If you are reading this review of the Scorpion EXO Cargo Air Women’s jacket because you are looking to find a mesh jacket for yourself or your partner, suitable for rides on a sweltering summer day, I like how you think. I firmly believe in ATGATT, and I salute everyone wearing proper riding gear during warmer seasons when some people choose to ride in t-shirts and shorts.
I was very excited to try Scorpion EXO Cargo Air Women’s Jacket because Scorpion EXO is known for its reasonably priced helmets with premium features usually only offered in high-end helmets. I reviewed their T-520 helmet last year and found it to be one of the market’s best “bang-for-the-buck” helmets. So naturally I wanted to find out if their jacket also offers the same value for the price.
I wanted to test this mesh jacket in hot weather. However, I received the jacked in Mid-April, and the weather in Southern California this year has been relatively cool. Nevertheless, I managed to ride wearing this jacket for about 500 miles, which was enough to write a proper review.
Material
The inner liner and the jacket’s outer shell are both 100% polyester. The inner liner is a ubiquitous mesh fabric which leaves me little to discuss. The outer shell is 600D Polyester, a commonly used lightweight fabric with good tensile strength and abrasion resistance. Scorpion EXO’s proprietary Rhino-Mesh fabric is used on the panels on the front, back, and underside of the sleeves. According to their website, Rhino-Mesh is three times more abrasion resistant than typical large gauge mesh and five times more abrasion resistant than heavy-duty cotton. The mesh weave is coarser than the 3D jacquard mesh used on the REV’IT! Torque H2O mesh jacket and finer than the mesh fabric of the Dainese Air Frame D1 jacket.
The collar and sleeve openings are trimmed with neoprene for comfort. All zippers are YKK with large pulls, which is easy to use with gloved fingers.
Overall, the material used on the jacket is of good quality, and the garment is sufficiently lightweight for a summer ride.
Waterproof?
The jacket is water resistant because 600D polyester is water resistant up to 2000mm HH. However, it is not waterproof. I also confirmed with the Scorpion EXO representative that none of the pockets are waterproof, even though the description of the jacket says otherwise.
Construction
The jacket is made in Bangladesh, and the garment’s construction looks solid. All the stitches are neat and secure. I can tell the Scorpion EXO is paying attention to good quality control. This is great to see in budget-friendly items like this jacket. Good Job!
Design
The Scorpion EXO Cargo jacket is on the longer side with 25 inches (63cm) from the back of the neck to the bottom. Not as long as the touring jacket, but it is about 2 inches (5cm) longer than other motorcycle jackets I have. It is a relaxed fit with plenty of adjustment capability with accordion gussets on the sides, two zippers on the hip, and elastic adjustment straps on the waist.
Cuffs have a relatively short 4 inches (10cm) zipper closure with a triangular flap. The cuff opening is somewhat small at 3.5 inches (9cm) wide when the zipper is closed. While these tighter cuffs made wearing gauntlet gloves easy, they made the sleeves feel baggy.
The collar is mandarin style without a snap or velcro closure. I liked it because the neck area was more exposed to the air and felt cooler on a hot day.
The jacket has six pockets: one on the right chest with a zipper, two hand warmer pockets with zipper closure, one inside the left chest with a zipper, another internal one located on the right waist, and a large tail pocket to store the removable cargo bag.
The cargo bag is what makes this jacket “cargo.” It is attached to the internal wall of the tail pocket with two snaps and secured onto your back with two straps on the side and three snaps under the back flap. I like the idea that I have the capability to carry things when I want to. However, as a rider who broke her vertebra in two places during a motorcycle accident, I am very hesitant to put anything in this bag unless the item is paper-thin and soft.
One major disappointment about this jacket design is its lack of removable liner. I assume Scorpion EXO omitted it to keep the jacket’s price down, but the lack of liner limits the usability of the jacket significantly. I couldn’t wear this jacket on my commute because it was too cold in the morning, even though it could have been perfect for the much warmer sunny afternoon ride. I understand this is a mesh jacket intended to keep you cool in the hot weather. But I would not mind paying a little more for a jacket to be wearable for a wider range of temperatures.
