The past six months, I have been riding around Thailand from 28 to brutal 44°C heat using the Knox Urbane Pro jacket. Prior to the Knox, my jacket of choice for hot weather was the Klim Induction (my review), an excellent jacket. The Klim has been all over the Philippines, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, in all sorts of climates. So I feel I have clocked up enough miles using both to give a decent, honest review.
After living with both jackets in real world conditions, the conclusion is simple.
The Knox Urbane Pro is the best hot weather motorcycle jacket I have used to date.
Purchase & Shipping
I purchased the Knox Urbane Pro from Sportsbike Shop in the UK for £249.99 (around US$330). Sizing was straightforward as I had already tried the jacket on at the ABR Festival, so there were no surprises when it arrived.
Below are direct links to the Knox Urbane Pro if you want to read more excellent reviews.
The Sportsbike Shop (UK) and Revzilla (USA).
Jacket Specifications
Knox Literature describes the Urban Pro as a protective armoured shirt that you add layers over as needed. I wouldn’t call it a shirt, but it is easily used in a layering system and it is a snug fit.
The snug fit helps keep the armour in place.
Build quality is excellent throughout. Stitching, zippers, and materials all feel premium. High impact areas use Knox’s tougher Arrownet style mesh and reinforced nylon panels, while stretch zones improve comfort and mobility.
There are belt loops at the hem designed to attach to your trousers and prevent the jacket riding up in a slide. They work, although they are a little fiddly, and I suspect many riders will never bother using them.
Certification: CE AA (EN17092) / Level 2
Shell Fabric: High-tenacity stretch nylon + polyester mesh
Impact Zones: Tougher “arrownet” style mesh / nylon panels
Armour: Knox MICRO-LOCK Level 2 – Shoulders, Elbows, Full Back
Chest: Optional MICRO-LOCK chest piece (not included)
Back: Huge FB Level 2 insert (very flexible, big coverage)
Fit: Slim “second-skin” shirt, designed to be snug
Pockets: 2 External zip pockets, internal stash pockets
Extras: Belt loops, thumb loops, visor wipe on elastic cord
The images below are courtesy of the Knox (they take better photos), a little further down the page you will see my photos after months of hard use in Thailand.
(Click to see larger image)
Comfort & Fit
Knox Literature describes the Urban Pro as a protective armoured shirt that you add layers over as needed. I wouldn’t call it a shirt, but it is easily used in a layering system and it is a snug fit, so if you are 250lb+, this might not be the jacket for you.
I found the Urbane Pro very comfortable, fits great in a layering system and not at all restrictive or aggravating whilst riding, despite it’s snug fit.
Protection
Knox use their own proprietary CE approved micro-lock armour. This gives the Urbane Pro jacket a AA + Level 2 rating.
I found the elbow and shoulder armour comfortable and pretty malleable in getting it located right. The back protector is huge and heavy in my opinion, so I swapped it out for a 3DO Ghost back protector which is lighter and more comfortable. I purchased this from the Sportsbike Shop, costing £49 (US$65).
The Knox back protector weighs 780g (23mm thick) and the 3DO 419g (8mm thick).
You can see the difference in size at the image below.
I’m happy to sacrifice less protection for more comfort in this case. Of course, if I have a bad high side, I might be eating my words. We all have different risk tolerance levels 🙂 At least I’m not riding around in shorts and flip-flops like the majority.
On the Bike
This is where it earns it’s money. At 20 mph the airflow hits immediately, properly cool, not muggy like many mesh jackets. In 28–38°C heat it’s genuinely comfortable when moving.
When you stop at lights or in traffic, obviously things heat up, but due to the jackets light weight and fit, it still feels “relatively” comfortable.
At 40–44°C (see image below), nothing is “comfortable”, but the Urbane Pro stays manageable.
Just hydrate and accept you’re basically riding in a fan oven.
I usually wear a t-shirt or thin base layer under the jacket and carry a lightweight rain jacket in my tail pack. I find this combination works great for Thailand and the unpredictable nature of the weather.
After a day of riding, I have yet to have any pressure point issues, no digging armour.
The lighter 3DO back protector helps.
Off the Bike
Walking, 7-Eleven’s, coffee stops, the Urbane Pro feels like a mid-layer, not a bulky ADV jacket.
It doesn’t sag, doesn’t balloon, and looks fairly normal.
Rain
It’s mesh, so pretty useless in the rain, but when you pair it with a lightweight rain jacket, it works great. When it’s wet, the Urbane Pro dries fast, taking 20-30 mins max to dry when you are moving.
Actually, sometimes it feels great to ride in the rain in Thailand, just for the relief from the heat.
Durability
After about 7,000 miles and months of 28-44°C heat, mixed road, dirt, petrol stations, temple steps, torrential rain at times. Stitching is still excellent, zippers are all working as new, thumb loops still attached, no leaching of dyes or colour fading.
The only two minor issues I have had are:
1. Pocket “visor” wipe coming unattached from it’s cord after 5 mins. To be honest I don’t see the point of this and threw the loose cloth away.
2. The cuffs are starting to show signs of fraying, mainly cause by the velcro catching from my glove straps. Let’s see over time if they become worse. I will update this review accordingly.
(Click to see larger image)
Verdict
For Thailand, the Urbane Pro jacket is easily one of the best hot-weather jackets I’ve used. It won’t keep rain out and it won’t keep you warm, but that’s not the point. It keeps you protected and stops you melting.
That said, due to the ease of layering with this jacket, I have no doubt it would work will in colder climates, with the Urbane Pro being the protection layer.
The Urbane Pro jacket is available at the Sportsbike Shop (UK) and Revzilla (USA).