Hey, everybody! I’m here once again with another jacket to show you but this time I have the priviledge of introducing you to a jacket from Rev-It! It’s a pretty well-known brand in the world of motorcycle gear, renowned for their high price tags but also for their quality stuff – a lot of people swear by their products and you definitely get all that you pay for. I’m yet to come across something with their brand on it that hasn’t been made from the best materials and packed with all kinds of features.
The Rev-It! Sand Urban is a more fashionable take on the Sand 3 adventure jacket. But Rev-It must have taken a look at us non-off-roaders and felt bad, so they designed this jacket for us and our adventures on tar-mac. The whole look of the Sand Urban jacket is a little bit of a throwback to the classic shooting jackets used back in the early days of motorcycling, except this jacket is modern, functional, comfortable and very versatile. It’s probably the most versatile jacket I’ve come across to date.
I’ll start breaking down the jacket and it’s features, starting with the outer shell. It’s made of Polycotton 2L, Polyester Oxford and “Lorica”. The Polycotton 2L Is a blend of, you’ve probably guessed it, Polyester and Cotton. It uses a two-layer construction of the two materials so that the fabric absorbs very little water and dries out quickly. The Polyester Oxford is a man-made material that is durable, water repellent and has been woven in a basket-like weave to make the fabric as tough as can be as well as look nice. When I first saw it, it reminded me a lot of some fabrics that I’ve seen in tactical and military clothing- so I knew it was tough stuff just by looking at it. The “Lorica®” is something a bit new to me though- it’s made out of microfibres to create a sort of faux leather and has similar properties to it. It’s described as not being as high maintenance as leather but it’s not quite as strong either. But it is lighter, softer and has a consistent thickness that makes the material easier to process.
Diving in a little deeper to the jacket- it has a detachable thermal liner so you can leave it in there if you’re feeling the chill or take it out of the weather is getting toasty. But this next feature is what surprised me. The Jacket does indeed feature a waterproofing layer, made from a 3-layer construction of Hydratex which results in a breathable waterproof membrane that is also tough. But get this- the Hydratex waterproof membrane is removable! That may not seem like a big deal but that’s not something I’ve seen all that much of. Weather looking like a scorcher? Out with the thermal liner, out with the waterproof membrane and you’ve got yourself a pleasantly cool jacket for riding in- especially with it’s ventilation options.
Speaking of ventilation, I shall talk about that now before I get off topic. The jacket has zippers in what has been described as “strategic positions” but really, they’re -mostly- in the usual places you’d find them- two on the front and one long one that goes across the tops of the shoulder blades. But the extra zippers on the arms are what make the difference. It’s kind of hard to ignore the fact that there’s these long zips going right the way up from the cuffs to the biceps. I don’t personally think they look bad at all being there but their functionality speaks for themselves, they can unzip from the bottom up or from the top down and can give you that much needed extra flow of cool air up the arms and around the back on those really hot rides.
But if ventilation isn’t enough to keep you cool, this jacket is compatible with Rev-It’s Challenger Cooling Vest Insert. The Challenger can be zipped directly into the outer shell with the connection zippers. So this cooling vest combined with the power of this jacket’s ventilation is sure to help make those rides out into the summer weathers all that more pleasant.
Well, enough about keeping cool- lets talk about keeping you safe. Aside from it’s durable outer shell the jacket also comes with a full set of armour. it has CE Level 1 SEESMART inserts in the shoulders and elbows and a CE level 2 SEESOFT back protector- It’s not like in some other jackets you can buy that more or less provides the basics for elbows and shoulders and then throws in a thin slab of courtesy foam for the back. It’s really good stuff and you’ll likely never feel the need to upgrade. But this feature is for when the worst happens- what about a feature for keeping the worst from happening? Well, they’ve done the best they can by adding reflective panels that are “welded” into the material of the outer shell. The lack of stitching them on the traditional way keeps the strength of the material uncompromised and you still get to be seen in the headlights of other road users during the darker hours.
The fit of the over all jacket is also something to note- there are adjusters on the cuffs, forearms, biceps and sides to tighten or loosen this jacket up so that you’ve got something that hugs as snug or as loose as you like. It alo so has plenty of pockets- the two on the front, a bigger one on the back, inner pockets, stash pockets- you’ve no shortage of places for valuables to live while you’re out riding. There’s a lot more to say about the Rev-It Sand Urban but I have to stop myself before this becomes a whole dissertaion. Suffice to say- yes, a £399 price tag is really steep for a jacket. But considering what this jacket has in it and considering all this jacket can do, from it’s protective features to its environmental versatility- it’s worth it knowing that you could never need another jacket for as long as this one lasts.
It even comes in black if you’re feeling a bit more tactical and it’s available in sizes S through to 4XL. We don’t, however, have it in-store I’m afraid. For now, this one is an online item only. But that said- if you get one and you don’t like it or you need a different size- you can still bring it in to us in Preston and have a chat with us about it.
Thanks for reading, guys! I hope you’ve found the Rev-It Sand Urban as impressive as I have. This one’s definitely on my personal wishlist for my next birthday and Christmas.
Until next time!
-MattW at Ghostbikes.com
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