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replica/knock off jacket quality?

8K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  6 0 0 RR 
#1 ·
On eBay there are quite a few replica jackets of rev'it, dainesi, etc for around 250-300 bucks coming from Pakistan. Yes yes I know...why bother. But I'm curious to know if anyone has or know anyone that has one that can comment on the quality. Obviously I know a lot of people will say to not even bother, but they say they put CE approved armor in them and use 1.3-1.4 cowhide leather I believe all handmade.

I mean..even if the quality and fit isn't exactly like the name brand, does it really mean it shouldn't even be bought? I know you're paying for a the name when you buy the name brand stuff, but is all that extra money really worth it?

Let me know your thoughts!
 
#2 ·
I wouldn't try it...

Thing is, you can use any leather you want, or any protectors inside it... If the seams burst open on impact, you'll suffer anyways...
There's a review somewhere where they compare Astars gloves vs Chinese knockoffs. It's an eye-opener. Bad inconsistent seams, bad leather quality, or synth leather, no kevlar etc.
Looks good on the outside, construction and inside are way off.

If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
 
#3 ·
The idea behind gear is to save your body in the event of a crash. I have zero problems buying a "lower end" jacket or suit from someone like Cortech, AGVSport, Joe a Rocket, etc. because those are known brands with quality control departments. A knock-off company has none of that so its a crap shoot.

If you are all looks and care only about the name brand then buy used of your "fancy" brands. If you want a solid jacket that will protect you just fine then look at some of the "lower" brands that don't have the flash of Dainese. You're right, you do pay a lot for the "high end" name.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I rather spend money on gear from a reputable company with a lot of people who wear the product and can attest to the quality of their products. After-all I think the piece of mind that comes with knowing that the product works well is worth the cost. I also like to know that my gear is going to hold up and function to prevent as much injury as possible if I ever go down (knock on wood).

Also I think gear should ALWAYS fit you properly, otherwise it doesn't protect you as well as it should. It's like people buying motorcycle helmets that don't fit them but they bought it only because they like how it looks.
 
#6 ·
Yeah but shipping is like 40 bucks. Which is odd. It's like if it doesn't fit right you're out that money.
 
#9 ·
I've been wanting to go to the toy shop but haven't. I also head cycle gear in tinley is a tad but so I'm gonna check there too. Meh not on a budget but also don't want to spend a huge amount.

I recently ordered this knock-off of the Dainese Super Speed Textile from Aliexpress. Based on the photos it looks like a quality replica (i.e., same materials, production method, etc...). It's cheap enough that I'm fine with taking a chance so that I can inspect it in person. If I don't like it I'll get rid of it.

I also did some googling and--as expected--came up with mixed results. I found the review that Nuithari mentioned about the A-stars gloves but I also found positive reviews of other brands as well. Reviews are inconsistent which probably speaks to the QC (or lack thereof) of knock-off products or is an indication that there are several different knock-offs available of the same product.

There's a pretty glowing review out there of the knock-off RS Taichi jackets. Apparently it was crash tested and held up well. It seems jackets are easier to re-produce well because the stitching is less intricate than with gloves. I'll post my impressions when my jacket arrives.
Definitely keep me posted!! I'm sure it's all hit and miss with the knock offs
 
#8 ·
I recently ordered this knock-off of the Dainese Super Speed Textile from Aliexpress. Based on the photos it looks like a quality replica (i.e., same materials, production method, etc...). It's cheap enough that I'm fine with taking a chance so that I can inspect it in person. If I don't like it I'll get rid of it.

I also did some googling and--as expected--came up with mixed results. I found the review that Nuithari mentioned about the A-stars gloves but I also found positive reviews of other brands as well. Reviews are inconsistent which probably speaks to the QC (or lack thereof) of knock-off products or is an indication that there are several different knock-offs available of the same product.

There's a pretty glowing review out there of the knock-off RS Taichi jackets. Apparently it was crash tested and held up well. It seems jackets are easier to re-produce well because the stitching is less intricate than with gloves. I'll post my impressions when my jacket arrives.
 
