Boondock Puffins

For more on my favourite jacket – see my article on the best women’s motorbike jacket here.

When I went to get my motorbike jacket, I was quite specific in my requests. I wanted to have a touring jacket that came down far enough to ensure that there were no gaps – not a cropped one essentially. I also wanted a laminate jacket as waterproofing was important to me. Ideally, I wanted something that was vaguely bright and colourful (anything but plain black!). While I would love a leather jacket, it didn’t seem to be the optimum solution for touring in Scotland!

So, what else is out there? 

Alpinestars Andes V3 Drystar

For starters, there is the very popular Alpinestars Andes (V3) Drystar jacket, which I have heard very positive things about. I actually have the matching trousers which I will review in a coming video, but it is not laminate, so for my purposes (camping and then needing to put kit on the next day again), it wasn’t the best option. (£256)

Merlin Carina Waterproof

The Merlin Carina Waterproof jacket also gets positive reviews, but is available with some stripes of colour. It has a waterproof membrane, so again, not laminate, and it also has a thermal liner which helps to regulate temperature. (£199.99 – currently on sale for £123)

Richa Infinity 2 Pro Waterproof

The Richa Infinity 2 Pro Waterproof Ladies Jacket would seem to be another good shout, with a laminate shell, and everything else I asked for – had this been in stock when I was looking, there is a good chance I would have gone with this (although the all black would still have been slightly sad).

Rev’it Sand 4 H20

The Rev’it Sand 4 H20 Jacket would seem to be a good option for a tour in a variety of conditions, with a waterproof and thermal liner. (£439.99)

Another popular jacket, which uses its own laminate formula, is the Oxford Montreal 3.0 jacket. It has mixed reviews, and seems to be discontinued on some sites, but on the whole positive, so may be worth a shot.

Rukka Suki Pro Gore-Tex

If price is no hinderance, then looking at the Rukka kit is always going to be fun (find this jacket here), but I have learnt to school myself out of that until I’m spending enough time or the bike to justify it (or have become a millionaire). (£950… currently on sale for a mere £799)

Oxford Mondial Advanced Waterproof

This is one that I missed in my YouTube video, but definitely deserves a mention. The Oxford Mondial Waterproof Jacket is a very good balance between affordable and super practical (£269.99 – currently on sale at £199.99). Removable thermal liner and with its own laminate which, while it has mixed reviews, seems to be decent. For the price difference, probably worth a shot.

Men’s/Unisex!

Also worth considering – you can get a man’s jacket. The horrors I know, but really, this is down to looks, and I am not fussed about it coming in at my waist etc. If you size it up, try it on and it is comfortable and safe, then there is no reason not to buy a jacket from the men’s section, particularly when trying to find a jacket in the lower end of the price range. 

If any one has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them, so please do leave a comment below, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to our channel to keep up to date with our latest motorbike videos.