to AAA in increasing levels of protective ability, as well as quality armour and, ideally, a back protector as well. Fair to say, these garments are best suited to shorter distance summer use. For winter, touring or to keep out the worst of British weather, you’re still better off going for dedicated traditional riding kit. Even so, there’s still plenty of good quality kit out there and, dreams of summer riding in our heads, here’s our pick of the best. As before, we’ve based our choices on buyer ratings, primarily those accrued on the UK’s leading online motorcycle store. We’ve also chosen to highlight two riding shirts, at opposite ends of the price spectrum, a ladies shirt, plus a hoodie and a jumper, to cover all options. Accordingly, these are our current picks for armoured riding shirts…

Launched in Canada at the beginning of 2013, Resurgence Gear entered the market with an innovative protective lining material called Pekev for motorcycle jeans, which was the result of around 10 years material and design research and has since expanded into shirts and other items. The Ultra is its top of the range shirt and is a thin yet highly protective top made with Pekev Ultra material and with D3O IP Ghost and Viper armour at the shoulders and elbows. It has a slim cut design, two interior and two exterior chest pockets, a front press-stud closure flap, rubberised lower press-studs, press-stud down collar, YKK zips with pull tabs and is highly rated by owners. It even has a CE AAA rating.

This more affordable riding shirt from UK company Oxford Products is also very highly rated but at a significantly lower price. It’s made from Oxford's tried and tested 12.5oz Armourlite denim and is fitted with CE Level 2 shoulder and elbow protectors formed from a soft, flexible polymer that conforms to the wearer's shape then hardens upon impact for CE AA level protection. This can be further improved with the fitment of a back protector. For even more protection, webbing loops with press-studs can be fastened around a jean's belt to prevent the shirt riding up in the event of a spill. At the front there are high quality press-studs, plus a metal YKK zip, while the cuffs can also be adjusted to fit larger or smaller gloves thanks to two press-stud settings.

This women’s cut, premium weight, cotton flannel shirt has an aramid fibre twill lining and comes with a CE A protection rating. Again, it is highly rated by buyers. There’s also a fixed mesh lining for improved breathability, CE certified pre-fitted (CE compliance to EN1621) shoulder and elbow armour, a pocket for an optional extra back protector, two chest pockets with snap closures, two side-entry pockets, an internal storage pocket, a sculpted hem for better coverage whilst riding and snap stud cuff closures. YKK zips are used throughout and there are also ventilation zips to the chest and a jacket-to-jean connecting zipper to stop riding up.

If you’re after a fashionable riding hoodie, who better to turn to than arguably the most fashion-conscious motorcycle clothing brand of all – Alpinestars. This Chrome Sport hoodie may look like a traditional top but it’s purpose-designed and made for riding. The main shell is knitted fabric but has abrasion resistant aramid fibre in all the main vulnerable areas. The shoulder, elbow and back are lined, there is CE certified shoulder and elbow armour, accommodation for an extra back protector should you choose, a waterproof inner pocket which is ideal for your phone and also a high collar with removable hood. It also comes in a variety of colours and sizes.

Who said motorbikes and jumpers don’t mix? Comfortable and abrasion-resistant, the Whitby riding sweater from Rev’It is perfect for riders who prefer casual streetwear while riding but with added protection. Another item that’s highly rated by owners, it’s made from abrasion-resistant Cordura knit ripstop with ‘PWR shield’ reinforcement panels at the elbows and shoulder. There’s also Seesmart CE level 1 shoulder and elbow armour, a pocket for an optional Seesoft back protector, sensible thumb loops to prevent ‘sleeve lift’, reflective elbow and upper arm details to aid low light visibility and it comes in a full range of colours and sizes.