Hoodies

The daily commute doesn't need full leathers. It needs protection you'll actually wear. Aramid-lined riding hoodies sit between a regular hoodie and a textile jacket: abrasion resistance built into the fabric, armour pockets at the shoulders, elbows and back, and a silhouette that passes at the office.

We stock protective hoodies from our own Shark Phantom ($299.95, full aramid-fibre lining) to the Merlin Hamlin II ($279.95, CE AA rated) and the Motodry Ladies Hoodie ($209.95, armour included). Every protective hoodie on this page has armour pockets. Armour is sold separately unless noted.

Shop by type: Kevlar jeans, motorcycle jackets, all Shark Leathers gear. Every hoodie ships free Australia-wide over $200 from our Gold Coast warehouse.

How to pick a protective hoodie

Pick the hoodie for the riding you actually do, not the riding that sounds good in your head.

Daily commuter (urban, sub-80km/h). This is the sweet spot for a protective hoodie. Short distances, low-to-mid speeds, stop-start traffic, no highway. The Shark Phantom Protective Hoodie ($299.95) is built for exactly this: full aramid-fibre lining from collar to hem, armour pockets at the shoulders, elbows and back, and a look that works on the bike and off it. Armour is sold separately. The Armanox CE Level 2 jacket bundle runs $125.85 and covers shoulders, elbows and back in one hit. Add $299.95 + $125.85 and you are at $425.80 ride-away, protected, looking like a civilian. That is the value case for the Phantom over a textile jacket at the same price.

Weekend cafe run / recreational rider. Same logic, slightly more forgiving. If you are riding 30km to a cafe on a Saturday, not commuting 50 days a year, the Merlin Hamlin II ($279.95) is a solid alternative. CE AA rated, brushed polyester, improved arm fit to keep armour in place over the Hamlin I, kangaroo pouch with hidden zipped pocket. The AA rating means it sits one tier above the Phantom in the EN 17092 abrasion hierarchy. Trade-off: the Hamlin II does not have a full aramid lining; it meets CE AA through its shell construction. The Phantom's full aramid lining gives a different kind of confidence at the same abrasion tier.

Ladies rider. Two dedicated options. The Merlin Hoody Vixen Ladies Black ($269.95) is cut specifically for women, CE certified, with the Merlin build quality. The Motodry Lady Hoodie ($209.95) uses a Kevlar-fibre lining in the back, shoulders and elbow areas, with CE shoulder and elbow armour included and an HDF back protector included. The only hoodie in this collection that ships with armour in the box. Ladies cut, soft shell, not waterproof. If armour out-of-box matters and budget is the priority, the Motodry is the one.

Pillion passenger. A pillion in a protective hoodie is better than a pillion in a cotton hoodie. But be honest: a pillion is a passenger on your risk, and a Class A hoodie is not the same as a textile jacket for sustained riding. If they are on the back for anything other than short urban runs, look at an entry-level textile jacket from the jackets range instead.

Who this is NOT for. Highway riders doing 110km/h for extended stretches. Regional touring. Anyone doing more than occasional freeway transitions. A protective hoodie is rated Class A under EN 17092, the urban commuter tier. At highway speed in a sustained slide, you want an AA or AAA jacket. That is not a marketing caveat. That is physics. The hoodie will help in a low-speed tip-over; it is not a substitute for a proper jacket on the M1.

Aramid fibre vs Kevlar, Class A limits, and what the hoodie actually protects

Most riding hoodies are marketed as "Kevlar" hoodies. That is a trade name, not a material description. Kevlar is the DuPont brand name for para-aramid synthetic fibre. Generic aramid fibre, which many brands use including the Shark Phantom, is functionally the same material: high-tensile, heat-resistant, abrasion-resistant. If the spec sheet says "aramid" and not "Kevlar by DuPont," it is not inferior. It is the same technology without the brand licence fee on top.

What aramid fibre does: it resists cutting and abrasion dramatically better than cotton or polyester. In a low-speed slide, it keeps you sliding rather than grinding. What it does not do: absorb impact. That is what armour is for. The two work together. The lining handles the road surface. The CE armour handles the joint impact when you hit the ground. A hoodie with armour pockets but no armour installed is doing half the job. Buy the armour. Fit it before you ride.

