Review: Dainese's AWA Apparel Delivers High Performance With a Price to Match

Dainese released their new AWA range of apparel last year, which stands for "All Weather Activity." The apparel is intended to not only be ideal for trail rides in all conditions, but also for any other outdoor sports you might do.

The complete AWA range features most clothing items you might need for a whole year, but for this review we focused on the Hybrid jacket, the Zip Jersey 3, and the Wind Jacket. These three items are designed to be lightweight, packable, and work together in a 3-in-1 layering system. Everything is made in the EU, in either Italy or Portugal, and partly because of that does not come cheap. The Hybrid Jacket costs €179, while the Zip Jersey 3 and the Wind Jacket cost €99 each.


Dainese AWA Hybrid Jacket

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Dainese AWA Zip Jersey 3

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Dainese AWA Wind Jacket

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Performance

Donning the AWA kit for the first time is a pleasure, every item fit well and they were all supremely comfortable and flexible. I used all size medium products and the fit was on the slim side, but even with all three layers worn at the same time my movement was not restricted. The products all have a high-quality feel and it's clear these are not 'print your name here' off-the-shelf products. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but I had endless positive comments about the styling, and much prefer products that blend into normal life over ones that scream "look at me, I'm a mountain biker." That said, I would happily change the yellow of the jacket to grey or black.

Everything dries incredibly quickly and never seems to hold sweat or water, even directly out of the washing machine the items were borderline dry when cotton t-shirts came out wet. I have been wearing this kit since last winter – around 40 days worth of riding in all conditions and everything is in one piece, with no rips, pulls, or fading.

I rode with this setup in temperatures ranging from 3-4º C (37-39 F) up to around 30º C (86 F). Of course at the higher end of this scale, I was only wearing the Zip Jersey 3 and it was relatively cool and airy, although long-sleeves weren't ideal. I wouldn't want to wear this setup below the cooler end of this scale, when full winter gear is clearly needed. The three-piece setup works ideally from 8-24º C (46-25 F) in spring and autumn conditions; a ride where you might start on a frosty morning which quickly warms up when the sun hits, or a wet afternoon ride that may drop cool towards dusk. The layering system and packability of the jackets mean its easy to add or remove a layer and store it somewhere, the Wind Jacket is small enough to fit in most pockets.

The Hybrid Jacket was the most important product for me of the three, as it offers something that is hard to find from other brands. The insulated front panels really help to block chilly winds, especially if you end up on a fast road connection, but the lack of padding on the shoulders and back keep you at a well-regulated temperature even when wearing a pack. If you start to get too hot, opening the front zip pulls the insulation away from your body to cool down. The windproof jacket was helpful for fending off chills, puddle splashes and light showers, and if you need more heavyweight protection from the elements there is a fully waterproof 3Layer jacket in the same range.

Any negatives? The pockets on the back of the zip-jersey were next to useless for anything heavy, the button closure mean that you could lose small items, and the fabric is too flexible and stretchy to even keep a smartphone in place without bouncing around, but I did use this pocket to store the Wind Jacket ready for an emergency and it will take some light cereal bars comfortably. Pockets would also be handy in the Hybrid jacket, and something more useful in the Wind Jacket, too. The price is also a contentious issue, at nearly €380 for these three items it's some of the more expensive clothing on the MTB market.


Pinkbike's Take: