REV’IT! Coral Ladies Jacket: Hella Style Meets Solid Function
I’ve got to admit; this review process has changed my mind about an entire genre of motorcycle jackets.
When the team here at wBW lined up everybody for their choice of gear to review, I was excited to get my hands on something new. I had dabbled a bit on the editorial side of our company and had seen many a jacket get the gavel for insufficient protection, bad bang-for-buck, or ill fitment – and now, it was my turn to wield the hammer.
Having my solid favorite – a three-quarter, indestructible, Amanda-proof KLIM Latitude touring jacket – hanging up in the foyer closet, I was hard-pressed to think that I would like a shorter, more modern take on a motorcycle classic…especially given my length of torso.
After all, leather jackets tend to take a bit to break in – and that’s not to mention the archaic figment styles we women are already used to (wider, shorter-sleeved units with truncated torsi, anyone?).
In stepping outside of my usual comfy box and venturing into the fashionable waist cut genre, I fell in love.
Well…not in love with waist cut – I like my hip bones protected, thank you – but with the Coral herself.
The smart use of stretch without overly compromising on safety ratings pays more gracious homage to feminine corners than my lanky frame is used to; and thanks to the lineup of great specs, the durability of the fabrics (on a dry day), and reasonable price point, I believe this number will be a new addition to the moto wardrobe.
About REV’IT!
It’s no secret that wBW deals in a lot of REV’IT! Gear. With the label promoting ‘an open and transparent culture,’ laser-centered on creating their ‘functional clothing of the highest quality,’ it likely doesn’t surprise you that we’re not the only ones to give the good nod to the brand.
REV’IT! Currently celebrates more than a couple of ongoing collaborations with big brands like Husqvarna, Harley-Davidson, Touratech, and MOTOURISMO. The marque herself is one of the fastest-growing clothing brands in the industry and is ‘recognized as a benchmark for good product design in the industry’ to boot.
All of these facts make great ingredients for our review, so let’s see how she does, shall we?
*A big thank-you to REV’IT! For being so speedy about sending this unit over, and for the privilege of testing the Coral jacket out*
REV’IT! Coral Jacket Features
Despite the Coral jacket’s lack of water repellence, her blend of style and function (and REV’IT!’s careful attention to the smaller details) leave me quite happy with the following list of perks.
Key features include:
- Exterior construction blend of 75% cowhide with the merged 22% polyamide/ 3% elastane blend (PWRshell stretch) on the outer torso/inner arm
- CE Level 1-2 Protection (elbows/shoulders and back)
- Removable thermal liner (torso and arms)
- Waist-cut design for improved riding comfort
For a complete list of features, visit REV’IT! Coral Ladies Motorcycle Jacket.
First Impressions
I quickly realized at first rigging of the Coral that I should have made a few bets before starting this review.
For what it was, the breathability was actually quite good; being a size S up top and flat as a board, I had submitted exact measurements for the review and, in hindsight, should have probably sized up for a more roomy fit between the shoulders (especially since a jacket this heavy would be a prime unit for those thanksgiving/turkey/seasons’ worth of rides).
Still.
I had on a thick, cowhide leather jacket in size 38 – a moderately small unit, donned in moderately warm weather – and for some reason, I wasn’t sweating.
Points, off-the-bat, right there.
I was also impressed with the ‘cushy’ feel the jacket gave off. The leather wasn’t fighting my elbows, it was holding them; likewise, the shoulders weren’t being pinched into place, but simply had more ‘stretch’ pressure at the top of the shoulder blades.
Time would tell how the blue leather would hold up to scratches and the like, but for the moment I was a happy cookie.
REV’IT! Coral Jacket Construction
Outer Shell
The 73% pure cowhide is what it is. I’ll not mince things and say that the jacket was perhaps even a tad heavier than what I was expecting.
That would, however, also contribute to the AA safety rating – and I loved the smart use of safety seams for added durability throughout the jacket.