#10 ·
So my jackets arrived and unfortunately I must report that they are a disappointment. Not unexpected but I was hoping for a better quality knock-off--as oxymoronic as that sounds ;)

Here's a quick run down of my inspection and thoughts:

- Overall look is actually pretty good and is something I would wear for short rides around town
- Material #1: This was the biggest disappointment. The textile fabric is very thin and I have very little confidence in it holding up to anything other than a low speed spill
- Material #2: The mesh panels actually feel pretty good. There are two types of mesh being used in this jacket and it's hard to tell if they've cheaped out here or not. But comparing it to my Alpinestars mesh jacket it doesn't feel noticeably cheap.
- Material #3: The soft neoprene behind the neck feels nice.
- Material #4: The metal shoulder slider looks just like genuine Dainese. But upon closer inspection you can see that the paint on the Dainese logo isn't the greatest. It will eventually wear off. The logo is also embossed however.
- Rain/wind liner: Pretty thin and simple. It zips in and has full length sleeves. Not any better or worse than what I've owned in the past.
- Armor: I don't have a genuine Dainese part to compare this to but it feels rather light. That's all I can really say about it. See the photos below.
- Stitching: Looks ok for the most part. In a couple of places it isn't 100% straight but nothing noticeably shoddy looking. I don't know what kind of thread is being used.
- Fit: I'm usually a size 44 (54 euro) and the reviews on the site said that these jackets tend to fit small. So I bought a 54 and 56 to be safe. Unfortunately, both are too big. The 54 fits like a 56. And the 56 feels almost the same as the 54. Go figure. The cut is also fairly square which is different from Dainese's typical slim fit. It's actually a pretty good American cut.

Ultimately, if one of the jackets had fit me well I probably would've rocked it around town. But the quality of the textile is too poor to be used for serious riding so I am now selling both of these jackets. In my opinion they aren't worth the money unless you really only care about the styling.











 
#13 ·
I don't think it's worth the hassle to return but I'll look into it. At the end of the day it was money I was willing to risk to find out and hopefully it helps.

this doesn't have a lot to do with the original intention of the post, but i feel the need to say it

purchasing this **** is only doing a MASSIVE disservice to the companies that work hard in R&D and production to provide quality safety equipment for us to use and enjoy

to undermine everything they've worked for by sending your money to a shitty chinese rip off company is an exercise in idiocy as far as i'm concerned.

if you want to look cool wearing your dainese jacket, perhaps you need to reassess your motivation for purchasing a jacket in the first place.

when it comes to gear, looks should come second.
I get where you're coming from. But a lot of people were never going to buy genuine Dainese to begin with. Hopefully this experience also saves them money by avoiding the knock offs.

I agree looks should come second but you can have both. Just choose wisely.
 
#12 ·
this doesn't have a lot to do with the original intention of the post, but i feel the need to say it



purchasing this **** is only doing a MASSIVE disservice to the companies that work hard in R&D and production to provide quality safety equipment for us to use and enjoy

to undermine everything they've worked for by sending your money to a shitty chinese rip off company is an exercise in idiocy as far as i'm concerned.


if you want to look cool wearing your dainese jacket, perhaps you need to reassess your motivation for purchasing a jacket in the first place.


when it comes to gear, looks should come second.
 
#14 ·
Wow, I used to be able to spot replicas with ease, but they are taking it to a scary level. They must be getting stuff like the tags from a genuine source...

The only noticeable differences I can see, is that the real jacket has a rubber piece on the main zipper, and any modern dainese garment with shoulder pieces has three small allen heads to facilitate replacement. The armor pieces look like the real thing, and they may be (might not be any way to cheap out on those so they just use real pieces.)
 
#16 ·
Goes to show that you really do get what you pay for its just to bad that some people don't know the difference and buy ones such as this and think its the real thing with inferior quality.
 
#17 ·
Pretty good review. Thanks for that! I also saw some photos i had one of the people who make the jackets send me, and right off the bat, I could tell that the "cut" and quality def wasn't there from the "real life" photos. I've given up even considering buying one of these jackets
 
#18 · (Edited)
Browse the for sale threads here you will be surprised by the deals you might find on genuine used gear another option is not to rush into buying and simply wait till you have your savings buid up then pull the trigger RS Taichi or Dianese both brands are simply brilliant in function quality & looks as well
 
#19 ·
Well of course the bootleg mesh jackets suck, the expensive "branded" mesh jackets also suck.

What I am curious is to see if anyone has one of the leather coats. I have heard mixed reviews on these. You can always order one and return it if the stitching quality is bad. How would one go about testing the seams on these jackets to see if they do indeed hold up, a crash?
 
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