This hoodie is near perfection for your average urban scooter rider. Armadillo has done what few other manufacturers have...Made a collection of jackets that you'd actually wear while not on the scooter.
The Armadillo Hoodie is like a family car with a 1000hp engine hidden under the hood. To look at the jacket you'd never guess it had so many features. Probably the most important of these secret features is the removable d3o impact protection in the elbow and shoulder. The protection is low profile, and sits inside mesh pockets, one gripe I have found is that occasionally I get my fingers get stuck in this mesh pocket, probably only one in ten times when putting the jacket on, but it is a noticeable if minor issue.
So, how well does it protect you when you're sliding down the road? Well, I haven't thrown myself off a moving scooter to find out...wimp, I know! But I have ridden my mountain bike around on the grass, and had great fun flying off - crashing and rolling around. The results are surprising good, the d3o is magical stuff, it is all soft, and flexible when being worn, but when it comes in contact with something hard and fast the d3o instantly becomes hard, and absorbs the impact.
The testing I have done, convinced me that the d3o would be of great help in an accident (watch the video advert to see a trained proffesional throw themselves down the road. Ed.). One small issue I found was that due to the relaxed baggy fit was the Hoodie, the protection, especially on the elbows, can move around a bit, but with that said, I was given a medium size which is a bit big for me (I will take it! Del Fuego.). So perhaps make sure you purchase a size that is a little bit tighter than you normally would to bypass this issue and make sure the armour is where it needs to be.
The other important feature, is the material the hoodie is made from. Armadillo call it 300gsm softshell 3 layer bonded fabric which is 3,000mm waterproof and 2,000mm breathable...er what! Forget that, what you need to know is it is warm, and blocks all the wind, and when its raining you'll stay dry. There is a bit of an air gap at the top of the zip, where air and water could sneak in a little but no more than most riding jackets.
The inside of the jacket features an mp3 pocket, great for listening to music when you're walking around, but why would you, when you can scooter to where ever you need to be! And why any scooter rider would choose to ride with music blasting is a little bit beyond me. Listening to all the sounds around you helps to get you to your desired location alive, and without any inconvenient meetings with the the tarmac, family sedans or buses. Safety first!
The cuffs of the jacket are super thick and warm with thumb loops, which help to minimize any air entering the jacket via the sleeves. Del Fuego and myself thought this was an excellent feature as we wear our gloves over our sleeves... Hollywood however, probably because he likes being difficult, would prefer a more regular sleeve (go get some scissors Hollywood? Ed.).
So in summing up, the Armadillo Hoodie is the jacket you want. It has the casual, comfortable but stylish high tech style dialed. It's no fuss and ultra low key, it just does what its meant to and looks good doing it, all for a surprisingly small outlay of cash. It will save your skin, elbows and shoulders in a brush with the tarmac, it will keep you warm and dry. And you can actually wear it around on the streets once you arrive at your destination!
Manufacturers Description: Performance soft shell fabric gives this hoodie total windproofing, breathability and waterproofing, perfect for in town riding Fabrics 300gsm softshell 3 layer bonded fabric, Outer layer:93% polyester,7% elastane,Mid layer:TPU breathable membrane,Inner layer:Micro fleece Features - 3,000mm waterproof - 2,000mm breathable - Soft high stretch comfort fabric - shock cord adjustable hood - MP3 pocket + headphone loops - Cuff mitten with thumb loop - Removable d3o impact protection elbow and shoulder - Machine washable - 2 Year Guarantee