Sizing
Depending on the brand, I usually wear a Small or Size 36~40 jacket, so I ordered accordingly. It turned out the jacket runs large. The shoulder and chest fit, but the body and the sleeves are a little too baggy. According to the Scorpion EXO’s size chart from Revzilla, its Small is equivalent to US size 6. So I probably should have ordered XS following the US size. That said, the jacket has accordion gussets on the hip and elastic adjustment straps on the waist to cinch the body of the jacket. It actually fits nicely on my body when I snap on the straps to the tightest position. I came to think that this design with gusset and straps is a great idea for women’s jackets because the female body comes in all sorts of shapes, and this combination makes the jacket more adjustable for a broader range of figures than a fitted jacket.
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The sleeves also have adjustment straps on the forearm for a better fit. One minor complaint is that having another adjustment strap on the upper arms would have been nicer because the sleeves bunch up when I am in a tucked position on a sportbike.
Ventilation
The ventilation is excellent. Large mesh panels on the front and arms effectively funnel high airflow. I liked that the underarm area is all mesh fabric and has good air circulation.
The back panel is also made of mesh fabric. When the cargo bag is attached, it slightly obscures the ventilation because 600D polyester is used on the outer side of the bag. However, I don’t think it is a huge issue unless you carry something that blocks the airflow entirely.
Protection
Scorpion EXO Cargo Air jacket doesn’t have a safety certification. However, 600D polyester and Rhino mesh provide abrasion protection. The shoulders and elbows are also reinforced with another layer of 600D polyester for extra protection.
The jacket comes with CE level 1 Safe-Tech shoulder and elbow armor, which you can upgrade to Safe-Tech level 2 armor. The pockets for the elbow armor have extra velcro to adjust the position slightly, although the extra velcro is more for housing the optional Sas-tec SC-1/KA Flex armor. The shoulder armor position is not adjustable, and the lack of adjustability posed an issue when I rode my VFR. I could feel the bottom edge of the shoulder armor rubbing my upper arm. This was not the case when I rode my friend’s more upright cruiser. Are larger shoulder armor pockets with extra velcros too much to ask?
My biggest gripe is Scorpion EXO Cargo Air jacket doesn’t include a back protector insert. It has a sewn pocket for the optional Level 2 Sas-Tech back protector, which is available for $44.95. I understand this is a mesh jacket with a sub $200 price tag. However, given the major feature of the jacket is carrying items on the back, which can potentially cause serious injury during an accident, it should at least come with a back protector. I would love to see the improvement on this point. Hence, my lower grading on the protection.
Value for Money
Scorpion EXO Cargo Air Women’s Jacket is very affordable at US$169.95. As I mentioned, it doesn’t include the removable liner or a back protector insert. However, if you are looking for a jacket just for the summer, possibly as a second jacket, the price is very reasonable. After all, the jacket does what it is supposed to do very well; keeping you cool during the ride on a hot day.
Verdict
This jacket didn’t become my go-to mesh jacket because of its limited usability. Without the removable liner, I could only wear it on a warm day ride. It cannot handle all-day rides or road trips.
Also, even though the concept of a cargo bag is nice, I cannot get over the safety concern of having anything on the back while riding.
That said, this is a good lightweight jacket for hot weather. The ventilation is great, and the fit adjustability is excellent. So if you are looking for a jacket for a specific climate, go for it. Just ignore the cargo bag and add a back protector.
Pros
- Good Ventilation
- Quality construction
- Lightweight
- Fit adjustability
- CE Level 1 Shoulder and Elbow armor included
Cons
- No removable liner
- No back protector insert included
- No position adjustment for the shoulder armor
Specs
- Manufacturer: Scorpion EXO
- Price: US $169.95
- Made in: Bangladesh
- Sizes: Women’s XS-2XL
- Colors: Black, Pink, Sand
- Safety Designations: CE 1 shoulder and elbow armors
- Review Date: June 2023