12 Of The Best Motorcycle Gear Brands Bikers Swear By

More than just an affinity, or a bit of loyalty to certain brands, I owe my life and limbs to well-built motorcycle gear — and I know countless riders who can say the same thing. In my 20s, I was in a motorcycle crash on the freeway that could've easily taken my life. Thankfully, I was wearing a jacket that didn't tear, gloves that didn't rip at the seams, boots that protected my ankles, pants with full armor, and a helmet that absorbed at least seven different impacts from different directions (I rolled a lot during my wreck). That's the sort of experience that bikers, riders, and motorcyclists of all shapes and sizes have to offer, if you're willing to listen to their gear recommendations.

These are the brands that have been excellent to use in my experience. On top of that, the brands on this list come highly recommended from friends, experienced industry experts, and lifelong riders. A few notes about these brands. First, these aren't in any particular order. They aren't ranked, just listed. Second, if you treat your gear right, it'll treat you right. Properly condition your leather jackets, pull out the washable liners from your helmets and wash them, and make sure to follow any care instructions from the people that make them — just because gear is made to protect you from a crash, doesn't mean it's immune to poor ownership habits.

The helmet I was wearing at the time of my big wreck was a Shoei RF-1000. It was near the top of the available full-face helmet choices at the time, with Shoei offering premium safety to go along with their eye-catching style. Little has changed in either of those departments over the last 20 years. Shoei's RF-line is historically for helmets that offer comfort and top safety ratings, and every rider I know who cares about safety considers Shoei when buying new helmets. A step above the typical DOT-required ratings for their helmets, most of Shoei's full-face models are available with ECE or Snell ratings for additional safety.

More than just the road-friendly RF helmet, Shoei offers options for dirt and adventure riding, as well as the X-Fifteen, which is a bit more focused on track riding. They're developing head-up display units for helmets, and Shoei has some of the coolest graphics out there, too. If you want to get compliments on your helmet just about everywhere you go, pick one of their top-of-the-line X-Fifteen helmets in a bright colorway, and as a fun side bonus, you'll be way more visible to passing motorists.

The most versatile pair of motorcycle boots I've ever purchased are the Alpinestars Oscar Monty V2's. I certainly wouldn't wear them while riding on a track day, but they're seriously durable, and they've protected my ankles in a few falls. On top of all that, they look great, too. The Oscar Montys are a simple riding boot, designed with a bit of ankle protection, but they don't look super flashy, so you can hop off your bike and hang out with your friends without goofy-looking racetrack boots on.

I dropped two different motorcycles on the same pair of Oscar Monty boots. One of those incidents was a zero-mph parking incident, and the other was a slow-speed dirt whoopsie, but in both scenarios, my feet were unharmed, and the boots remained completely intact. The Oscar Monty boots, along with a few other long-lasting items from Alpinestars that I've purchased in the past, mean this is a brand I stick by, and many riders I know would offer similar testimonials. 

Almost every highly safety-conscious rider I know, myself included, also uses the Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Plasma Airbag vest. It fits easily underneath many of my jackets (not just the Alpinestars ones), and it offers additional protection for big crashes. Thankfully, I've never had my airbag deploy (the advanced airbag technology didn't exist yet when I had my big crash), but if it's the sort of tech used in several motorcycle racing series, I trust it to protect my body, too.

Some of the sturdiest, most comfortable gear I've ever worn has come from REV'IT!. I've been wearing the same REV'IT! summer gauntlet gloves for the last four or five riding seasons, and they've only had the smallest degree of wear. I've taken my leather REV'IT! winter jacket through storms and on long highway rides, with no discomfort and minimal wear. If anything, after putting some leather conditioner on the outside, it looks and feels better over time than it ever did when it was new. REV'IT! came highly recommended to me by a more-experienced rider a few years ago, and I've been wearing their gear ever since.

If I do have one complaint about my REV'IT! gear, it's that the little pieces tend to suffer when it comes to long-term reliability. The Velcro on my REV'IT! gloves, for instance, has become a bit less sticky over time. But really, it's just Velcro that's been stuck together and pulled apart a thousand times — that could happen with virtually any set of gloves. The stitching and seams have held together just fine, with a lovely bit of aging happening on many of the high-stress areas.

