9 Motorcycle Jeans Worth Riding In

Jeans are part of an iconic motorcyclist getup, immortalized by the outfits worn by James Dean, Marlon Brando, and many everyday riders. But regular jeans aren’t suitable riding gear, as they don’t protect you from sliding or impacts.

Don’t worry, though. Motorcycle jeans let you complete the legendary look while still providing the abrasion and impact resistance you need to ride safely.

Here are nine pairs of motorcycle jeans for every kind of urban rider to keep you secure, comfortable, and stylish—both on and off the saddle.

REV’IT! Lombard 3

The REV’IT! Lombard 3 jeans are tailor-made for more seasoned urban riders who seek to strike a balance between protection and comfort. Yet, as an all-around performer, this pair of jeans is also a good fit for beginners who are looking to make a bigger investment in their riding hobby.

The Lombard 3 motorcycle jeans boast CE AA level of protection with their Cordura denim, reinforced knees and seat areas, and CE 1-rated knee pads. They have pockets for hip armor, but you’ll have to buy it separately. Note that the knee armor can shift a little, allowing you to position it for maximum comfort.

Speaking of comfort, the Cordura fabric is both protective and soft, keeping the jeans comfortable. The pants also have stretch panels for improved fit. They’re breathable and light enough to fit both warm and cold weather riding.

Coming in black, dark blue, and light blue colors, the pair looks like your average jeans. The Lombard 3 jeans are on the pricey side, but their solid performance and good looks make them a good investment for city riders. If you’re ever going to buy just one pair of riding jeans, make it this one.

Street & Steel Del Mar

If you’re a new rider on a budget, the Street & Steel Del Mar jeans are a great choice for you. These stylish jeans provide sufficient protection against slides at low speeds that might happen with a lower-displacement motorcycle.

Being CE AA-rated, these aramid panel-reinforced jeans provide a medium level of abrasion resistance, coupled with externally accessible knee pads. As with the REV’IT! jeans, the hip areas have armor pockets but the pads aren’t included.

The looks department is where the Del Mar jeans shine. Available in black and blue, they have a stretchy accordion flex zone above the knee that both makes them more comfortable and adds a cool modern look. These Euro-styled jeans are pretty slim, though, so make sure to check the measurement guide.

As the cherry on top, these jeans are affordably priced, so they won’t break your budget. We wouldn’t recommend them for long-distance touring, as the knee pads can shift uncomfortably and the protection isn’t quite there for highway-speed slides. Yet, they’re an excellent option as a stylish entry-level city-riding pant.

Bull-it Covert Evo Slim

The Bull-it Covert Evo Slim jeans might not strike you as super protective, considering their casual, slim appearance. Yet, this is one of the toughest pairs of pants on our list.

These jeans are rated for CE AAA-level of protection, providing the highest degree of abrasion resistance with their proprietary Tactical II denim and strategically placed reinforcement panels in high-impact areas. They also come standard with a full suite of CE Level 2-rated armor pads for the hips and knees. 

Yet, all that protection doesn’t compromise comfort or style. Frankly, the fabric is shockingly stretchy, providing good mobility and a comfortable riding position. These pants really do not look like motorcycling jeans, allowing you to mosey into a bar for post-ride drinks without anyone batting an eye.

The tough construction does limit breathability, so you might start sweating in warmer temps. True to their name, the Covert Evo Slim jeans have a tight cut that might not fit all riders.

These jeans are also surprisingly affordable, being in the same price zone as the REV’IT! Ones and often going on significant sales. They only come in dark blue, but color options are well worth sacrificing for the super protection.

Klim K Fifty 2

If you’re looking for motorcycle jeans to wear on long-distance tours, the Klim K Fifty 2 jeans are a strong contender. A successor to the Fifty 1 jeans, their high degree of protection combines with excellent riding comfort.

The Klim K Fifty 2 jeans are CE AA-rated, with a Cordura Fabric and actual Kevlar-branded aramid panels for extra abrasion resistance. They feature knee and hip armor and, as a welcome extra touch, a tailbone pad to protect this fragile area. While not as tough as, say, the Bull-it jeans, they have sufficient protection for slides up to 50 mph.

