RST Sabre textile bike jacket assessment: fashionable and…

Key options

• CE Degree 1 armour
• Reflective parts
• Optionally available airbag (requires subscription)

Choosing textiles over leather-based doesn’t imply you need to compromise on model. There are many sporty-looking textile jacket choices on the market, considered one of which is the RST Sabre. The textile model seems virtually the identical because the leather-based Sabre, with what seems to be the identical minimize and styling. 

It’s out there with or with out an In & Movement Airbag, with the bagged model coming in at an RRP of £399.99 in comparison with £179.99 for the common Sabre. The RRP might be largely ignored, although, as these jackets are ceaselessly on sale for lots much less. It’s the airbag model I’ve on take a look at, and it’s been worn for a number of thousand miles and about 5 months of driving.

Together with the premium charged for the jacket itself, you’ll must pay additional on prime for a subscription that prompts the airbag at £120 a 12 months, or a one-off fee of £400 to unlock it indefinitely. In any other case, it’ll do exactly diddly squat when you come off your bike.

Irksome although which will appear, it’s just about the norm for premium airbag programs, and it’s additionally value making an allowance for the subscription is tied to the management field moderately than the jacket, so you’ll be able to switch the module to different appropriate merchandise. I (fortunately) haven’t had an opportunity to check out how the airbag performs ought to the worst occur, but it surely’s actually reassuring figuring out this is identical tech utilized in MotoGP. 

The airbag is built-in right into a chunky again protector, and provides various weight to the jacket, though you don’t discover this when carrying. The airbag/again protector combo additionally offers the jacket a slight hunchback look, though it’s not massively noticeable. 

When it comes to the passive safety options, there are properly sized shoulder and elbow armour pads that conform to CE stage 1 requirements. The elbow armour extends fairly far down the forearm, which is sweet to see. 

At this level of the take a look at, the Sabre jacket has held up very nicely. There’s not as a lot as a free bit of sewing that I can discover, and have been it not for a number of fly splats I actually ought to scrub off, it seems because it was when delivered. 

Though it’s extra on the sporty facet of the spectrum, it’s nonetheless comfy, providing an inexpensive vary of movement. I’ve worn it for some very lengthy rides and never come away with any sore bits. 

It comes up smaller than anticipated – I’ve a slim construct (which many discover puzzling contemplating my horrible eating regimen) so thought the 38 can be about proper, however in that measurement, the Sabre was very tight across the chest. A 40 was way more prefer it, but it surely’s value noting the Sabre is sort of a brief jacket. 

The jacket comes with a full liner together with sleeves, which in all fairness straightforward to zip out and in, if a little bit fiddle when attaching the cuffs. With the liner in, you’ll be able to comfy trip in low double digit temperatures.

It does embrace a ‘waterproof’ membrane which can maintain you dry throughout fast showers, however don’t anticipate it to be the identical case throughout a chronic bathe. 

Do you have to purchase the RST Sabre textile airbag jacket? 

In its customary type, the RST Sabre textile jacket looks like wonderful worth contemplating the respectable ranges of safety and the great construct high quality it gives. It appears much less of a steal when the airbag is factored in, each for the extra upfront value and the subscription charges – solely you’ll be able to weigh up whether or not it’s value it for the additional safety provided.