Outer Shell: 100% polyester
Lining: 90% polyester, 8% polyester (other), 2% elastane
Insulation: 100% polyester
Interior
Outer Shell: A polyester mesh blend fabric covers the entirety of the jacket’s inside, with more opaque materials used for interior pockets
Lining: Polyester fabric makes way for a poly-elastane mesh blend under the armpits, with a slightly stretchier, more breathable line of fabric running from the armpits to the waist
Collar
The Coral’s slightly raised Mandarin collar is leather (obviously), tipped with the same stretchy fabric as is installed on the underside of the jacket arms.
Pockets
In total, there are five pockets for the Coral, with two extra counted if you consider the liner slashes:
- Exterior (shell): Two diagonal, zippered slash pockets, partially protected by a double-run line of installed leather on either side of the zipper teeth.
- Interior (shell): Three pockets; two patch pockets secured by a single velcro number, and one velcro-ed back pocket to hold the REV’IT! Back Protector
The pockets themselves are generous;
- Lining: Horizontal slashes made in the thermal lining are for use with the exterior shell’s pockets.
Branding
True to Coral’s minimalist style, REV’IT! hasn’t placed their logo on any part of the jacket’s leather exterior…save, of course, the extra-tiny rectangle of leather at the back of the collar stating the brand’s name in punched leather.
The marque’s mark can also be found on the zipper tips as well as the collar’s socket snap and relevant tags (both on the inside of the leather shell and on the lining itself).
Zippers
All the Coral jacket zippers are products of REV’IT!.
Quality is tangible – literally. From the buttery, thick percussives of the (large) fastening teeth, to the easy pull of the wide tab (my be-gloved self thanks REV’IT! for this), the exterior was obviously designed for safety on the road. The zippers have great pull, are protected by a dual-lined seal, and lock perfectly when not in use.
Lining zippers are still strong, but built of a lighter material and run along a smaller tooth track.
Save the inner Velcro-ed units, REV’IT! makes use of zippers for the Coral’s pockets.
Colorways
The REV’IT! Coral Jacket is available in black and blue colorways, with the design remaining continuous throughout.
REV’IT! Coral Jacket Build Quality
Sizing
The REV’IT! Coral Jacket comes in seven sizes: 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, and 46.
I run long in everything, so my 5’9” self needed a size to accommodate my wide shoulders and longer arms. Size 38, I knew, would run a tad larger in the waist (27”) and a tad smaller in the chest area (35.5”), but everything was still within my measurements.
Upon the jacket’s arrival, I was given a bit of a lesson in eyeballing; a reminder to those of you with broader shoulders than I (or more erect torso alignment) to factor in your glenohumeri and think about sizing up!
Comfort
Comfort factor, top-notch.
Nothing to it.
Obviously it’s not feather-light, and the quality of the cowhide is felt in the thickness of its movement, but some of that will go away with proper breaking-in of the jacket – and, to be honest, breaking it in is kind of the fun part anyways.
An especially clever nod from REV’IT! was the stretchy fabric at the top of the collar. I ride a Yamaha R3 and work with a more forward ergonomic, so looking up to the road and having a softer material to catch the back of my neck, so I didn’t have to look out the tops of my eyeball sockets was a bueno move.
Whether with or without the liner, the jacket proved equally fantastic to wear – again, all in thanks to that ingenious PWRshell stretch.
Very nice, REV’IT!.
A quick note: I consider myself to have a small head and a relatively normal – even small – neck circumference. When the collar’s socket snap was fastened, my month’s worth of sarcastic shrugs dug the thick, protective flap behind the snap into my collarbone/throat…but this was ONLY when standing.
Leaning forward on the Yamaha R3, the shoulders came forward, and the pinch was gone.
Go figure.
Adjustability
Since the REV’IT! Coral Jacket is a minimalist style, there was less allowance for size adjustments, apart from the sealed zippers on the outside of each forearm, at the cuff. That same zipper duo was incredibly helpful when tucking the ol’ gloves in to tidy the appendages up, too.
REV’IT! Coral Jacket Functionality
Windproof…NOT Waterproof
Okay. Here’s the thing.
If you’re going to get a jacket as nice as this with a tag that looks like THIS…you shouldn’t be expecting miracles for the rough-and-tough seasons.