On top of protection, the fit and comfort make the K Fifty 2 jeans great for longer tours. They’re slimmer than their predecessor (which might disappoint some riders) but the pants are still roughly comparable to Levi’s 501 jeans in both cut and looks, so they’re not exactly tight. The looser fit keeps them comfortable over many miles, although the heavy construction may make things sweaty in hot weather.

These jeans are available in black and two shades of dark blue, allowing you to match them to your riding getup. That Klim logo adds to the price tag, but the investment is well-worth for bikers seeking long-distance comfort and safety.

Pando Moto Mark AAA

Perhaps you like the idea of high-end protection, like that provided by the Bull-it Cover Evo Slim jeans, but blue denim just doesn’t fit your style. In that case, the Pando Moto Mark AAA motorcycling cargo pants might be right up your alley.

As with the Bull-it pants, these pants provide full CE AAA-rated abrasion protection. The durable and stretchy Cordura fabric is reinforced with panels of Balistex protective material (claimed to be 15 times stronger than steel). The pants’ design also features pockets for CE-rated knee and hip armor.

These Pando Moto pants sport a more utilitarian look with their thigh pockets and black or olive green color options. Their fabric features a proprietary technology for improving breathability, keeping them tolerable even during hot rides.

You have to pay a high price to get the looks and protection, though. The Pando Moto pants are expensive, and they do not come with armor, which will add even more to the price tag. Yet, if the cargo look and extreme abrasion resistance are what you’re after, these are the pants for you.

Highway 21 Blockhouse

Not all motorcyclists ride long distances at high speeds. If you need simple and affordable base-level abrasion resistance for your motorcycle commute around the block, the Highway 21 Blockhouse jeans offer just that. Plus, you can stroll into the office and no one will know you’re in riding gear.

These jeans sport aramid panels over 70% of the pant leg length, providing enough protection for a CE AA-rating. As you can expect by now, the knees have pockets for included CE Level 1 armor. Hip armor pockets are there, but you’ll have to fill them with third-party pads.

In the looks department, these straight-cut jeans are about as classic as you can get. Riders looking to recreate that iconic jean-clad biker look will likely fall in love at first sight.

Be aware that Highway 21’s sizing chart is… Shall we call it unique? The fitting of these jeans is a bit odd and the rather low-rise waist may not fit all preferences or body types. Additionally, the company offers a normal and tall version of the jeans with extra-long legs, so check carefully what you’re buying.

On the topic of buying, these jeans are very affordable. For casual riders doing short stints around the city, the Highway 21 Blockhouse jeans are a solid budget option.

Merlin Dunford

The Merlin Dunford motorcycle jeans impress with their versatility and value. They transition seamlessly from the saddle to the street to the restaurant and back, while offering a reasonable value proposition in terms of protection and cost.

Rated as CE AA-level jeans, the fabric is made of Cordura denim for abrasion resistance. The jeans also come with CE Level 1 knee and hip protector pads from D30. Merlin’s product quality is famously high, so the jeans feel solid and well put together.

At the same time, however, they’re very light and comfortable, thanks to their single-layer construction and stretchy fabric. Although the lack of internal protective panels does take away some abrasion resistance, the Cordura construction is strong enough to safeguard your skin in low-to mid-speed slides.

Looks-wise, we’re again dealing with a pair of pants that you wouldn’t believe are motorcycle jeans. The stealth black color goes particularly well with those dark riders who enjoy moody clothing and blacked-out motorcycles. Yet, even if you’re in all black, the reflective turn-up ankle cuffs improve your visibility in the dark.

These jeans come in short and regular sizes, accommodating riders of multiple heights and builds. They might seem costly at a first glance, but considering that you get a full set of quality armor pads with the jeans, this is a well-balanced package.

Cortech AA Dyneema

So, you want an affordable pair of riding jeans with a casual look that still provide a good deal of protection against slides? Sounds like a tall order, but the Cortech AA Dyneema jeans deliver.

