leather vs. textile

im soon in the market and im interested in someones opinion other then a salesman.

in your opinion, what are the pros and cons for both./share experience and what not.


also. it has been passed down to me (allegedly origination from multiple peter stevens staff) that leather will die in the rain.... my parents defs rode in leather all their lives, the first part anyway. wtf <--?

Having tested both ( ) ...... LEATHER !

first what kind of riding do you do most of?

ive ridden all my road riding career in various levels of textiles gear, including down to philip island twice. i had armour in pants and jacket and in commuting terms the weather proof aspect was great. i would also wear this on the weekend runs up the local twisties. some around here will swear by wearing leathers in all conditions and under all circumstances.

Bloody hard to keep mould off leather here in NT, textiles don't seem to have the same issue but remember we have the highest humidity in the country in Darwin during the build up to the wet so if where you're from is a bit drier I'd say go with the leather!

Remember that protection is needed when you expect it least...
otherwise if you expect it there's a fair chance that you would do something to avoid needing it...

I'd advise buying the best you can afford. I occasionally wear textile if cruising into town but if out for 'spirited' ride then ALWAYS leather. Leather probably wont prevent breaks any better than textiles but will keep any damage way cleaner than textile and this is what often complicates 'damage' as even a slow off can get gravel into a cut and unless thoroughly cleaned will lead to infection.

Not meaning to scare you but hope this helps you make an informed decision...after all it's your choice...and your body.

I will dare say you will eventually get a set of both.

Leather offers the best protection and I have never had any issues with it in the rain. They arent waterproof by any stretch but they are light rain resistant.

Textile can be good also but make sure you spend the extra dollar to get the quality. I will quite regularly wear my dri rider jacket with leather pants.


Just make sure you get some quality gear with good protection and top notch stitching and you'll be fine.

sorry. i forgot to mention.
im just looking at a jacket atm, not sure if that changes anything.

also im from south aus, so significantly less humid.

uhhhm. riding wise, i am unsure as it'll be my first bike - i may end up a weekend rider.. i may not

In that case definitely go with leather

I feel better in leather. Part of that is just because it looks better, but the feel of a heavy leather jacket is definitely reassuring.

That said, I break out the textiles for commuting in summer. I can deal with the heat during fun stuff, but labouring through summer traffic in cowhide is just hell (although I'm sure they have it far worse in the north). If you're only going to buy one jacket, I suppose a good textile jacket will be versatile enough to cover most of your needs.

it has been passed down to me (allegedly origination from multiple peter stevens staff) that leather will die in the rain.... my parents defs rode in leather all their lives, the first part anyway. wtf <--?

Getting soaked will ruin leather eventually, but there's a bunch of treatments that you can use to make it less so. Dubbin, Sno-Seal, the Dainese-branded stuff, take your pick. It's not perfect but it'll get you through a surprise shower. A proper all-weather textile jacket is still the best choice for keeping you dry.

both serve their purpose for me, textile for winter (better in the rain), leather for summer.

I know you said your not looking at pants, but definately get kevlar jeans at a minimum when you get your jacket, squeeze em for a deal.

(btw Peter Stevens SA has a sale on atm)

I've also got both. Textiles for winter, leathers for spring and autumn and summer if its not too hot. Have a mesh jacket for hot days.
But a quality textile will cover most of your riding. If you can afford goretex even better. +1 to the kevlar jeans or some proper pants.

I wear 3 jackets.
Leather in moderate temperatures and for weekend rides/track days.
Quality textile with removable liner in winter, or when it rains in autumn/spring.
Ventilated textile for summer commuting.

I treat my leathers with dubbin a couple of times a year keeps it soft and waterproof.

If you are getting a jacket only and go down the path of leather think about getting something that will zip together with pants down the track.

I have both textile and leather 2 piece which I wear depending on the season. Mainly wear leather in winter as I find it warmer.

One issue I see a lot with leather jackets is that they ride up the person's back, you can see flesh when they are riding along, now this may look sexy but it doesn't really look that sexy when you back is sliding on the road.

Having seen the road in both and seen others crash in both I can't say anything bad about either, both have done the job required.

Leather.
I have seen leather x2 take on a bull bar head on at 100ks and besides a shit load of broken bones not on singles cut or graze to ether rider. I have both but have not put the textile on since seeing that crash.

buy the best leather you can afford.
make sure it ;
FITS !! no point in having a great jacket if the armour "rolls" & leaves elbows (etc) exposed to injury.
GOOD STITCHING - absolute minimum of double stitch. go for triple or quadruple stitching. seam burst is not fun when it leaves skin exposed.
COW or ROO hide - make sure it isnt some other animal.
enquire if it has zip out winter lining too.

having said all that, the advancement in textile products is excellent - the last stack i had was in a textile & it did a great job.
look after you leather. this is a (nearly) different topic altogether.