Held Lonborg review | Laminated waterproof textiles tested

Date reviewed: March 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £389.95 & £284.95 | held.de

The Held Lonborg jacket and trousers on review here are nearer the more affordable end of the price range when it comes to laminated textiles. I’ve been using them for about four months on a BMW R1250GS, Zontes ZT350-T and Honda VFR800 to find out how well they perform in everything from warm, sunny days to torrential rain on motorway slogs…

Pros & Cons

Construction and fit

The Held Lonborg jacket and trousers are surprisingly soft and flexible, especially for a laminated construction, which sees the waterproof membrane bonded to the inside of the outer layer. Not that long ago, only the most expensive textile motorcycle kit was laminated, the main benefit being that the outer material tends to dry more quickly, and it’s possible to have ventilation that goes straight to the body, rather than being blocked by a drop-liner membrane.

The main issue with making laminate constructions affordable has typically been the difficulty – and hence expense – of taping all the seams, but more brands are finding ways to do this at much lower costs now.

Looking inside the Held Lonborg, the seams appear to be well sealed, with only the odd length of tape being a little off-centre. What matters though is that, unlike with some other kit we’ve tested, the taping does properly cover all the seams, and appears to be very well applied.

Details like the neoprene collar and reflective panels add value, but it’s the easy-to-wear construction that really stands out when you first put the Lonborg on. I initially thought the arms were perhaps a little short, but they’ve proven fine for my fairly average 5’10” frame.

Held says that the trouser size ‘runs large’, suggesting that buyers should opt for a size down. I’m borderline 34/36” waist at the moment, but it was the size large trousers and jacket that fit me perfectly.

Annoyingly, the material inside the bottom of the trouser legs can get caught in the zips, but running your finger behind the zip as you use it can help stop this happening.

Unfortunately I have had a couple of small issues with the build of the Held Lonborg, the first being the stitching holding the zip on one of the trouser legs being slightly misaligned, resulting in it pulling away in one section. This was replaced under warranty, and Held does have a helpful UK importer – any problems found during the first 30 days of use would see an item replaced. After that, while in warranty, products will typically be repaired, either by a trusted contractor in the UK, or back at Held’s base in Germany.

The other problem that’s appeared is the stitching on the storm flap of the jacket’s chest coming out. This keeps the flap folded correctly to act as a channel for water in heavy rain, and the stich failure hasn’t stopped it from holding its position. I’m sure Held will be checking these points during production.

Protection & Certification

It’s great to have companies like Held producing comfortable, relatively affordable laminated textiles that achieve AA in the EN17092 safety certification standard for abrasion resistance, seam and tear strength. Since the PPE regulation came into force in 2018 we’ve seen brands increasingly get to grips with material technology, helping make even more provably safe riding kit.

Of course that’s only part of the picture, but the Held Lonborg trousers come with comfortable and soft Smooth Ways Level 2 (the higher protection level) Type B (the larger template) armour in the knees, and Level 2 Type A at the hips. This is also all tested as T-, meaning it retains its performance down to -10°C.

The armour’s well positioned and it’s great to find that the knee armour can be set in any one of three heights. I have it at the highest position and am pleased to see that it’s a cupped design of protector, which helps keep it in the right place.

At the jacket’s shoulders and elbows you’ll find more of the cupped Smooth Ways Level 2, Type B, T- armour, with the elbow protectors also being adjustable in three positions – a very unusual feature.

There’s no back protector supplied, and the retail price is a hefty £57.95 for the Level 2 offering from held (street price around £40), but it is a standard sized pocket, accepting a D3O Viper for instance, and others if you have one spare.

The Lonborg also has the option to take Held’s Exosafe chest armour (£53.95), which is a pair of Level 1 D3O chest protectors in fabric sleeves that attach securely via hook-and-loop to the inside of the jacket (under the lining, so they don’t get in the way) – I have them in the Held and find them very comfortable and unobtrusive, with the aerated design meaning the chest venting isn’t overly restricted.

From April 21 2018, all new motorcycle clothing is deemed to be Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). To meet this legislation, it must be tested to a recognised standard. For more information on the new laws, click here.

Pockets

The Held Lonborg jacket has two main pockets at the waist that have a great Velcro and magnet closure, but the openings are a little small. They’re fine for wallet, keys etc, but larger phones (like my Google Pixel 7 Pro) will only just go in upright, so it tends to jam against my leg while riding. Fortunately the trousers have a pair of good-sized cargo pockets that are ideal.

You’ll also find two zipped hip pockets, and the jacket has a map pocket on the rear, along with a Nelson pocket inside the left of the chest and a (fiddly to open) Velcro pocket on the left in the lining that’s just big enough for my phone, though this is covered up if you have the thermal liner installed.

The Lonborg isn’t bristling with pockets, but they are well considered and give me all the storage space I need.

Fastening

The Longborg has chunky YKK main jacket zip with a ¾ zip around the waist to connect the trousers.

The neck closes with a hook and loop patch, and can also be clipped open for greater airflow.

Adjustment

Straps at the biceps, jacket waist, trouser hips and calves give the ability to cinch the garments up tighter, for instance after removing the thermal liners. There are also zips at either side of the bottom of the jacket for expansion.

