Road Tested: Saint Unbreakable Coretec armored motorcycle jeans

We’ve saved a shut eye on Saint since they first hit the scene roughly a decade in the past. The Australian gear firm’s catalog has grown steadily through the years, however one product has remained core to their model—using denims which are each fashionable and protecting.

Saint’s strategy is to make use of high-tech materials with abrasion resistance baked in, producing single-layer clothes moderately than stacking common denim over Kevlar. It makes their riding pants not solely comfy, but in addition stealthy sufficient to cross for informal put on. I’ve owned, worn, and ridden in a number of pairs of Saint motorbike denims, and so they’ve all scored excessive.

The brand new Saint Unbreakable Coretec denims epitomize this strategy. At $385 [US] or $549 [Australian], Saint’s new premium denim is their costliest—however it’s additionally their most protecting, reaching a AAA CE security ranking. Saint despatched me a pair in my common dimension to see in the event that they dwell as much as the hype.

The Saint Unbreakable Coretec denims get their identify from the material that they make use of; Coretec. It’s a composite materials that makes use of a lycra core for flexibility, with an outer layer product of recycled cotton. These two are woven along with UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene)—a troublesome materials that’s notable for its excessive tensile power, impression resistance, and low friction coefficient.

In the actual world, that interprets to a 14 oz denim that has the weighty vibe of selvage denim, however is much less inflexible, with a comfortable, brushed really feel. I picked the Saint Unbreakable Coretec denims in Saint’s straight match (there’s a thin choice too), in my common dimension, and so they match completely—with the caveat that they’re fairly lengthy.

My dimension 40 denims have an inseam of 35”, so turning them up is necessary. Match-wise, Saint’s straight lower sits unfastened with out being overly dishevelled. The additional respiratory room, plus the flexibleness of the Coretec cloth, makes them supremely comfy—each on and off the bike.

Extremely-thin D30 Ghost armor sits on the hips and the knees, providing CE Stage 1 safety whereas being barely noticeable. That’s much less safety than the Stage 2 objects in a few of Saint’s different denims, however the tradeoff is that the armor is gentle and malleable sufficient to be barely noticeable—with out hurting the product’s total AAA ranking.

The pads are tucked into pockets produced from a comfortable cloth that’s light in opposition to your pores and skin, which is a boon for lengthy days within the saddle. The knee pads had been a little bit low for me on my first outing with the Unbreakable Coretec denims—however I quickly realized that there are two peak choices inside their pockets. A fast adjustment, and so they’re now completely positioned.

Aesthetically, the Saint Unbreakable Coretec denims hit all the proper notes. The denim is a darkish, stable black—which ought to break in properly if my different Saint denims are any indication. There’s nothing fancy taking place with the trimmings both—you get a normal five-pocket format, with a number of orange stitching highlights and minimal branding.

The one factor lacking is a small element that Saint has added to their Engineered mannequin; a reflective strip contained in the leg that reveals itself while you flip up the cuffs. It’s a small consideration, however it’s a good way to crank the protection facet of those denims up a notch. I’d add that the hefty denim looks as if it’d really feel toasty in excessive temperatures—however I haven’t worn them on a scorching sufficient day to say for certain… but.

These notes apart, the Saint Unbreakable Coretec denims’ largest promoting factors are actually type and luxury. I’m responsible of skimping on gear when it makes me really feel constricted or when it makes me appear to be a squid. The truth that these denims do neither, implies that I’ll hold reaching for them, experience after experience.