Dainese performance jacket review

The Performance Jacket is top-of-the-line body armour from Dainese, and boasts its pedigree background and super high protection.

The main jacket is made from the same comfy elasticated sweat-wicking mesh as all older Dainese protection was, but the mesh doesn’t line the inside of the pads like it used to. As a result, the hard seams on the inside of the elbow pads in particular really take some getting used to.

The jacket’s fit is really good though, with the main zip fastening running up the side of the well-placed, non-bulky chest plate. The kidney belt fastens and has extra side fasteners to cinch the back plate to the belt to keep things super snug and in the right place.

The back plate has about 20 degrees of side-to-side movement on a pivot around three quarters of the way down. This means that when you lean into corners, the back plate isn’t sticking out at funny angles, which keeps the feel comfortable. It’s removable too, if you decide you don’t like wearing it.

The jacket did a great job of stopping those every-day bumps and scrapes and, thanks to the well thought-out strapping, didn’t move around or slip out of place. It’ll fit under a jersey without any issues, providing it’s slightly on the baggy side to start.

The price is quite high for what you get for your money, though.