RST Pro Series Commander review | Laminated waterproof textiles tested

Date reviewed: July 2024| Tested by: BikeSocial member Jon Mansfield | Price: £329.99 & £259.99 | www.rst-moto.com

Having never used laminated kit before – partly due to the cost in the past – I was keen to review this RST Pro Series Commander jacket and trousers, though also slightly concerned that it’d be too hot, given that my job as a riding instructor requires a lot of standing around and slow riding.

After more than 10,000 miles and 18 months, I’m in the ideal position to tell you the good – and bad – of this textile riding kit…

Pros & Cons

Construction & Fit

The RST Pro Series Commander jacket and trousers is one of the brand’s top-of-the-range textile suits, coming in at a total of £589.98 for the set (though at the time of writing it’s available for just £387.04 in the silver/blue colour scheme, so keep a lookout for deals).

Fit is of course very subjective, but I find RST gear to be much more accommodating to the average British shape than some Italian gear, for instance.

I do tend to have problems with trousers being too long, but the Commander pants are available in short and regular lengths across the S to 6XL sizes, and long in the S to 4XL. Short was perfect for me, so having this option is a great bonus.

Both the jacket and trousers have a real feeling of quality, with accordion panels that reduce any restrictions on movement, and after two winters and 10,000 miles they’re still great, besides a hole forming in the lining of one of the trouser pockets where my keys have worn through.

My only other criticism of the construction really is that the tabs that are designed to hold the collar open don’t seem to work very well in my experience, losing grip and letting the corners flap about. The front of the Commander’s collar is a bit stiff, but I’ve got used to it, and maybe it won’t bother you, but I don’t like having anything tight around my throat, so tend to ride with the top of my jacket open and a neck tube on.

Protection & Certification

The RST Pro Series Commander jacket and trousers are both certified to EN17092 Level AA, which is good to see in textile gear, offering provably better abrasion resistance, tear and seam strength than kit only rated as A.

Level 2 (the most protective) armour is fitted at the elbows, shoulders and back in the jacket, along with the knees and hips in the trousers. I don’t usually like the feel of a back protector, but this one is surprisingly comfortable and unobtrusive, despite being so protective.

All of the armour sits in the right place, and stays there. Considering I spend from 8am until 4pm in my kit, at least five days a week, the fact that the armour doesn’t bother me at all while on and off the bike is testament to the impressive design and build.

All motorcycle clothing sold in the UK and Europe is deemed to be Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This is a good thing for riders as it can help them choose kit that has provable levels of safety because, to meet this legislation, it must be tested to a recognised standard. To fully understand the labels found in all bike kit, click here.

Pockets

This RST jacket’s pockets are perfectly placed for me to be able to tuck my hands in and keep them warm, thanks to being lined with a lovely, soft material. On top of these is another pair of pockets – zipped horizontally – that have plenty of room to stash what I need in.

The ‘Nelson’ pocket on the left breast, behind the zip is handy for phone or wallet, and all the pockets have proven to be waterproof.

There are also pockets inside the jacket, and on the removable lining, as well as a map pocket on the rear, but I don’t tend to use these.

The trousers have pockets at the front top that are useful, though it’s one of these that holed due to having my keys stuffed in there all the time. It’d be great if RST could use a tougher material in the pocket linings, as I know that BikeSocial’s Consumer Editor also had a hole form in the lining of his RST leather jacket.

Fastening

The main zip of the jacket is waterproof, securing a storm flap over a chunkier zip beneath it. The trousers have a zipped fly with a gusset behind, along with a single popper fastener and an integrated Velcro belt fastener.

Braces are also supplied, which hold securely with Velcro, but can of course be taken off if you don’t like them.

Adjustment

On the trousers, the Velcro-secured belt gives a good range of adjustment at both sides of the waist. The jacket has straps that allow it to be cinched tighter at the waist, forearm and biceps.

