Alpinestars Chrome Ignition Hoodie

Safety

The Alpinestars Chrome Ignition Hoodie is a lightweight textile jacket that is CE certified Class A. It has built-in CE-certified Alpinestars Nucleon Flex Plus shoulder and elbow protectors and a pocket for an Alpinestars Nucleon back protector (sold separately.) The Chrome Ignition Hoodie is Tech-Air ready and can accommodate the Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 Airbag System for complete protection (sold separately). It benefits from the hidden safety of interior aramidic reinforcement at the shoulders, elbows and back. The outer offers a knitted fabric "cotton feel" main shell that feels good and looks great on and off the bike.

Styling

To look at the Chrome Ignition hoodie, you would not expect it to offer the protection that it does. It looks like a regular hoodie! Yes, it offers the exceptional Alpinestars quality and styling that you would expect from Alpinestars themselves, but they have very cleverly disguised the protective elements for a casual-looking aesthetic. It comes in a choice of two colours, black and fluorescent yellow and black and fluorescent red . Each colourway features drawstrings that are colour coordinated and Alpinestars branding throughout.

Comfort

Kudos to Alpinestars who have managed to make an exceptionally comfortable hoodie with highly protective elements. It looks extremely comfortable - that is because it is! The knitted cotton outer is soft to the touch with added stretch for excellent freedom of movement. The Aramidic fibre layers do not restrict movement - and elasticated areas at the base and the cuffs prevent weather ingress for superior comfort in use on and off the bike. The Chrome Ignition Hoodie is lightweight yet also offers fantastic windproofing - a winning combination!

Practicality

At first look, you wouldn't expect much of this hoodie. It looks like your general run-of-the-mill hoodie. The added abrasion resistance given by Aramid fabric layers gives added practicality - pair this with the CE-approved armour at the shoulders and elbows for added impact resistance. The armour is fully removable to allow the Chrome Ignition hoodie to be machine washable, and for the jacket to be worn more comfortable off the bike. The hood is a storm hood for added weather protection, but crucially, the hood is also fully removable - a highly practical feature if ever there was one! A waterproof inner document pocket is another handy feature plus the fact that this can accommodate Alpinestars Tech-Air Bag 5 shows its true versatility and practicality.

Negatives

It's a shame that the Ignition Chrome Hoodie doesn't come with a built-in back protector as aside from that you have full protection. If you are wearing a strap-on back protector definitely go with the size above your normal size to give you a more comfortable fit - it's not small in size but it isn't large in sizing either! Other than the lack of a back protector, there really isn't much to complain about!

Verdict

Alpinestars have done it again. A combination of style, comfort and protection was successfully pulled off yet again! It is extremely comfortable and looks great on and off the bike, yet you are fully protected. There is a reason they have been a dominant force in the motorcycle clothing world for so long - and continue to be for a long time yet!

Until next time, stay safe

Alex