EN 17092 Class A explained. EN 17092 is the European standard that rates the abrasion resistance of motorcycle clothing. Four tiers matter in practice:

• Class AAA: race suits and premium leather. Highest slide resistance.
• Class AA: most 3-season textile jackets. Strong all-round protection for road use.
• Class A: urban commuter tier. Protective hoodies and lightweight garments sit here.
• Class B: abrasion-only garments with no impact armour zones. Not relevant here.

Class A is tested to resist abrasion at lower impact speeds. Think urban tip-overs and slow-speed incidents. It is not rated for the same abrasion duration as AA or AAA. At 80km/h+ in a sustained slide, the lining will eventually fail. At 30km/h in a car park, it will do its job. Know which one describes your riding.

CE armour: Level 1 vs Level 2. CE Level 1 armour (EN 1621-1 for limbs, EN 1621-2 for back) cuts impact force transferred to the body to under 18 kN average. CE Level 2 cuts it to under 9 kN, half the force on the same crash. That difference is often a deep bruise versus a fracture. Every armour pocket on the hoodies in this collection accepts CE Level 1 or Level 2 inserts. The Armanox CE Level 2 shoulder armour costs $29.95 per piece. The CE Level 2 back armour is $65.95. If you are commuting daily, the $65.95 back protector is the highest-ROI safety spend in the range.

Our family's standard. Our family started Shark Leathers after Matthew crashed in 2007, at 19, and was left a quadriplegic. Nearly twenty years on, every hoodie we stock gets judged the same way. Would we put it on one of our own? The honest answer on the Phantom: yes, for the commute. Not for the highway. That distinction matters. Full story on our about page.

Protective hoodie comparison

Armour sold separately for all models except the Motodry Ladies. Armanox CE Level 2 armour from $19.95 per piece. Full jacket bundle (shoulders + elbows + back, CE Level 2) = $125.85.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Kevlar hoodie as safe as a motorcycle jacket?

No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. A protective hoodie is rated Class A under EN 17092, the urban commuter tier. A quality textile jacket is typically rated AA. At low urban speeds in a tip-over or slow-speed slide, the hoodie does its job well. At highway speeds in a sustained slide, a Class A hoodie will fail sooner than an AA textile jacket. The hoodie is the right tool for the commute. It is not the right tool for the freeway run. Know the difference before you buy.

Does the Shark Phantom come with armour?

No. The Phantom has armour pockets at the shoulders, elbows and back. Armour is sold separately. We recommend the Armanox CE Level 2 Jacket Bundle ($125.85), which covers all three zones in one kit. CE Level 2 cuts impact force to under 9 kN, half what CE Level 1 allows. For a daily commuter, that difference matters.

What is Class A rating and why does it matter?

Class A is the urban commuter tier of EN 17092, the European motorcycle clothing standard. It measures abrasion resistance, how long the garment holds up in a slide against an abrasive surface. Class A is tested at lower energy levels than AA (mid-range) or AAA (race). Practical translation: it protects well in low-speed incidents (sub-60km/h tip-overs, car park slides). It provides progressively less protection as speed increases. For urban riding, Class A is appropriate. For highway touring, upgrade to an AA or AAA jacket.

Can I wear a protective hoodie at highway speed?

You can. Whether you should is a different question. At 110km/h on a dry road, a Class A hoodie will reduce abrasion injury in a slide compared to a cotton top, but it will not hold up as long as a Class AA textile jacket at the same speed. If your daily ride includes a freeway section, wear the hoodie for the back streets and consider a jacket for highway stretches, or move up to an AA-rated jacket as your primary commuter piece. There is no honest way to say a Class A hoodie is adequate for sustained highway riding.

How do I wash a protective riding hoodie?

Remove armour before washing, every time. Wash cold (30 degrees or below), gentle cycle, inside-out. Do not tumble dry. The heat degrades both the aramid fibre and the elastic that keeps armour pockets in place. Hang dry flat. The Phantom's aramid lining is stable to cold washes. If in doubt, hand wash. Replace armour inserts every 5 years or after any impact. The foam compresses in a crash and does not recover.

Is there a ladies cut available?

Yes. Two options in this collection: the Merlin Hoody Vixen Ladies ($269.95), cut specifically for women and CE certified, and the Motodry Ladies Hoodie ($209.95), which ships with CE shoulder and elbow armour and an HDF back protector already in the box. The only hoodie in this range that includes armour. The Shark Phantom runs XS to 4XL in a unisex cut and fits many women riders well in the smaller sizes. If fit is critical, the Vixen or Motodry are the dedicated options.