If you've ever wandered into a Dainese store, you might get the feeling that you've made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up inside a high-end Italian fashion shop. And that's the same sort of vibe they seem to be going with when it comes to their riding gear. Dainese makes some premium street gear, and some of the best-looking track suits you can buy. More than just stylish, though, the Dainese gear I've purchased and worn over the years has stood the test of time. Protection is included with the ride.

Their jeans, which I have worn for years, have made it through multiple slow-speed put-downs, their jackets (with a bit of leather conditioning) last even longer with minimal signs of wear, and there are plenty of fashion-forward items in their lineup of clothing that'll help you feel less dorky when you dismount your bike and head into the restaurant. I sized out of my one-piece leather suit from Dainese a few pounds ago, but while it fit me, it was one of the most comfortable and durable pieces of gear I'd ever owned. Lots of track-day riders will tell you the same thing.

While they've only recently expanded into making high-tech helmets in the form of the new GT and GTS, Cardo has been around for quite some time, making communication devices that many riders refuse to leave home without — me included. Cardo makes communication devices that also double as Bluetooth connections to your music, allowing you to pipe tunes and a phone connection into your helmet. The communication devices, like their top-of-the-line Packtalk Pro, can include as many as 15 people on a group-ride chat, making it much easier to keep large groups in contact on the go.

I primarily use my Packtalk Spirit HD (the one you see attached to my Arai helmet here) for music, and it's never failed me. Battery life is impressive, the controls are simple and easy to use, and it's slim enough that I don't get added wind resistance at highway speeds with the Cardo attached to my helmet. It might be a bit more on the gadget side of riding, but I still consider my Cardo a must-have piece of riding equipment, no matter how it's classified. And once I get a chance to test out their new helmets, I get the sense that I'll come away with a similarly glowing recommendation.

You may have never heard of Aerostitch, and I wouldn't blame you for that gap in your gear knowledge, but they're certainly worth knowing. Aerostitch makes a relatively niche product, but according to every rider I've spoken to who's purchased one of their suits, their stuff is unassailable. Instead of tight-fitting leather one-piece suits, Aerostitch mainly focuses on one- and two-piece suits that slip over your normal clothes and keep you comfortable during your ride, while also prioritizing comfort. Then, once you arrive at your destination, you can shed the protective gear and walk around in the normal clothes you've been wearing underneath.

Riders who plan to cover long distances and multiple states at a time, and who don't want to wear a one-piece leather suit along the way, should turn to brands like Aerostitch. Their suits are hand-made, maximally functional, and built with longevity in mind. Their high-end Roadcrafter suit is expensive (around $2,000), but they claim that you can buy one, use it for a month, and return it for a full refund if you don't like it. Of the brands on this list, Aerostitch is one of the few I've never had the chance to test out myself, but I've ridden next to plenty of folks who swear by their Aerostitch suits — some after decades of use. Whenever I eventually decide to opt for a continent-crossing touring bike, I'll likely be investing in an Aerostitch.

Spend any amount of time at a motocross track, and you'll likely see SiDi boots protecting the feet of a majority of riders in attendance. SiDi has been making boots for over six decades, and they're widely respected amongst some of the best dirt riders. I've worn SiDi boots in several different riding scenarios (boots I've borrowed, and ones I've owned), and I've always come away impressed with the protection and quality they offer.

I took several spills off my dirt bike while wearing SiDi boots, and they were barely worse for wear. More importantly, they protected my feet during a fall. Drop an entire dirt bike on top of your feet, and you want your boots to protect you — that's exactly what my SiDi boots did for me, more than once, without breaking the boots themselves. On top of making popular and durable off-road/dirt riding boots, SiDi also makes some of the best boots for the street and for the racetrack. They offer tall foot and ankle protection, sliders on the outside of the boot for riders who can get super low, and easy slip-in designs.

If your idea of a fun weekend includes swinging your leg over the seat of an adventure bike, pointing the headlights towards some unknown geographic oddity, and conquering any terrain that gets in your way, Klim is probably a great brand for you. I've worn several Klim jackets and even a few pairs of Klim pants over the years, all of which had impressive attributes. Their thick, durable fabrics hold up to abuse, and the winter gear that I've tested from Klim was able to keep me seriously warm, even without wind protection on a dirt bike with no fairings for wind protection.

Klim's adventure jackets offer all sorts of pockets, a number of configuration options, and lots of ways to introduce new air flow when you're riding on a hot day. They've got some really impressive jackets and pants in their lineup, but Klim also offers gloves, boots, and helmets — all of which seem to have pretty impressive specs and protection ratings. I've only had the opportunity to use/test their pants and jackets, but my experience with those items would leave me trusting the rest of their products, too.

