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One of the perks of this job is a steady stream of fresh motorcycle gear to try out. And one brand that has crossed my desk more than any other is Saint.
That’s partly because the Australian company has been around for over a decade already, but it’s also because its product line is in a constant state of evolution. I’ve tried almost every iteration of their riding jeans, most of which have gone on to become riding (and sometimes casual) staples. And their leather riding gloves have impressed, too.
Saint’s newest products are their Unbreakable 12 oz Coretec riding jeans and their upgraded Road 2.0 gloves, both of which landed on my front door a little while ago. So how do they stack up? Let’s find out.
Saint Unbreakable 12 oz Coretec riding jeans
Designed as a slightly more affordable option to their flagship Unbreakable jeans, Saint’s new Unbreakable 12 oz Coretec jeans use a lighter version of the brand’s single-layer Coretec denim. The fabric’s construction is identical—it’s a blend of recycled cotton, Lycra, and UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene), which adds strength and abrasion resistance. But where the more expensive Unbreakable jeans use a 14 oz version of Coretec, these use a 12 oz version.
On paper, the lighter denim brings the Unbreakable’s CE safety rating from AAA to AA, and its price down from AU$579 to AU$529 [around $374]. In the real world, the actual weight difference between the two Coretec fabrics is barely perceptible, but they do feel different. Where my 14 oz Coretec jeans have a rigidity that’s close to selvedge denim, the 12 oz versions are more akin to a pair of Levi’s.
The Saint Unbreakable 12 oz Coretec comes in slim (read: skinny) and straight options—I picked a pair of straight cuts in my usual size (40). They come in black or a new bleached denim; I opted for the latter.
I’ve been known to rave about the balance of protection, style, and comfort of Saint’s riding jeans. This pair almost nails that trifecta, with two major caveats. For starters, the 12 oz is tighter around the waist than the 14 oz and runs slimmer through the leg, despite both pairs being the same size and cut.
This is not uncommon among casual clothing brands, where the characteristics of different denims can cause them to fit and feel different, but it is worth noting if you prefer a looser, less fitted vibe. Despite this, the jeans look good on and remain all-day comfortable—provided you can get the knee armor to line up with your knees.
It’s a gripe I’ve had with several pairs of Saint jeans. The company scales the inseam length of their jeans to match the size, so my size 40 12 oz denims have an inseam of 35”, which is far too long for me. It not only means that turning them up is mandatory, but it also means that the knee pads sit too low—making them uncomfortable and ineffective.
Saint ships these with CE Level 1-rated D30 Ghost armor inserts for the hips and knees, tucked into pockets that use a fabric that’s soft to the touch. The protectors are wonderfully low-profile, and the knee pockets include two different height settings, but even at the highest point, the D30 knee pads sit below my knee cap.
On the upside, the Saint Unbreakable 12 oz Coretec jeans look killer. The dad-approved bleached finish goes great with my other gear, and the traditional five-pocket layout (and minimal branding) means that these can pass for casual wear.
Tweak the fit, add a bigger range of adjustment for the knee protectors, and offer shorter inseam options, and these would be damn near perfect.
Saint Road Glove 2.0
Although my preference for most rides is short cuff gloves, I tried the full-length Saint Road gloves some time ago and loved them. Saint has just updated them, adding more protection to the Saint Road Glove 2.0 without sacrificing style or comfort.
The changes to the Saint Road gloves are small, but significant. They still feature a supple goatskin chassis, with a brawny carbon fiber knuckle protector and extra layers of leather in all the right places. But the pads that used to adorn the lower palm have been replaced by a set of ultra-tough PU sliders, and there’s now a leather section tethering your ring and pinky fingers to each other, reducing the risk of a break or dislocation in a crash.
The rest of the Road glove’s construction hasn’t changed much. The elasticated wrist closure uses double hook-and-loop straps, while the fingers feature accordion panels, extra padding on top, and touch-screen compatible tips on the thumb and forefinger.
Like their predecessor, the new Road gloves are both stylish and comfortable. Although they’re a little stiff out of the box, they fit true to size and break in quickly. The stitched ring and pinky finger design does take some getting used to, though, if you don’t typically ride with racing-style gloves.
Aesthetically, these gloves hit all the right notes. The look is timeless, equally suited to modern and classic motorcycles. Debossed Saint logos keep the branding subtle, while perforated details add panache and a modicum of ventilation.
The black version of the Road 2.0 design includes a matte finish on the carbon knuckles and subtle reflective piping for visibility. You can get it in white, too (a bold choice), sporting a gloss carbon finish and regular black piping. Both options will set you back AU$299 [around $212].
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