When cinching the jacket’s cuffs around my wrists, I find that there’s not quite enough Velcro to get a fully secure fit, so they can pop undone at times. Personally, I prefer zips, but for those who wear their gloves under the cuff – which is what you should do for the best waterproofing, but is a pain when taking them off and putting them on a lot – you might get on better, though do check with your own gloves.

The knee armour is adjustable for height between two positions.

Ventilation

The Commander doesn’t have many vents, and they aren’t that big, but once opened the air does go straight to your body, with no membrane to block it.

During the summer of 2023 (which was a lot warmer than 2024 so far), I found that the vents weren’t as noticeable as I’d hope, but keep in mind I was riding a Honda Deauville with a large screen. Vents in the arms would help here, and if you’re doing a lot of slow, urban riding in hot weather, this jacket can get a bit too hot.

However, for those enjoying open roads – so keeping their speed up more – it’ll be less of an issue.

Arguably, an adventure jacket – with a removable waterproof liner and more ventilation – could provide more versatility throughout the year, but that’s at the expense of reliable waterproofing that you don’t have to stop and fit as soon as the weather turns.

Warmth

The RST Pro Series Commander is excellent in Autumn, Winter and Spring, which is quite an achievement, and in the deep – almost Siberian – winter of 2022/2023 it was great with liner in and just tee shirt and fleece. Granted, I’d sometimes wear a heated jacket, but the warmth of the Commander is great.

It’s hard to imagine any riding gear that is truly perfect for all-year-round, so some compromise is always going to be necessary. Here, it’s the fact that you might also want a more vented or mesh jacket for the hot weather.

Waterproofing

What’s really proven to be spectacular for me, standing around and riding in all weathers, all day, is the RST Commander’s waterproofing. I’ve had absolutely no leaks at all, and have always stayed completely dry.

Of course, no matter how awful the weather is one day, I’ll still have to be out the next, so it’s a relief that even after torrential downpours, the Pro Series Commander jacket and trousers will dry out completely overnight.

The beauty of laminated waterproof textiles like these is that the outer layer has the membrane bonded directly to the back of it, so there’s very little to get soaked through. Even when the Durable Water Repellent coating wets out and lets the rain through to the fabric, it soon dries.

Quite simply, having this laminated waterproof kit has transformed my working days and I now wouldn’t want to be without it.

Three alternatives to the RST Pro Series Commander textiles

Waterproof textiles is a hard-fought market, so there’s loads of choice. Here are just three options, with RRPs for the jackets and trousers together…

• Oxford Stormland £699.98 | Oxford Products really does seem to have nailed the quality of its laminated waterproof material, and has maintained outstanding seam taping. The Level AA Stormland offers features and performance found in kit costing three times as much. Check out the full review of the Oxford Stormland here.

• Rukka Kingsley £2,629.98 | My experience of Rukka kit has been that it has some excellent design touches like the excellent cuffs. The Gore-Tex Pro membrane literally guarantees you’ll stay dry, and the Level 2 armour is very big, but it comes at a hefty price. Check out the full review of the Rukka Kingsley here.

• Made to measure from £2,275 | If you want the absolute best textile riding kit money can buy – with the ultimate in safety – choose made-to-measure textile kit from BKS Made to Measure (NOT the off-the-peg BKS in J&S) or Hideout. It’s undeniably a sizeable initial investment, but it can last a lifetime thanks to being extremely well-made and fully repairable. That’s why it’s the choice of many police forces. Check out our BKS Made to Measure textiles review here and Hideout textiles review here.

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

RST Pro Series Commander - Verdict

Almost £600 at RRP (though it can be found for less) is a lot of money, but the RST Pro Series Commander jacket and trousers are still a lot less expensive than many alternatives, and after two winters and more than 10,000 miles, they’re proving to be very good value.

Besides the hole appearing in one of the trouser pockets due to my keys rubbing in daily use, I’ve had absolutely nothing to complain about. In the height of summer I switch to a better ventilated jacket, but for the average rider on open roads, this could work all year-round, and the perfect waterproofing has proven essential over the last few months especially.

Overall, the RST Pro Series Commander is excellent value for money and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Do you own this kit? Tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about it at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.