THE RIDE VERDICT

Dane and Richa offer the best quality and value

THE FIRST THING we came to realise when we finished doing this is that none of the jackets here are below par.

But when it came to staying warm and dry throughout the winter, it was ultimately a three-way fight between Alpinestars, Richa and Dane.

While the Alpinestars

Andes Pro is heavy and a snug fit, it’s reassuring even with just its Level-2 armour, let alone an airbag. The vents are superb and it’s plenty warm for me in our test conditions. However, you need to break the £500 barrier to get a back protector to go with it.

The Richa is a great combination of fit, comfort and warmth in use; comes with a back protector and if you buy from the European website, you can upgrade to Level-2 armour throughout for just €30 (in the UK you have to buy individually, totalling £90.) It does what it should at a great price, gaining a Recommended triangle as a result.

The Dane though, is a very well-designed and executed piece of kit; warm without feeling hot and dissipated moisture well. It features a host of well thought-out design touches and although it feels slightly large compared with a traditional Extra Large, its combination of warmth, fit and ease of use means it truly deserves a Best Buy triangle.

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Dane Ikast £499

Slightly large but a great blend of fit, comfort, warmth, dryness and a massive range of well thoughtout design touches make this a winner.

Richa Cyclone £439.99

An excellent jacket that is ready to go out of the box. It’s fairly basic but does what it should do very well; it’s comfy, easy to use, warm, dry and great value.