We know full well at this point that the REV’IT! Coral Jacket is setting a hell of a tone for their stylish offerings to women riders around the world; with the fitted cut and beautiful PWRshell stretch, the brand has complemented their successes with a gorgeously crafted, extremely well-thought-out, classic cowhide number.
Cowhide is great. It’s a staple…but (and it’s a big ‘but’ in my books).
Cowhide – when treated properly – CAN be water-resistant, but leather can never be completely waterproof (unless it has been treated with an industrial-grade wax).
Leather Culture makes a good point here:
“Because of its permeable nature, when exposed to excessive amounts of water, leather will get wet, and if not dried properly, it can become stiff, or even rot.”
Coral’s leather is NOT waxed, nor is it treated to handle wet ANYTHING for longer than necessary; you can try to prove me wrong if you like, but I wouldn’t, for fear of risking the quality finish of the jacket (as seen above).
On my last ride, I caught the back end of a downpour. The Coral had great watershed at first, but the leather soon felt heavier and, when I got home, looked dark, unhappy, and bedraggled, leaving behind a white, crusty line where the moisture dried.
The PWRshell stretch didn’t stop nuthin,’ neither – in fact, that was where the majority of the water seeped in.
To conclude: REV’IT has put a huge amount of work into the material blend of this jacket. It is not waterproof, but nor did the brand design it to be; the next step, then (for me), would be to create a waterproof Coral variant for those of us that thrive in the more…cantankerous seasons (Southwest Canada, anyone?).
Ventilation
Here’s where I had fun.
The REV’IT! Coral Jacket doesn’t have any ventilation zippers, and fair. It is a minimalist offering and a nod to the more stylish side of the jacket industry – not a unit designed to bang out a hot one.
It does, however, provide a surprising amount of breathability, thanks to the PWRshell stretch under the arms and along the sides.
As for the weather in which I was able to use the REV’IT! Coral jacket, you’re in luck; thanks to the fickle Canadian weather, this unit saw rain, hail, temps spiking a good head-and-shoulders past 100°F, and plummeting down to 53°F – sometimes within the same day.
Humidex was all over the board, but in general, fluctuated between 45% and 85%.
Despite the fantastic bang-for-buck in trying out the jacket on one of the more…generous days, I still made sure to take time to get to know Coral.
Wining and dining was the word of the day, nearly every day; from the afternoon I got her back in April, to now, the beginning/middle of August.
This means the jacket had a trial period with me in varying weather for at least a solid three and a half months.
On the hotter days, I tossed the thermal liner and tried the jacket with the collar undone; apart from this, the general public of London saw a fully-zipped (sometimes wet) rider cruising the streets.
Overall, ventilation was surprisingly good, but nothing miraculous. The Coral was still a heavier jacket, and still cowhide, rendering the sweltering days a bit of a sauna situ.
Protection
The REV’IT! Coral jacket has been certified according to the EN 17092 Standard, (published in 2020), and offers multiple methods of protection to her rider:
- Scrape-and-tumble protection via the cowhide leather in the relevant high-risk areas
- Shock-absorbing AA Level 1 certification for the Coral’s elbows and shoulders
- A back pocket for potential via shock-absorbing AA Level 2 certification (back protection not included)
For those of you who don’t know, the EN 17092 standard is a European regulation standard and is a great, reliable, accurate way to find out how safe your jacket is. It delineates everything needed in a rider’s escapades; everything from the bonkers requirements in Guy Martin’s suit, to my own, more urban-centric riding safety requirements.
All this while taking into consideration comfort, breathability, different materials, flexibility, and more.
See below for the included shoulder and elbow pads.
EN1621-1 – Certification Standard for Shoulders, Elbows, and Knees
Protector Style S = Shoulder, E = Elbow, K = Knee, FB = Full Back.
The armor used in the REV’IT! Coral jacket is:
- Shoulder Certified (EN 1821-1:2012; S TYPE B, E, K; Protection level: 1)
- Elbow Certified (EN 1821-1:2012; E35 TYPE B; Protection Level: 1)
It was nice to see the Level 2 protection potential, considering many motorcycle jackets that are built to be voguish don’t tend to include such a high level of safety.
