Sedici Garda Waterproof Pants Review

Several years ago RevZilla and Cycle Gear (and now J&P Cycles) merged under COMOTO Holdings. This has allowed RevZilla’s team of designers to completely redesign the house brands and address a lot of the issues from previous generations. Sedici is one of these in-house brands, and the Garda Pants is one of the results of the redesign.

The Garda is a complete technical ADV / Touring suit for around $420 for both pieces. It features a laminated and seam-sealed waterproof shell, as well as many other technical features for a significant value.

The goal of COMOTO and the Sedici brand is to create quality motorcycle gear without the high price tag.

Revzilla was kind enough to send me both the Sedici Garda Pants and Jacket. In this review, I will be testing the Sedici Garda Pants. In a separate review on Web Bike World, you can find my opinions on the Garda Jacket.

I tested the pants on two different bikes. First a touring/cruiser (Yamaha Stratoliner) the other a standard/naked (Kawasaki ZRX) bike.

I am always anxious to get riding in the spring. When the call went out in the first week in March to review the Sedici Garda gear, I jumped at the opportunity. Although the Garda pants are not insulated, there is ample room for a base and mid-layer, perfect for early season riding. Or so I thought…

This spring would be different. Nothing like a world pandemic to squash my enthusiasm. In the province where I reside the request was made for no non-essential travel. Although there was not a ban on riding, I felt it was best to park the bike in support of healthcare workers and all others that are fighting the virus.

By late May restrictions had started to be lifted, and I felt comfortable heading out for rides. This allowed me plenty of opportunities to test the Garda Pants and Jacket combination.

Thank you to RevZilla for providing the Sedici Garda pants at no-cost for the purposes of this review.

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Features

Per RevZilla:

Waterproof stretch 600D laminated construction
1200D reinforcement at the seat and knees
Textured rubber grip panels to protect high wear areas
Adjustable waist with hook and loop closure
Stretch zones at the hip
Full mesh airflow lining
2 direct body vents at thigh
Included low-profile CE Level 2 knee armor
Adjustable knee armor pocket with 3 positions
Pockets for optional hip armor (sold separately)
2 zippered handwarmer pockets
Carbon reflective trim gives 360 degrees of visibility in the humanoid form
Full YKK zippers
Oversized zipper pulls
Connection zipper pairs pants to matching Garda Jacket or other Sedici ADV jackets

First Impressions

When traveling any distance, I have always carried rain gear to go over the top of my regular riding gear. I have to say, I was really looking forward to receiving the Sedici Garda Pants (and jacket). Laminated waterproof gear at a reasonable price is hard to come by. Plus, no need to take up valuable luggage space with rain gear.

My first impression was that the pants appear to be well built. I really liked the subtle black styling (silver and sand are also available) and subtle branding. After slipping the pants on, they fit loose from the knee up but were very comfortable.

After several weeks of riding, and well over a 1000 km, these are my thoughts on the Sedici Garda Pants.

Construction

Outer Shell

The outer shell appears to be well constructed of multiple layered materials. These include a waterproof stretch 600D laminated main body construction and 1200D reinforcement at the seat and knees. There are also textured rubber panels at the knees for additional protection in high wear areas.

Outer Shell – Waterproof, Laminated, 92% Poly, 8% Spandex Stretch Fabric

Lining – 100% Polyester

Interior Lining

The interior is lined with nylon mesh throughout for increased airflow at the vents and for comfort.

Pockets

There are two zippered handwarmer pockets with a small overlap and rubber seal to aid in waterproofing.

Hi-Viz

There are pops of reflectivity on the lower leg backs. It’s not a lot, but it does add a small amount of reflection for night riding.

Branding

Branding is subtle black on black. Which I really like. Sedici branding is in the rubber panels at the knees, the back of the waistband, on the lower leg closures as well as most tabs and buttons for zippers/pocket/adjusters. It is all surprisingly subtle.

Zippers

All the exterior zippers are YKK with large glove-friendly pull tabs. The ventilation zippers have rubber seals and also include hoods or “zipper garages” at the top of the zipper to tuck the zipper into. The rubber seals and hoods are all part of an attempt to keep water out. More on this later.

Colorways

The Sedici Garda Pants come in three colors: black, silver/black, and sand/black.

I have inspected the material and zippers after several rides, everything is wearing very well and looks as good as new.

Comfort, Fit, & Feel

Sizing

The Sedici Garda Pants come in 9 sizes; XS, SM, MD, LG, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL

My size at the time of ordering was 6’3” height, a 39” waist and a 34” inseam, which falls between an XL and 2XL in the sizing chart. After watching the video on the Revzilla website in which the reviewers sized up, I decided to go with the 2XL. My size has since reduced to a 37” waist, putting me in an XL. The 2XL are a bit large, the XL would be a better fit for me.

My height does pose some challenges as there are no tall sizes available.

Sedici Men’s Pants Size Chart (Inches)

Size	Waist (in)	Inseam (in)
SM	30-31	32
MD	32-33	32
LG	34-35	32
XL	35-38	32
2XL	38-41	32
3XL	41-44	32
4XL	45-48	32
5XL	49-52	32

Sedici Men’s Pants Size Chart (CM)

Size	Waist (cm)	Inseam (cm)
SM	76.2-78.7	81.3
MD	81.3-83.8	81.3
LG	86.4-88.9	81.3
XL	88.9-96.5	81.3
2XL	96.5-104.1	81.3
3XL	104.1-111.8	81.3
4XL	114.3-121.9	81.3
5XL	124.5-132.1	81.3

Measuring Your Size

WAIST – Measure around your natural waistline, around the top of the hip bones, inline with the navel while keeping the measuring tape parallel to the ground.
INSEAM – Measure from the highest point of your crotch down to your ankle, along your inner leg.

