Harley Davidson Jackets come in varying styles and materials. As a Harley rider, you’re fortunate to have many viable options when shopping for a jacket. The flip side, of course, is sifting through all the choices to find just the perfect one.
The biggest choice is probably whether to opt for leather or some type of synthetic material. There are pros and cons to both, but in the end it's an issue of personal choice.
If you're dead set on a classy leather jacket, no amount of reading will change your mind. Stick around for a few minutes, though, and let me show off the different options available.
But if you can't wait, you can read about a variety of featured Harley Jackets here.
Harley Leather Jackets
Leather is the king of great styling. It's luxury feel and supple surface are unmatched and will never go out of vogue. There are many different models of Harley leather jackets though, in general, leather offers fewer selections for color and style than synthetic materials.
Leather is known to retain body heat, resulting in it becoming occasionally overheated. This is a possible drawback to evaluate. The weight of the leather presents a balancing act -- thicker leather offers better protection but can be unbearably warm in the summer months. Some jackets offer perforated leather to deal with this problem, but it's not an ideal alternative for the adaptability of synthetics. Heavier weight leather also has a longer "loosening" period and can feel stiff initially.
A quick word about leather measurements: leather measuring under 1.0 millimeter in thickness is considered lightweight, whereas leather thicker than 1.5 millimeters is quite heavy. More details on leather measurements can be researched
here.
Synthetic Jackets
If you're looking for a good variety of choices, synthetics may be the path to choose. Even a single model could have dozens of configuration options. Warm weather liners, for instance, can be taken out or replaced. Zipped air channels can be left open or closed to change the amount of air circulation. And body armor pads can be replaced with a CE-rated pad or removed altogether.
The most common synthetic material for a biker jacket nowadays is Cordura. Cordura is a tough canvas-like material that is often found in hiking gear or backpacks. Often treated with a water resistant overcoat, Cordura retains its ability to pass air through it to provide a tougher alternative to Gore-Tex. Synthetic jackets normally offer a wider (and wilder) set of color choices, making them quite good-looking, but for some, they'll never match the classic good looks of leather.
This article offers an excellent comparison of the pros and cons of synthetics and leather.
Nylon and Denim Jackets
Other types of materials will present their own value proposition. Denim, for example, offers a unique tradeoff: a type of classic look that is desirable to some, while less hot in the warm months than leather. Nylon supplies durability and some of the weatherproofing options of a synthetic but, depending on your taste, might not offer up the classic styling of leather.
Harley Women's Jackets
One quick thought about ladies jackets...
Biker jackets have evolved over time, to the point now where you can discover stylish jackets that are specifically designed for women. Many of the synthetic jackets are designed to be for both men and women, but at least a few options are specifically targeted for women. Opting for leather opens up a wide set of options for fitted, classy women's jackets.