As a unique feature, these jeans are reinforced with Dyneema thermoplastic fibers. This material is twice as strong as aramid (that is, Kevlar), so the jeans should keep your skin safe. The jeans also come with removable knee and hip armor.

Thanks to the Dyneema construction, the Cortech AA Dyneema jeans are lightweight, consisting only of a single layer. Dyneema is also stretchy, soft, and breathable, allowing you to ride comfortably when the temperatures soar.

In the looks department, there’s not much to say—the Cortech pants look like your regular, darker blue jeans. They certainly won’t attract attention as motorcycling gear. As a word of warning, the jeans are slimmer than most store pictures make them look and the sizes are on the small side, so you may want to go up a size.

Cost certainly doesn’t spoil these jeans, as they’re one of the most affordable ones on our list. That’s good, too, because you’ll likely want to buy new armor. The included pads aren’t the best.

Altogether, the Cortech AA Dyneema jeans provide an answer to a difficult equation of casual looks, decent protection, and a low price.

Spidi J-Tracker Tech

To some riders, the most important aspect of motorcycle jeans is their look and feel off the saddle. They want something they can walk around in comfortably and with style, while still staying protected when they ride.

If you’re such an urban motorcyclist, the Spidi J-Tracker Tech jeans are just for you. These slim-fitting jeans feature a breathable, single-layer construction, which keeps them light and easy to wear. The stretch fibers woven into the fabric provide free mobility, keeping the jeans from chafing.

The style is just right, too. In a similar vein with pants like the Pando Moto or Merlin ones, these jeans really do not look like riding gear. In fact, you might have people asking if you’re okay riding so lightly protected.

Yet, you’re not lightly protected. The CE AA-rated Cordura denim offers sufficient abrasion resistance for slides that might happen in urban traffic. Armor pockets in the knees and hips provide impact protection (although only the knee pockets are filled out of the factory).

On the downside, the Spidi jeans are expensive for CE AA-rated jeans. But hey—sometimes style is worth the cost.

How to Choose the Right Motorcycle Jeans

Purchasing motorcycling jeans is not as straightforward as buying regular jeans. In addition to fit and color, you must pay close attention to their protective materials and features.

Unfortunately, there are “motorcycle jeans” on the market that aren’t up to snuff in terms of safety. For example, they might not have any protective fibers woven into the fabric, or their reinforcement panels might consist of nothing but regular nylon.

In a slide incident, these types of pants won’t perform any better than normal jeans. They will shred on the asphalt, along with your skin.

When looking for motorcycle jeans, begin by asking yourself what type of riding you plan to do while wearing them. If you’re only riding a block or two down the road to work, you can probably get away with basic safety features. But if you plan to do longer or more spirited rides on the backroads, you have to buy jeans that are as protective as regular riding pants.

Next, start comparing suitable riding jeans. Pay attention to details like:

• Material: Good motorcycle riding jeans should feature an abrasion-resistant material. These go from lightweight Cordura for casual riding to tough aramid, Dyneema, and even stronger materials.
• Armor: Motorcycle jeans themselves won’t do squat against impact forces. You should choose jeans that have pockets for armor pads, ideally on both knees and hips.
• Comfort: Abrasion-resistant fabrics can be very heavy and provide next to no breathability. If you plan to walk around a lot or ride in hot weather, consider lighter materials, like Cordura.
• Style: Let’s face it—we buy motorcycle jeans because we want to look good in the saddle. You can likely find jeans to suit your personal style, so shop around.

Finally, you can use the CE ratings of motorcycle jeans as a quick shorthand for their level of protection. CE A-rated jeans are fine for low-speed jaunts around town, CE AA-rated pants can protect you on the backroads, while CE AAA-rated jeans can offer protection comparable to leather riding suits.

These guidelines can help you find suitable motorcycle jeans, but they’re just a quick overview. For a deep-dive into the topic, check out our article on whether motorcycle jeans really protect you.