ATGATT is an acronym most people probably don't think about on a daily basis. But in the motorcycle world, the concept of All The Gear, All The Time is taken pretty seriously. A cheekier version, "dress for the slide, not the ride," means essentially the same thing: If you want to be as safe as possible on the bike, suiting up with a proper helmet, jacket, gloves, pants and boots is critical.
For most riders, four out of those five categories are pretty academic. But in many situations, donning a pair of leather chaps or technical racing pants just doesn't. feel. right. They can be fine for the actual riding, but a bit much when you're, say, rolling up to a casual hang with friends ... or your niece's third birthday party.
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Saint Engineered Slim Fit Armored Jean Read More
Thankfully, more and more moto apparel brands are making pants and jeans that are protective without screaming "BDSM" or "MotoGP." And in my experience, one of the latest examples, Saint's new Engineered Armored Jeans, pretty much nails it. Here's why.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Saint's Engineered Armored Jeans look great on (and off) the bike
The best protective gear in the world is useless if it's so ugly you stop reaching for it. Thankfully, Melbourne, Australia-based Saint (or "Sa1nt" if you're nasty) has spent the past nine years honing both its technical chops — the brand's flagship Unbreakable Jeans are GP's choice for top touring pants — and its aesthetics.
The team's success with the latter is clear in the Engineered Armored Jeans. Made with heavy-duty stretch denim and available in both regular and slim fit varieties, they look sharp as hell. A bit of orange stitching on the fifth pocket and leather waistband patch lend just a bit of flair, as does the logo on the right back pocket. The latter is reflective, as is the cuff, providing a bit of extra safety.
However, the best thing I can say about the aesthetic is that it's "unassuming." Thanks to the logo, moto geeks might be able to identify these pants as ride-ready, but to anyone else they will simply look like stylish premium jeans.
The protection is discreet
As the title of this story hints, what makes these jeans special for motorcyclists is not visible to the naked eye. It's all on the inside, where you'll find CE EN1621-2:2012 Class AA impact protection.
That's an awful lot of letters and numbers, so here's a quick breakdown: CE stands for “Conformité Européenne," French for European Conformity and a pretty widely accepted standard. That next chunk essentially references "protective clothing against mechanical impact." And Class AA is a happy medium between the robust AAA protection you'll find in a one-piece racing suit and the abrasion resistance of a Class A garment like an unarmored riding jacket.
With these jeans, that protection manifests in sneaky little pockets at the hips and the knees that house oval-shaped hip and knee armor. While the sleek orange pads do make pulling the pants on a bit tricky, they in no way impede walking or swinging my leg over a bike. The pair I have is the slim fit variety, and even with the bicycle chamois I swear by for additional comfort on long rides, I never feel like I've got cake. Once I'm actually riding, I pretty much forget about all about the pads — which is the whole point.
They can transform into regular jeans
Still, I'd be lying if I said these feel just like "normal" jeans. In addition to being heavy-duty, they are literally heavy. Using my handy bike scale, I learned it wasn't just in my head: while a typical pair of my jeans weighs 1 pound, 7 ounces, these puppies come in at more than twice that: 3 pounds, 7 ounces.
What's cool is, if you want to wear them when you are not riding — or show up somewhere and wish to lighten your load — the armor is pretty easy to remove, and doing so makes a difference. Taking out the four discs drops the weight by almost a pound, to a more manageable 2 pounds, 8 ounces.
One other nice feature? Squares of Velcro on the knee pads and corresponding strips within the pants allow you to adjust their position for optimal comfort.
These jeans won't break the bank
Look, these jeans aren't inexpensive; you can find a great pair of casual jeans for well under a hundred bucks. But in the context of protective moto pants, they are a pretty good deal. In our best motorcycle pants guide, you'll find a number of options topping $400, and the least expensive Class AA pair goes for $260.
Meanwhile, the Engineered Armored Jeans cost $199. Considering the looks, protection and comfort these pants offer, I'd say that's a small price to pay to dress for the slide, not for the ride.
