RST Brixton review | Ladies X Kevlar textile motorcycle jacket

Date reviewed: November 2021 | Tested by: Megan Wimpress, BikeSocial member | RRP: £169.99 | www.rst-moto.com

While not the best for all-weather riding, the RST Brixton ladies' jacket is very good in most conditions, but where it excels is as protective motorcycle kit that looks as good on the bike as it does off it.

I’ve been reviewing it while mainly riding my 1998 Honda CB600F Hornet, but also occasionally on my 1997 Kawasaki ZX-6R…

Construction and Fit

I’m 5’7” and normally take a size 10 in women's clothing; this RST Brixton is a medium/12, but fits me very well – I have relatively long arms and found the small just wasn’t quite right. Of course, fit is very subjective, but overall RST does seem to do a good job of its sizing.

All the armour sits and hugs in the right places, and the collar isn't too tight when fastened. With the inner lining fitted I still have room for layers when it’s cold, but when it was warmer and I took out the liner, the Brixton still wasn’t too big.

This is a shorter jacket, so the bottom sits on my hips. I found that when riding my ZX-6R, if I wasn’t in high-waisted trousers I would get a draft around my back. In warmer weather this wasn’t a problem, and on the more upright Honda Hornet I never had any issues; just keep it in mind depending on your riding position on different bikes.

Protection and certification

The Brixton includes CE Level 1 ‘Hexa’ armour at the shoulders and elbows. There’s a pocket for a back-protector, but unfortunately one’s not included. RST’s own option – the Contour Plus Back Protector CE Level 1 – costs £17.99, or you can get the thicker and more protective Level 2 for £19.99. 

The jacket itself is made from waxed cotton and Kevlar, with triple-stitched seams, and is certified as PPE to Level A, which is the lower standard but what you’d expect of a more urban-style garment.

For everything you need to know about the safety labels in your motorcycle kit, click here.

Pockets

This RST has two outer pockets on either side, with vertical zips that are only big enough to get my small hands in without gloves on. They do have material covering the actual zip fastening, which I like as I don’t have to worry about scratching my tank.

The jacket has two inner pockets on either side of the main zip; one has a Velcro fastening and one has a zip. Also, there are two pockets on the inner lining that mimic the inside of the jacket. I like that the zip fastening pocket is just deep enough to hold my Samsung S10 Plus in its case (which is 16cm long), as I prefer to keep my phone in there when riding.

Fastening

The main fastener is a strong, wide zip that’s feels very durable and doesn't get caught in any excess material, which is a massive bonus. There’s no material cover or protection, so I had to be really careful when wearing this on my ZX-6R as the tank has been recently painted and I didn’t want to scratch it.

The collar has a popper fastening, which I love as it's a lot stronger than Velcro and my hair doesn't get caught like it does in some of my other jackets.

The cuffs have zips and a strip of material with Velcro fastening. I have found that they’re quite wide for my small wrists, and on a cold day they let the air in if I don’t tuck my gloves properly around the sleeve, which I find hard to do as my gloves are small and the jacket cuffs have a lot of material that I have to tuck into the gloves.  On a summer or warmer days this isn't a problem at all, but check with your own gloves when buying. 

Adjustment

The bottom of the RST Brixton jacket can be drawn in at the waist with a pair of popper-fastened straps that have two positions. I have it on the tighter setting.

The cuffs have a strip of Velcro fastening for a looser or tighter fitting; with my small wrists I have them as tight as I can and the material behind tends to tuck up a bit, making it difficult to put into the cuff of my gloves when it’s colder.

The arms have a stretch panel just above the elbows, which I like as it gives me space when leaning forward onto the bike.

Ventilation

The small, zipped vents just below the collar bones can be opened or closed depending on the weather. There’s also a large horizontal zip vent across the back of the jacket, just above my shoulder blades that’s 25cm long and 6cm wide when opened; I especially liked this when it was warmer as it let lots of my body heat out of the back when I was riding. 

The vent has a material cover along the length of the zip, which I found didn’t let any water through.

Warmth and thermal liner

This ladies Brixton Jacket has a quilted liner that goes all the way to the end of the sleeves and attaches with a zip around the body. At 12°C and with just a thin thermal long-sleeve shirt on I didn’t get cold.

Outer shell liner

The main lining is a smooth, vented mesh material that allows my body to breathe nicely when riding in the warmer weather, with or without the vents open.

Waterproofing

This is in no way intended as a touring or all-weather jacket, but when I was caught out in heavy rainfall, even though I didn’t get wet underneath the RST did soak up a lot of water and took a good while to dry.

Three alternatives to the RST Brixton ladies jacket

Women are very under-represented in the motorcycle clothing market, but shop around and you should find some good kit (and it doesn’t have to be pink!)…

• At £199.99, the RST Ripley is a great-looking leather ladies jacket. You can read our review here.
• The hood gives the Richa Toulon ladies jacket a much more street style, but it is more expensive. BikeSocial member Patricia Stiemke reviewed it here.
• Halvarssons has some nicely-made ladies kit – have a look at the site here, but also check out sister company Lindstrands; we think the Liden is a great-looking jacket.

These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the textile riding kit we’ve tested here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through BikeSocial membership.