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Which motorcycle jeans have most protection?

What jeans have most protection

A war of words has broken out between Australia motorcycle clothing companies Draggin Jeans and Saint over which motorcycle jeans offer the best protection.

A Draggin Jeans spokesman contacted us a coupe of weeks ago saying they would issue a press release debunking protection claims by Saint.

The promised release was delayed several times, but eventually has arrived as this magazine advertising campaign which doesn’t name Saint at all.What jeans have most protection

Claims and counterclaims

Draggin Jeans disputes Saint’s CE-approval and 5.9-second abrasion claim for their new single-layer Unbreakable 6 jeans. 

They told us they would complain to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission about the claims.

They say Saint’s testing was not done on the right equipment and have submitted their own sample to Deakin Uni, claiming the result was closer to 3.14 seconds.

Saint says their original single-layer denim was CE rated to 3.69 seconds.

Draggin says the CE approval quoted for that material is the same as protection approval standards for gardening gloves, not for motorcycle clothing.

But Saint says their new Unbreakable 6 is the first single-layer jean in the world that has an all-over CE EN13595 certified single-layer denim.What jeans have most protection

And in May, they will release the first single layer CE EN13595 certified single-layer stretch denim.

They say the material is tested by two different European protection standards agencies: Dolomiticert in Italy and Satra Technology Centre in the United Kingdom.

Draggin says that last year they conducted 149 impact abrasion tests at one lab on their gear as well as competitor brand jeans.

“We also conducted testing at four other test labs in Europe,” the spokesman says.

“No other brands do this. We do this testing so that we can be 100% confident of the performance of Draggin as well as comfortable with the numbers that we publish on competitor product.”What jeans have most protection

Stronger

Another claim Draggin questioned when they spoke to us is that Saint jeans are 200 times stronger than normal jeans. They say Saint should stipulate that they are talking about durability in normal wearing conditions compared with standard jeans, not under riding or crashing conditions. 

Saint agrees the wording could be misconstrued, but says it is “semantics”.

Some readers have complained to us that their Draggin Jeans have a short life and fall apart quicker than standard jeans.

However, we have several pairs of Draggin Jeans and have not had that happen, despite being washed numerous times and ridden in harsh weather conditions.

Melting point

Draggin also claims Saint’s singe-layer denim material with a high blend of Dyneema (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene or UHMWP) has a low melting point and can melt on to your skin in a slide or even if your jeans touch an exhaust pipe.

However, the melting point of UHMWP is around 130°C, which seems pretty high to us. We have also tested this claim by pressing the material directly on to a hot exhaust pipe for several seconds and found no signs of melting.

However, I have burnt a hole in a pair of Draggin Hydro Roomoto pants.What jeans have most protection

Single layer Vs patch protection

The idea of a single-layer protective denim is certainly attractive.

Draggin has also been working on a single-layer denim, but says they are not yet happy with the results.

Instead, their jeans have patches of kevlar protection in the most vulnerable areas.

Critics claim this is not good enough because as you slide down the road, your loose pants may twist around and expose your skin through areas with no protection.

Conclusion?

The war of words does not clear up the issue for riders, but could just make us more confused.

And it may not be resolved until the independent rating system for motorcycle protective clothes being developed by Deakin University and the Neuroscience Research Australia is finished and accepted. There is no timeline for that, either.

What jeans have most protection

Meanwhile, we will have to make our own choices based on the information provided on labels.

My cupboard is full of motorcycle jeans from Draggin, Saint, Neds, DriRider, Shark, Icon, Harley-Davidson and more. Some have CE labels, some don’t. 

The labels are confusing, anyway, and often printed with such small type as to be impossible to read.

I haven’t crash-tested any of them for their protection values and I hope I never have to.

Like many riders, I take a calculated risk about riding pants.

Almost all protective riding jeans are too hot to wear about six months of the year in Queensland, so I usually choose to take my chances with a cool pair of normal jeans.

At least I am comfortable enough to concentrate on my riding and not distracted by thoughts of how I would prefer to just turn around and go home so I can cool off in the pool.

  1. and dont forget Torque jeans from Aldi. CE certified (apparently). Crash tested by me and still using them. The reference to twisting around is a real issue. My only real injury was when the armour and aramid twisted around and i got some grazing on the knee.

    1. Ozoceanview; and was the grazing due to the abrasive surface of the Kevlar inner at the knee? or the denim outer abrading through to your skin?
      Be aware! the CE Label on Aldi and others products MAY relate ONLY to the body armour, which as you appear to have found out can and will move on impact if not secured correctly.

      The product as a whole must pass certain restraint tests to be issued with a CE Mark. Hence other level 2 CE mark Denim Jeans have a strip of elastic ( and yes, woefully inadequate in MHO ) which runs under the riders foot in an attempt to stop the lower leg riding upwards on impact.

      Elastic stretches.. so go figure.

      1. I think the Aldi gear is actually rated nit just the armour.
        I crash tested some torgue jeans recently and although the denim tore through the aramid/kevlar did not. I have material friction burn in my knees from the material but nit from the road surface. I’ll buy them again.

        1. Hi Travis,

          great that you were not badly injured however you do state that the denim tore open ( as expected for cheap cotton only denim ) and the kevlar caused the injury you sustained. Herein lies the problem, third layers are oft fitted to save the wearer from skin removal by the kevlar inner. Any denim lower than a CE Mark level 2 IMHO should be avoided.

