Alpinestars Octane Leather Jacket Review

Alpinestar's Octane leather jacket follows along the lines of all of their products - excellent quality and simplicity. One of the great things about the Octane we really enjoyed was how snug and comfortable the jacket fits.

style

Alpinestars Octane is similar in style to all of their other jackets which is - simple and pure. The Octane does not falter from the perspective of clean and sharp that Alpinestars are consistent with throughout their product line. Colored stripes on the chest, back, and arms give the jacket contrast against the all black leather jacket.

features

The jacket is perforated on the inner shoulders, along the sides of the chest and under the arms. This allows for a decent degree of airflow to pass through the jacket. The amount of airflow is moderate - however, since the Octane is a three season jacket this is expected. Riding in temperatures greater than 35 degrees C may be a bit hot.

The arm sleeves are zippered allowing for a seamless connection with your gloves or alternatively to allow air up into the sleeve area.

The arm zippers as well as the front zipper have a zipper pull tab that makes zipping up and down easier (a handy feature when wearing gloves).

Accordion stretch panels under the arms allow you to reach out with your arms without pulling on the rest of the jacket. This is a feature that ensures your comfort when reaching for controls and general movement.

To ensure a snug fit there is a Velcro adjustable strap along the hip area of the jacket.

To keep you warm during cooler rides, the Octane comes with a removable quilted vest liner. The lack of arm sleeves on the liner does make for a more comfortable ride during the warmer months.

To ensure your wallet, keys, and other miscellaneous items are stored in a safe secure place the Octane offers an inside pocket on the left side of the jacket, as well as two concealed front pockets on both sides. Simply flip over the leather material to expose the zipper and viola! Your secret pocket is now revealed.

safety

The jacket features CE armor impact protection in both the elbows and shoulder areas. In addition, there is armor stitched into the leather on both elbows.

A dual-density foam back pad provides protection on the backside. The back pad is also removable and can be upgraded to a CE armored back protector.

The entire jacket is made of a full grain leather chassis which is 1.2-1.4mm in thickness.

Reflective piping is integrated into the jacket for increased visibility.

quality

As with all Alpinestar's jackets the Octane is immaculate in terms of stitching quality. The leather material is made of a fine full grain and will easily protect and withstand high abrasion impact.

show me the money

The Octane retails for USD $549

overall

There is no questioning the quality of the jacket which is immaculate. We are impressed with the accordion stretch panels on the arm sleeves, however, Alpinestars could improve this jacket by offering a few more features. The Velcro adjustable strap is great at ensuring a snug fit - but we are a bit concerned about the longevity of Velcro vs. a metallic button. We would have been impressed if the CE back protector was a standard with the jacket opposed to an upgrade - but at least Alpinestar's gives the consumer the choice.

rating

• Style: 7/10
• Features: 6/10
• Safety: 9/10
• Quality: 9/10
• Price: 7/10
• Overall Value: 7/10