Bike Perfect Verdict
Leatt MTB 4.0 pants are durable and well-designed race pants for winter riding, while the 2.0 jacket offers some innovative features those who ride in the wet will be better-served upgrading to Leatt's 4.0 jacket
Pros
- +
Decent fit
- +
Well-considered and innovative features
- +
Durable construction
- +
Men's and women's verisons
Cons
- -
Sizing is a touch on the large size
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We’ve already reviewed Leatt’s weather beating DBX 5.0 (now renamed MTB 5.0) jersey and DBX 4.0 shorts so when the weather turned worse we jumped at the chance to try Leatt’s most affordable ‘waterproof’ jacket and their MTB pants.
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The wide range of sizes is on the generous side so our mediums looked wrinkly off the bike. The multi-panel cut means on-bike fit was still good although stretch in the fabric meant we could have gone a size smaller for a snug fit. The pre-curved knees have plenty of room for full-on hard shell pads without constricting pedaling but they don’t feel flappy with slim or no pads. There’s a flap protected fly with a ratchet strap to take up slack in the waist while you’re riding. The upper seat and yoke are separate wrap panels with a zipped back pocket that’ll take a phone. There are two zipped hand pockets as well with a key loop in one for extra security. Heavy-duty fabric up the inner legs and seat panel is designed to increase wear resistance and the seamless design is particularly welcome if you don’t wear padded shorts. Small laser perforations below it and on the inner thigh reduce ‘personal perspiration’ but they’re relatively warm for a race pant. That’s obviously not an issue in colder conditions though and they get strategic rubberized details and a DWR splash/shower proofing coating that shrugs off a fair amount of water. They’re still pretty light when wet and dry fast quick.
The tapered lower leg keeps them out of your chain and they’re a decent length so there’s no awkward ankle gap but they can be tight on chunkier legs. The white lowers on our Onyx sample aren’t the most practical option and definitely gives them a motocross vibe. You can get more filth forgiving and less moto looking sand or black colors though.
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Leatt does a range of three waterproof jackets with the 2.0 as the most affordable entry point. It gets some neat practical features too but the fabric holds back its performance.
Based around a relatively casual, boxy cut the MTB 2.0 looks good on and off the bike and the logos and offset reflective detailing give it a quality look. There’s some genuine innovation in the design too. Including a patent-pending idea using a magnet in the hood that connects to a separate magnet that you can stick onto your helmet so it doesn’t blow off at speed. The helmet also gets a drawstring around the face and on the back to control volume and stretch fit cuffs and hem to keep things snug and draught-free. There’s a popper secured strap across the sternum so you can unzip it without completely ballooning the jacket. The chest pocket is big enough for a phone and essentials or you can stuff the whole jacket into it for easy packing. The fabric is stain-resistant and it comes in full black (tested) or with a sand or cactus green lower body in a wide range of sizes. There’s a women’s version, too.
While a mesh liner keeps movement easy and helps spread sweat over a wide area for easy evaporation, the outer fabric has a really low 5000 WVT breathability rating. The low waterproofing rating means it can’t keep the rain out for long. As a result, it doesn’t take long to get wet from bad weather or from sweat even if you’re just cruising along. The Jacket 4.0 (£140) has a slightly higher spec fabric (10,000 WVT/10,000 waterproof) with big chest pocket zips that act as vents. It also adds a goggle wipe and reinforced elbows and shoulders and those features are carried over to the £200 5.0 jacket which gets a proper performance HydraDri fabric for a much drier life in wet weather and/or when you’re working hard.
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Verdict
Leatt’s MTB 4.0's are a super comfortable, practically detailed race pant that works well on the trail even in grim weathers. Slightly generous sizing makes checking before you buy worthwhile though and the moto look won’t suit everyone. The jacket has some neat practical features in a good looking on or off-bike format, but low fabric performance lets it down.