Comfort

I found the pants to be very comfortable to wear. The stretch outer shell is appreciated when swinging a leg over the bike. I always wore the pants over a base layer and on cooler days I added a mid-layer. The 2XL size caused the waistband to bunch up, an XL would have worked better for me. Or perhaps, I could use a Hank Hill butt prosthetic. ‘Mr. Hill you have no ass’ – Google it, very funny show.

Overall, I found the Sedici Garda Pants to be very comfortable.

Adjusting the Fit

The Sedici Garda Pants allowed for size adjustments in several ways:

Along with a hook and snap and adjustable velcro strap allows the waistband to be pulled tight

A zipper and velcro flap allows the pant cuff to be opened up to make getting the pants on easier. This also creates an excellent barrier to keep out rain and road spray. The bottom cuff velcro tab allows things to be cinched tight.

Adjustments can be made in the placement of the knee armor for short, medium and tall. Each pocket bottoms out at a different depth to allow the rider to fine-tune the position of the knee armor.

What I could not adjust for was my 6’3” height. The pants are a bit short in overall length, or I need taller boots. The Garda Pants comes in sizes up to 5XL, which is fantastic. Some tall sizes would be nice too.

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Function

Waterproof

The Sedici Garda is marketed as being laminated waterproof pants. I could not find literature on what technology is used other than a combination of waterproof 600D stretch and 1200D material.

If possible I try and do a water test on gear with the claim of being waterproof. This could be either riding in the rain (preferred) or sprayed from a hose. In this case, I did both.

On the first test, I rode about 40 km in what I would call a heavy/steady rain. About halfway through I could feel I was having issues with the jacket and before I arrived home I could feel some water passing threw the pants as well. Upon returning home I found that the pants had leaked and the base layer I was wearing was damp on the top of my thighs. The laminated material and main zipper appeared to be working perfectly. The material sheds the rain without absorbing water. This helps in keeping the shell lightweight even when wet. The problem appeared to be the vent zippers on the thighs.

I also got some water coming into my boots. This could be fixed with taller boots or longer inseams being made available.

I was reviewing the Garda Jacket at the same time, with similar results, and thought I must be doing something wrong. So, the next day I went back to inspect the jacket and pants. I noticed that perhaps the vent zippers were not tucked all the way into the hood or “zipper garage”.

I felt it was only fair to make a second attempt. With no significant rain in the forecast, much to the entertainment of my neighbor, I headed for the backyard and set up the hose. Although the conditions were not the same, it was worth a try. On this attempt, the pants performed better, but some water still made it past the vent zippers.

In both tests, the amount of water passing through was less than that of the jacket, and the pockets remained dry inside during both tests.

My impression was that the Garda jacket and pants combo would eliminate the need to carry rain gear. Although this may be true for short rides in light rain, I would still need to carry the rain gear for a trip or if heavy rain is expected.

Airflow

The Garda Pants contain a pair of ventilation zippers on the thigh. Because these are laminated pants, all the vents provide direct body ventilation. Also, keep in mind that this type of system does not offer dry ventilation in the rain.

I was able to use the Garda Pants in many weather conditions and in temperatures ranging from 4 C (39 F) to 33 C (91 F) with a humidex of 37 C (99 F), plus a bit of rain for fun.

On one particularly hot day in early June, I was invited on a 600 km ride through Algonquin Provincial Park. The day started off around 15 C when I left home. By mid-day, the temperature was in the low to mid-20s and I was able to remove the mid-layer and started partially opening vents. As we headed back south the temperatures peaked and I was riding with all the vents wide open.

If you were adventure riding in the heat, where you needed to move around a lot, things could get extremely hot.

Overall I thought the ventilation on the Sedici Garda Pants was very good.

Protection

The Garda Pants include low-profile CE Level 2 knee armor, as well as 1200D reinforced material at the seat and knees.

There is no hip protection provided, but mesh pockets are included to hold the protectors.

The armor in the Garda Pants falls under EN 1621-1:2012, which is a testing level used to assess limb joint impact protection. Two performance levels are available, Level 1 and Level 2. To pass the standard, the maximum mean transmitted force must be below 35kN.

The armour used in these pants is XY816, with maximum mean transmitted force recorded during assessment 12.5 kN

They are represented by the following symbol.

Protector Style S = Shoulder, E = Elbow, K = Knee.

Type A has smaller dimensions

2 – Performance Level

T+, T- – High and Low temperatures tested

Care Instructions

I found the best way to keep the pants clean is to simply wipe the dirt off with a damp cloth. If you need a deep clean here are the instructions tagged on the pants…

Warranty

The Sedici Garda Pants carries a Limited Warranty

All Sedici products carry a two-year guarantee on materials and workmanship. If a Sedici product fails to perform due to a defect in either aspect. Sedici will repair or replace the item at their discretion for two years from the date purchase. This guarantee does not cover damage due to accident, misuse, negligence or normal wear, including the natural breakdown of materials and colors over time and use.

Conclusion

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