The continued attention to the rider’s needs with Level 1 in the elbows and shoulders was a tasteful choice as well, considering many units don’t have additional protection beyond a few double-sewn appendage patches and padded shoulders, installed just as much for the ego as for safety.
Care Instructions
There’s a lot to NOT do when cleaning the REV’IT! Coral Ladies jacket.
As I’m sure you know by now, you can’t just toss something this picky in the washer/dryer – you will ruin her (and leave me questioning your sanity).
The best way I found to keep the jacket clean and spiffy while I was testing, was to wipe her down with a damp cloth, or let the jacket dry in a room with a dehumidifier, for optimal dryness and to discourage smells.
The white crust of residue left behind from the wet could be buffed off and, should you wish to go the extra mile, REV’IT!’s gentle leather cleaner and conditioner are always an option to keep the cowhide from going stiff.
Here are the instructions on cleaning the REV’IT! Coral jacket (and others), according to their website:
For further details, please visit REV’IT!’s Care Instructions
Thermal Liner
The REV’IT! Coral jacket’s thermal liner is thin, but makes a difference when in use and keeps her rider warmer on the days where the wind is cutting particularly cold.
This offering attaches to the Coral’s exterior shell via a smaller, thinner zipper than the front-and-Center unit.
Socket snaps and loops dress both sides of both cuffs for stability in securing the liner to the jacket (and making your glove installment a less curse-worthy endeavor)..
Again, a reminder that the thermal liner doesn’t have pockets of her own; rather, REV’IT! Has created slashes in the liner at the exact location of the jacket’s external shell pockets so that everything can be used in tandem for maximum bulk efficiency.
Warranty
The REV’IT! Coral jacket carries a healthy 2-year warranty, with one year being the typical offering for our industry standard. Keep in mind, this is for manufacturer’s defaults ONLY, as stated by REV’IT! on their website:
“We offer a 2-year warranty on all our products. This covers material and production flaws. Products that have been used are subject to investigation.”
“They will be repaired or exchanged.”
For details, please visit the REV’IT! Warranty Page.
Conclusion
Remember; style looks good on you, but safety does too! – Luckily, REV’IT! believes in both.
This review almost feels like a relationship at this point.
Amidst the trials and strife of scraping, wetting, stretching, and otherwise enduring multiple tests over the past four months, the REV’IT! Coral jacket has shown her outstanding build quality, the durability of her protection, and the smart configuration of PWRShell to include more female body types.
The chaos has also revealed some vulnerabilities, such as the Coral’s aversion to water, and the fact that her minimalist build renders some figures – more top-heavy individuals – with little room for more generous personalities.
However, taking all this into consideration, I will admit; for what you’re getting, the Coral is a beautiful addition to the fashion-centric section of the moto wardrobe.
Heading out with your moto mates and want to get a few compliments on your aesthetique? Wear this jacket.
Fancying a longer trip around the lakes and needing a unit that will handle a series of dry miles – perhaps a piece of pretty that you can comfortably don until the next generation inherits the thing? The Coral’s for you.
Need something to spice up your dinner date this evening? Well…we can’t really vouch for the magnetizing powers of the Coral as we didn’t do any dating in said unit…but we bet you’d give her a run for your money and rock it out of the park.
Thanks for sticking around and reading to the end of this review! Drop a comment below letting me know what you think of the REV’IT! Coral jacket (or if you have any questions), and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
Pros
- Stretch, stretch, stretch!
- Reasonable weather protection, given the materials used
- Good lines / hug-about-the-ribcage fit
- Surprising breathability
- EN 17092 Standard with AA rating!
- Minimalist look, Maximalist feel
Cons
- Heavy
- No reflective aids
- Not waterproof (as expected)
- Water damages the original finish (unless extremely gentle with aftercare)
- Top jacket fitment may not work for more generously proportioned body types
- An occasional damp cloth (or gentle leather soaps/conditioners) ONLY; anything else will ruin the finish
Specs
- Manufacturer: REV’IT!
- Price: $529.99 USD
- Made In: India
- Colors: Black, Blue
- Sizes: 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46
- Review Period: May – July 2022