Hi everyone, hope your weekend is going well. One of the biggest choices you have when buying a leather jacket is, do you get one that has a zip out liner or not? There’s a lot of fans of both sides to that question. People who love leather jacket zip out liners will never get one without, and those who hate them will never get one with them.
Let’s see just what are the different kinds of zip out liners, because there are differences, and why you should or should not get one. The two most common types of leather jacket zip out liners are the vest type and the full sleeve kind. The vest type fits around your body but does not line the sleeves, just like a vest, which is why it’s called that.
The full sleeve zip out liner zips the body part to the inside jacket, but it also has full sleeves that you push through the leather jacket sleeves and usually attaches to the ends by small buttons on the inside of the sleeve ends. So it’s like a thin full jacket inside your leather jacket. Now, why would you want a leather jacket zip out liner?
Well, a leather jacket by itself with just a thin nylon or other type of liner is not very warm. A leather motorcycle jacket is a good wind breaker, stopping the wind from going through you. But it does not keep you warm worth a damn! However, because a leather jacket is not very breathable and is dark, it gets damn hot on a sunny hot summer day.
So, if you buy a leather jacket with a permanent thick liner to keep you warm, your going to sweat your ass off during the hot summer months. That’s why they came up with zip out liners. When you have a cold day, or are riding during the early spring or late fall, you can wear your liner and keep warm.
But on a hot summer day you can zip that liner out, open your vent zippers if you have them, and let the wind blow through, cooling you down. Of course you can keep the liner in and wear it through the winter too as a warm coat. So should you get a vest type or full sleeve type?
Well, it depends on how cold you get. Me, I don’t have much fat, so I get damn cold fast. That’s why I moved from Vermont to Florida! So I love the full zip out liners that go through the sleeves. The leather jacket brand Bikers Dream Apparel only carries ones with full sleeve liners. If they are good the ends of the liner sleeve attaches to the inside end of the jacket sleeve by several small buttons.
That way the zip out liner stays in place and does not get pushed up each time you pull your arm out of the sleeve. A lot of people that hate zip out liners had a bad experience with ones that did not stay in place. If you don’t need a lot to keep warm, then a vest type of zip out liner would work well for you. So what is a liner made of?
Well a leather motorcycle jacket zip out liner made of thinsulate is popular. It’s thin, light and yet keeps you warm. However there are lots of different liners. Down, wool, cotton, fleece, shearling, fur, faux fur and a bunch of other man made materials are all good liners. However you want one as thin as you can get for two reasons.
One is you just don’t want to feel all bulky and constricted. The other is that if the liner is thick, the leather jacket will fit different when you take it out. That’s another reason some hate liners, they had one with a thick zip out liner that fit too big when they took it out. I myself like the thinsulate zip out liners, and find they are plenty warm enough for me.
Some leather coat zip out liners even come with a built in neck warmer for wrapping around your neck like a scarf. Others can even have a built in hood. So as you can see, a zip out liner can be very flexible. You can even buy several different types of leather coat zip out liners to suit your needs.
When it gets dirty, all you have to do is zip it out and throw it in the wash, yet another great thing about them. I highly recommend getting a leather motorcycle jacket with a zip out liner. Some say that when you zip out the liner, the jacket does not keep it’s shape.
That’s BULL! If it’s a quality leather jacket it’s going to keep it’s shape if it has a liner or not. Otherwise even the ones with no liner would not keep it’s shape, right? Now, if you live where it’s really hot and don’t get cold, then fine, you don’t need a zip out liner. Or if you live where it’s always cold and want to get a jacket that has a permanent thick liner, then I can see that too.
But for most a leather jacket with a zip out liner just makes good sense, and really comes in handy. Most all quality leather jackets are made with the zip out liners. It cost a bit more, but it’s worth it. Most of the time a cheap leather coat will not have zip out liners, or just have the vest type. So if you want a good leather jacket zip out liner, here’s what to look for.
1. Find out if it’s a vest type or a liner that runs through the sleeves. I myself would get the type that has the sleeves, but that’s up to you.
2. If it runs through the sleeves, does the end attach to the inside of the jacket with buttons or some other way. It really sucks to turn the liner inside out each time you try to take off your jacket because the sleeve part follows your hand.
3. Is it a thin liner like thinsulate or other thin material. A thick liner will feel bulky and not fit right when you have it off.
4. Does it have a built in neck warmer or hood. Those are not necessary, but nice.
I hope that gives you a better idea about leather motorcycle zip out liners and leather coat lining. I myself always will buy a leather jacket that has a full, through the sleeves zip out liner. It’s not for everyone, and some just hate them. But for most a zip out liner just makes good sense.