Hood Jeans K7-AA

Tested by: Carl Woodward | £167.99 (including D3O ‘Ghost’ protectors) | www.hoodjeans.co.uk

If you want a pair of motorcycle jeans that put protection at the top of its list of priorities then the Hood K7-AA jeans are for you. The jeans achieve the latest CE AA classification and from the outside look like any regular heavy-weight denim. On the inside they feature a K-tech ‘Infinity’ Para-aramid protective lining covering most of the jean. There is also a full covering of Airflow mesh to improve comfort in hot weather. Compared to single-layer construction jeans, the K7s are slightly heavier and bulkier. However, that second layer of K-tech material is worth piece of mind because these jeans feel like they could quite literally save your skin if the worst happened.

Hood gives you a choice of armour: the standard D3O hip and knee protectors are CE Level 1 certified, but for a few pounds more the new D3O Ghost protectors are the thinnest and most flexible protection offered by D3O and yet still meet CE Level 1. The jeans I tested were fitted with these protectors and comfort-wise they are truly fit and forget.

They also have the bonus of being less conspicuous when off the bike than traditional bulky armour. D3O Pro armour is available if you wish to step up to CE Level 2 protection.

The knee protectors are fixed in their pockets with Velcro and can be fully adjusted up, down, left or right. It took me a few attempts of pulling the jeans on and off to get the position just right, but it was worth the effort to get the best comfort.

Another plus for the Hood jeans is that they are finished to your exact inside leg measurement for no extra cost, making it easy to get the perfect fit.