It’s only the sleeves that I feel could do with a little tweak. It’s great that they have no unnecessary bulk and that they cinch up securely with two strips of Velcro, but there’s not much room for bulkier winter gloves to be worn under them. My Five winter gloves went under okay but that’s about the limit so if you prefer to wear your gloves under the cuffs (you should, as it’s the more reliable way to keep dry hands), do check the sizing.

Ventilation

The ventilation on the Held Lonborg jacket is excellent, partly down to the laminated design allowing for direct-to-body airflow, but also the large chest panels, which open up to reveal about 65 x 170mm of a vent area on each side.

The two 24cm rear vents allow air to be expelled, and then there’s the 11cm vents on either bicep, which scoop air in effectively.

On the legs are a pair of 17cm front vents and 15cm rears, and if you want even more, the front flaps of the chest can be held open with poppers cleverly hidden inside the chest vents.

This really is great venting, especially on such a relatively low-priced jacket, but it does come at the cost of waterproofing in one location…

Warmth

The thermal liners supplied with the Held Lonborg are a welcome addition, and missing from many competitors, making them good for at least half an hour of commuting in 5-6°C with just a tee shirt underneath. Anything more than this and you should start looking at more layering, better thermals (like the Zerofit Heatrub) or heated motorcycle riding kit.

The liners clip and zip in, but it’s a shame the poppers in the sleeves aren’t colour coded like some, to more easily avoid getting the sleeves and legs twisted.

Liner

The main liner of the Held Lonborg is a comfortable light mesh, with a 3D mesh on the back to allow air to more easily move around, and to get out of the back.

Waterproofing

I had high hopes for the Held Lonborg’s waterproofing as the seam taping looks good, and a lot of thought appears to have gone into the design of the vents. The chest vents have storm channels under the covers and the bicep and leg vents are water-resistant. The biceps also have storm channels in front of the zips, and the openings on the legs are positioned to back onto the direction of the rain, rather than be in line with it.

All clever stuff, but in an hour of very heavy rain at 70mph, the way the bicep vents open up and scoop air in meant they still let some water past.

The chest vents stayed dry, as did the trousers, but unfortunately – despite checking it was all properly fastened down – I still got some wet onto the front of my upper chest and belly. My feeling is that this got in at the neck and soaked down, and blew up at the belly, because the middle of my chest stayed dry.

Losing weight would likely stop the rain getting up onto my gut – which pushes shorter jackets outwards – and there are poppers on the collar of the jacket for an optional £39.95 SnapTech Collar, which should likely help.

Ultimately, the Held Lonborg might not really be suitable for an all-weather long-distance commuter, but for shorter journeys it’s fine.

Once soaked, the Lonborg doesn’t dry out as quickly as I’d like, but after a full day at work it’s not sodden by the time you ride home.

Cleaning

Once the armour has been removed, Held states that the Lonborg textiles can be cleaned in the washing machine using mild detergent with no fabric softener.

Intensive rinsing and spin drying should be avoided, and the drum should be no more than half full, so you might need to wash the jacket and trousers separately if you have a smaller machine.

Three alternatives to the Held Lonborg

The Held Lonborg costs a total price of £674.90, so here are some others to consider, with prices again shown for the jacket and trousers combined:

• RST Pro Series Commander, £549.98 (total RRP) | Tested by a motorcycle instructor through all weathers, all day and every day, the excellent waterproof performance, pocket space and choice of leg lengths mean this comes highly recommended. The main thing to consider that our testr pointed out is that it can be too warm in the summer for slow-speed urban riding. Read the full review of the RST Pro Series Commander here.

• Oxford Stormland, £699.98 (total RRP) | Oxford Products really does seem to have nailed the quality of its laminated waterproof material, and has maintained outstanding seam taping. The new Stormland offers features and performance found in kit costing three times as much, so rightly earns its recommended tag. Read the full review of the Oxford Stormland here.

• Weise Ozark, £559.98 (total RRP) | Our tester was very impressed with the waterproof performance and comfort of the Ozark, though did point out that the ventilation could be better. The main thing to be aware of is that it’s not available in short or long leg lengths, so as always, do try it on before buying. Read the full review of the Weise Ozark here.

These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the textiles we’ve tested here  and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.

Held Lonborg review: Verdict

There’s a lot to like about the Held Lonborg motorcycle textiles – very effective venting for hot weather, comfortable construction and good Level 2 armour – but they are let down by the waterproofing, which while not bad, it struggles at the arm vents. The leak I experienced at the belly is likely due to it being a relatively short jacket on my relatively big gut, which can push the hem outwards when sat on the bike. This might not be such an issue on some other machines (I tested it on the upright Zontes), and the neck could be cured by Held’s optional Snaptech collar.

Most of the kit that we’ve tested that gives the best waterproofing doesn’t tend to be the best in hot weather, but this is where the Lonborg excels. There is a compromise to be made here, but if you’re not going to be riding in a lot of heavy rain, and are looking for something more focussed on warmer weather, I’d certainly recommend the Held.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page or at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.