Held Carese Evo jacket in brown

The Carese Evo is the top half of a Held motorcycle suit that is considered best in class as an off-road suit, the matching lower half being the Torino Evo. The combination makes for a proper off-road suit; proper in that it has a totally removable membrane. And in our view that’s what you need if you are riding off-road or in the hottest of conditions.
 
The outer fabric is a 500 denier Cordura. As a real adventure jacket, it has a huge number of vents. The breast pockets unfold to reveal mesh panels, behind which you get uncrushable, 3D vents that help to distribute air around the jacket. You also get zipped vents that run all the way up the sleeves and up the flanks. There’s a large exhaust vent across the back. On the front of the jacket you get ribbon vents that run all the way up the jacket. There are also mesh panels on either side of the main zip, and in hot weather the storm flaps can be opened and secured on magnets to allow more air to flow into the jacket. The neck collar can also be fastened back with a popper, again to increase air flow.
 
Now one of the hallmarks of a real adventure jacket, as we’ve suggested, is a removable waterproof liner, but the liner in this jacket is special for two reasons. First, it’s a Gore-Tex removable liner, but more importantly it has been designed so that you can wear it inside, or outside, the main jacket; the latter obviously being the better option in many circumstances.
 
Fit, as with all Held motorcycle jackets, is going to be good for a lot of people. And that’s partly because the outer jacket is very easy to wear. It’s very pliable. But also because, in this colourway only, the jacket is available in a huge array of sizes, including ‘tummy’ and ‘extra slim’ versions. The inside of the sleeves are made with a Gore stretch material; again an aid to comfort. The jacket also has loads of adjusters, with Velcro straps on the arms, side adjusters at the waist, and an elasticated drawstring in the hem of the jacket. There’s some adjustment at the neck whilst, at the sleeve ends, you get a zip and a Velcro strap.
 
Protection-wise, there’s D3O armour in the elbows and shoulders. There’s a pocket in the back that will take a D3O Viper protector. On the shoulders and elbows you get panels of SuperFabric. There’s also an option to fit additional chest and hip protectors into pockets in the jacket.
 
As far as pockets themselves are concerned, the two upper, chest vents can be used as pockets. There are two, lower flap pockets. There are more pockets than you’ll ever need inside the jacket.
 
The Carese Evo 3.0 is full of pleasing detail; perhaps too much detail for some, but before we close, let’s list some of the jacket’s other features. An integrated hood. A drink bag. Scotchlite reflectors. A connecting zip. Some parts of the jacket are also lined with 37.5, a kind of Outlast alternative.
 
Let us be clear. This is an adventure jacket. It is not going to be up to winter commuting, although if you wore a second waterproof over the jacket, you would have a jacket that is very waterproof indeed. It also doesn’t come with a thermal liner, so unless supplemented with some kind of mid-layer, it’s not going to be particularly warm. No jacket does everything. The Carese Evo is aimed at riding in hot conditions. Yes, with additional components you could make it work in colder/wetter weather; and if you were to do this it is true that you could create an outfit that was wearable all year round. But if you wanted to go down this route, go for the all-black version!
 
Either way, this is a truly brilliant suit; perhaps the best adventure jacket we have ever come across. We’ve not been offering Held for long, but we are rapidly coming to the view that they are one of the motorcycle apparel world’s best-kept secrets!

This product benefits from Held's five year warranty extension as long as the purchase is registered with Held.