A jacket labelled “CE certified to EN 17092” may contain no armour at all — or no guaranteed abrasion protection. Depending on the class, those are two different gaps, and neither is obvious from the material. That is the single most useful thing to know before arguing about leather versus textile.
Abrasion resistance and EN 17092
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According to SATRA, the PPE test house, EN 17092:2020 has six parts: Part 1 covers the test methods, and Parts 2 to 6 set the requirements for five classes, in descending order AAA, AA, A, B and C.
| Class | Impact protectors | Abrasion performance |
|---|---|---|
| AAA | Required at elbow, shoulder, knee, hip | Highest in the standard |
| AA | Required at elbow, shoulder, knee, hip | Below AAA |
| A | Required except hip (hip optional) | Below AA |
| B | No impact protectors | Equivalent to Class A |
| C | Protectors only, in the zones they cover | No guaranteed minimum |
Read those last two rows twice. A Class B garment abrades like a Class A garment but has no armour. A Class C garment has armour but no guaranteed abrasion performance — it is designed to be worn underneath or alongside an AAA, AA, A or B garment, not on its own.
So “CE certified” on its own tells you almost nothing. Look for the letters next to the CE mark: AAA, AA, A, B or C.
The standard measures outcome, not thickness
The abrasion test simulates a rider sliding along a concrete surface from several speeds until they stop. A garment passes when the layer closest to the body shows no hole 5 mm or larger.
That has a consequence worth spelling out: the standard sets no minimum leather thickness. Thickness figures that circulate in buying guides are industry rules of thumb, not EN 17092 requirements. Pending verification: we could not trace the commonly quoted leather-thickness figure to a primary source, so this article does not repeat it.
The standard also tests seam strength, tear strength, dimensional stability after washing (no more than ±5% change) and fit — because armour that sits in the wrong place protects nothing.
The three material families
- Leather. Slides well and lasts years. In return: heavy, barely breathable, slow to dry, and it needs looking after.
- Technical textile. Lighter, dries faster, usually has a removable liner and real vents. The most adaptable of the three.
- Mesh. The coolest, because much of the panel is open. The trade-off is that mesh panels do not slide like solid textile or leather — which is precisely why the EN 17092 class matters more than the marketing copy about fabric.
The practical rule: buy the class, not the material name. A tested AA textile jacket protects better than an untested fashion leather jacket.
Hot and humid: mesh or layered textile?
Most buying guides are written for temperate summers, which is why they mislead in Vietnam. In the north, temperatures above 35°C arrive together with high humidity and sudden downpours — three requirements that pull in different directions.
- Moving, mesh wins outright. Air passes through the jacket; solid textile only passes what the vents let in.
- Stopped at lights, both are equally hot. No airflow means no ventilation — and Hanoi traffic involves a great many stops.
- In rain, mesh soaks instantly. It is not waterproof and was never meant to be.
For this climate the sensible answer is usually a textile jacket with large openable vents and a removable liner rather than pure mesh: one garment that works through a hot afternoon and the shower that follows it.
Rain: membrane liner or rain shell
- Membrane inside the jacket. Convenient — nothing to stop and put on. But it also blocks the escape route for sweat, and in high humidity you end up wet from the inside instead.
- A rain shell over the top. Cheap, packs small, and crucially comes off when the rain stops. For short tropical downpours this is usually the more practical choice.
Leather in rain and harsh sun
Leather has two specific problems here. Soaked leather dries slowly, and wet leather left overnight in humid air grows mould. Drying it quickly in strong sun stiffens and cracks it — exactly the damage you were trying to avoid.
The correct method is unglamorous: shake off the water, hang it on a wide-shouldered hanger somewhere shaded and breezy, and apply no heat. That makes leather an awkward fit for a short trip here, however well it slides.
Looking after the jacket after a trip
- Take the armour out before washing. Most protectors are not machine-washable, and they block water from reaching the fabric anyway.
- Follow the care label. The ±5% dimensional-stability requirement only holds if the garment is washed the way the maker specifies.
- No fabric softener on anything with a waterproof membrane; it clogs it.
- Dry in the shade. Harsh sun fades and embrittles fabric, the same way it damages a helmet shell.
Quick pick by trip type
| Type of riding | Sensible choice |
|---|---|
| A few days in the city, low speeds | Light jacket with shoulder and elbow armour, plus a rain shell |
| Multi-day touring and mountain passes | Class AA or above textile, removable liner |
| Armour only, worn under normal clothes | Class C — remembering it guarantees no abrasion performance |
If you are renting for a few days and not buying a jacket at all, the sensible order of priority is still a genuinely certified helmet first, then closed shoes and gloves. How to read protector ratings at each body position is covered separately in the article on CE Level 1 vs Level 2 armour.
Before you travel, ask Mr Tú – Old Quarter Motorbike Rental what the rental already includes, so you only pack what is actually missing.
Frequently asked questions
Is a jacket marked “CE certified” safe enough?
Not on that label alone. Look for the class: AAA, AA, A, B or C. Class B contains no impact protectors, and Class C guarantees no minimum abrasion performance.
Are mesh jackets safe?
It depends on the class, not the material. A mesh garment tested to Class A or AA has passed the same sliding test as any other material at that class.
Does leather outlast textile?
Leather usually lasts more years, but the standard grades test results, not materials. In hot humid conditions leather’s bigger problems are breathability and drying time.
Is a riding jacket legally required in Vietnam?
What the law requires is a motorcycle helmet, correctly fastened. A riding jacket is the rider’s own choice.
Should I size up for airflow?
No. The standard includes a fit assessment precisely because armour has to stay over the shoulder and elbow during a crash. An oversized jacket lets the protectors slide out of position.
If I carry a rain shell, do I need a waterproof jacket?
Not necessarily. For short downpours, a well-ventilated jacket plus a shell is usually more comfortable than a membrane you cannot remove on a hot day.
Lower body: two of the three first contact points are the knee and hip, so the same EN 17092 classes apply to riding jeans and trousers.
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