This is one of the brands that I've never had personal experience with, but lots of riders I know swear by it. Vanson is a Massachusetts-based company that makes stylish and sleek, handmade leather riding gear that'll last a long time. Most riders that I speak to who own Vanson jackets say that they're comfortable, made from high-quality material, and wear extremely well over time.

Vanson has a few different styles of leather jackets available, some with extroverted logos and text on the outside, others with a classic, minimalist look from an era gone by. More than just jackets, though, Vanson makes gloves, CE-rated armor, and some impressive one-piece custom leather suits as well, with functionally designed dual zippers on the front for ease of entry and egress. For even more protection, you can go with a Vanson Air-Pro airbag suit. If you want to look good, but you don't want to wear the same brand that everyone else in your group ride has on, check out Vanson.

Go to any bike night where the riders are likely to be wearing full-face helmets, and you're bound to spot dozens, if not hundreds, of Arai helmets. It's a favorite brand in the motorcycle community, and the Arai name stands for both quality and safety. I currently wear an Arai Corsair-X, which fits my head extremely well, feels high-quality at every touch point, and looks pretty slick, too. It has several vents that open and close to keep me cool or warm on inclement days, visors are easy to swap out for day/night riding, and it was built with a comm system in mind, so it was easy to install speakers.

Arai has been around since the 1950s, making high-quality protective gear and constantly innovating in the helmet world. Most of their helmets aren't as angular or aggressive in their styling as you might see from other manufacturers, and there's a good reason for that. Arai uses a strategy in their helmet design and construction that focuses on what they call "Glancing Off," with helmets designed in the roundest possible way — making them more likely to glance off the ground upon impact and disperse impact energy. If that's the sort of strategy that top MotoGP riders trust to protect their heads, it's probably the right strategy for me, too.

Considered to be amongst the top brands for full-face helmets in 2026, I've worn AGV helmets for years, and I continue to trust them with keeping my noggin' intact. I've had a few small put-downs while wearing an AGV helmet (including one at a dirt riding course), and I came away with zero injuries. 

What's more, their helmets are well built, with lining and padding that wear well over time. Living in a hot climate like California, there's a lot of sweat happening inside helmets, so I appreciate one that can be easily cleaned and hold up to multiple cleanings. The AGV removable and washable liners are easy to use and take out of helmets, and they're simple to re-install after a cleaning.

If you're looking for an aggressive race helmet, AGV has you covered there, too. The Pista GP is one of the sleekest-looking helmets money can buy. It'll cost you nearly $2k in some colors, but it will get you the respect of your fellow riders. The Pista GP is ECE rated, and it exceeds even FIM standards, so if you're good enough to become a professional racer, this pricey helmet will take you there.

While they might not be as well-known as brands like Shoei, AGV, and Arai, Schuberth helmets are certainly worth recommending. The German helmet manufacturer makes lids for all sorts of different activities, like on-road and off-road riding, in a variety of excellent finishes, and they hold their helmets to a high standard. The safety ratings matter when it comes to helmets, and Schuberth makes several lightweight carbon helmets that meet or surpass ECE 22.06 standards — one of the highest safety ratings in the helmet game.

Their basic full-face modular helmets, like the Concept, come in priced under $600, while top-of-the-line models, like the C5, are over $1,500, so there's a wide range of availability depending on your needs. They design their helmets in-house, with wind tunnel testing as a part of the process, and they're some of the quietest helmets on the market as a result.

For the most part, and unless otherwise mentioned, I've personally used, worn, tested, or had my hands on all the brands on this list (along with several other, less-impressive bits of gear). I've ridden numerous different kinds of motorcycles over the years, using a variety of different brands and types of gear. Where possible, I've relied on personal experience for this list, with several items registering years of use. I've also used the recommendations of other motorcycle-testing writers and journalists, as well as lifelong riders in my close circle.

A note for the wary who are shopping for gear: reviews are helpful, especially when looking for fitment and long-term-use advice, but you should be wary of one-off negative reviews. Not every piece of gear from every brand will be perfect, or will fit your needs/body, so what may fit one rider may be the wrong shape for another rider's head or body. Some riders treat their gear poorly, too, and you don't want to listen to someone who has a negative opinion of a brand simply because they didn't know how to take care of a leather jacket or how to wash the liner in their expensive helmet.