          1. Hi Pamela
            The friction burn was minor, just a couple small bits. Any fast moving fibre in the skin is limely to result in some form if victiin burn.
            Any denim that isn’t dyneema fortified is going to tear through. The Aldi jeans are a fairly heavy weight denim compared to most jeans and the kevlar is brushed (like brushed cotton/flannelette) to minimise the itchy and sand paper affect.
            Given the difference in cost between the Aldi jeans vs Draggin vs Saint vs various others they’re a good deal of protection without costing the earth and actually rated, which is better than many other big name brand motorcycle clothing.

  2. It’s good that we are able to buy top quality motor cycle jeans, especially when two manufactures are going all out to be the best. NOW it is time for company’s like Dri-Rider and A-Jay to put a lot more effort in making sure their motor cycle pants came up to the same high standard.

  3. I support Australian rider designed safety apparel from Bikers Gear Australia. Their jeans are most comfortable & affordable of many major brands tried.
    Have not tested coverage, and hope not to, however, have seen results of those who have, and coverage/protection was excellent.
    Asides from all of the above, the fact all Bikers Gear clothing is designed by real experienced Australian riders is a winner for me; support local.

    NOTE: BUYER CAN UPGRADE THIS PANT WITH CE REMOVABLE ARMOUR @ COST $20 SEE BELOW LINK:
    http://bikersgearaustralia.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_69_83&product_id=392

    Brand New Quality biker jeans lined with DuPont™ and KEVLAR® Fibre, To complement our ever expanding portfolio of products BIKERS GEAR AUSTRALIA are proud to introduce the BG jeans lined with DuPont™ and KEVLAR® Fibre.

    This exclusive brand embodies top quality, durability, cutting edge design and features. These have 40% extra lining than other brands on the market, the extra lining is in the hip area and down along shin area, they are lined with DuPont™ and KEVLAR® Fibre in complete back side area, hip area, and knee and shin area

    SIZE GUIDE:

    To get right size please take your old pair of jeans, measures across the front with button done up and follow the below example:

    Size 34 measures 17

    Size 36 measures 18

    Composition: Shell 100% cotton
    Lining: 70% aramid DuPont™ KEVLAR® fiber.

    DuPont™ and KEVLAR® are trademark or Registered trademark of E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company

    http://bikersgearaustralia.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_69_83&product_id=155

    1. Also a big fan of bikers gear.
      Have their Touring jacket and touring pants for some while.
      Excellent quality.

  4. Comments suppressed? Posted a comment – disappeared, tried again, message about ‘duplicate comment’ – yet no comment visible … strange …

    1. Hi “Draughtrider”,
      What was the comment? I approve all comments unless they are automatically sent to spam which I don’t check as I get hundreds a day.
      Please send again as a reply to this.
      Cheers,
      Mark

  5. First and foremost the CE Mark is a passport for manufacturers into the European market place.
    Compliance with CE Mark testing is ONLY mandatory IF the product is Declared as being Protective. Simples.
    Manufacturers use the CE Mark as a selling tool to place their products above non- CE Mark goods. However they tend to withhold the test data within the Technical File and the Directives merely require the information be made available to Trading Standards. It is almost impossible to make an informed choice.
    In 2018 ALL gear being sold to motorcyclists will be covered by the requirement to be tested and CE Mark. It is not however, compulsory for bikers to wear it, yet

  6. Now there is also a Canadian company called Resurgence that are in the game as well. They look pretty good and make claims just like the other makers of denim riding gear. They have a couple of outlets in a couple of states, but not in Victoria, so I haven’t been able to physically check them out. Hopefully the link will work.

    http://www.resurgencegear.com.au/about/

    MBW, you might be able to check them out and make a comparison?

    I own several Saint pieces of gear and find them good quality without being tested, but they are pricey. Thank heavens for sales.

    Hopefully with all of this competition prices will start to come down.

  7. Eric; thanks for the link to Resurgence. I checked out a video on you tube dated 2016, where they claim to be the only Denim Jean with a CE Mark level 2 designation. Not so, Draggin Jeans, Australia, have held such a designation since March 2013.
    I have concerns with the fact that the Aramid liner ( which is the fabric providing the abrasion protection ) is stitched onto the mesh lining, not the outer Denim which makes the fabric more stable upon impact with the road.

    1. I’ve got the Resurgence Voyager jeans and have worn them daily for about 3 months. I love them. They are really comfy because they stretch. Fair bit thicker than cheapo kevlar jeans but not as bad as the Bull-it VoloCE jeans. Also rated to almost 11secs abrasion compared to Draggins 7secs.

      1. Hi Andrew;

        Many claims are made by manufacturers as to how many seconds abrasion resistance their product grants you. Some relate to the textile performance from in house testing, for multiple layers of textile they simply add these figures together, this is NOT a definitive way to gauge the end figure. ONLY testing of the FINAL product will provide this information.

        Sadly a number of Denim jeans on the open market are subject to no more than anecdotal comments in their advertising. Floury rhetoric sells.
        It will be interesting to see what happens in the next 2 years with CE Mark products due to the decision to dumb down the CE standards in 2018.
        Buyer beware. Caveat Emptor indeed

  8. Thank you very much
    I scan your website, its extremely impressive, I love it.
    Wow, simplily great! your work is wonderful, thanks for gimme the initiative to begin a project like that, the part 1 looks easy but the hard job will be get the lights! i hope that in my city i could find a site that makes me these works in LED’s XD.
    Ok, i must start to collect money right now for make these jeans in halloween 2013,
    Excuses for my english, i’m colombian and thank you for share the steps!

  9. HI Travis, You make some great points, I totally agree with the following comment: ” Any denim that isn’t dyneema fortified is going to tear through ” so it only remains for riders to be aware of the CE Mark or ” Caveat Emptor ” Buyer beware and the need for riders to educate themselves as much as possible, Ride Safe, Pam Varnsverry

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