Dainese Blackjack Motorcycle Jacket Review: Premium Apparel

Dainese Blackjack Leather Jacket Review

When choosing colors for my moto clothing, I have always ascribed to the idea that “I’ll wear black until they come up with something darker.” I recently broke that rule when I received the new Dainese Blackjack motorcycle jacket in the dark-brown/black/black color scheme.

I savor the look of the jacket and the combination of mostly dark brown with black panels along the sides and under the sleeves, and highlights of black and pewter gray reflective horizontal stripes across the chest, arms and back, is very attractive.

I reckon this is in line with the latest fashion of wearing brown boots with blue jeans, and this style aims at the scrambler and urban crowds. The jacket also bears the number 72 on the left shoulder. Does this pay homage to Larry Pegram, or is it because Dainese was founded in 1972? One wonders. As one might expect, the Dainese name is tastefully embroidered and embossed across the back of the garment.

Dainese Blackjack Motorcycle Jacket Review

Other color options are Smoke/Magnesium/Black, and Smoke/Yellow/Black, but let us not make too much ado over color. The jacket itself is Dainese’s usual tour de force in garment construction and quality. The Dainese Blackjack motorcycle jacket is styled in a vintage cut, short at the waist, and is built from vat-dyed waxy cowhide. It feels soft, even when brand new, and looks rich.

The Blackjack has the usual Mandarin collar that is well-padded and fastened with two snaps. The main Opti brand zipper runs full length over a narrow leather placket. The zippered sleeve-ends also fasten with a snap and have leather inserts to keep their shape should you decide to leave them unzipped while riding or off your bike.

There are two zippered handwarmer pockets outlined with black leather, and one zippered pouch-style pocket inside the jacket. There are cinching waist adjusters on each side that fasten with snaps in two places for a snug fit. The chassis is typically built with a high-denier polyester fabric and has a liner to modulate your body temperature.

The jacket itself is certified to CE Category II. The shoulder armor is CE-rated and affixes to the jacket by hook-and-loop fastenings, rather than in dedicated pockets. The elbow armor, also CE-rated, resides in zippered pockets to hold them in place. There is a zippered pocket for an optional back protector; we strongly suggest a G1 or G2 back protector from Dainese. There is also a horizontal zipper in place should you want to attach the jacket to similarly equipped trousers.

The construction, workmanship, and quality are what you would expect from a premium brand such as Dainese—there are no loose threads, poor seams, or imperfections of any kind on the Dainese Blackjack motorcycle jacket.