Held Sonic II mesh jacket in green

The Held Sonic 2 jacket feels as though it has been put together with the same levels of care and attention as one would expect Held to put together its more technical garments. It very much feels like a proper motorcycle jacket. The shell of the jacket is constructed from a soft-to-the-touch, yet sturdy, polyamide material. The armour in the shoulders is level 1. It's not D3O, although it is nice and soft. There is also a pocket for a back protector.

This is a mesh jacket and you get large panels of mesh on the chest, all the way up the sleeves, across the shoulders and in the back. You can also run with a zip-up mesh placket that sits behind the main zip. The result is that the Sonic 2 is going to flow a lot of air; perhaps not as much as the Marrakesh, but it will certainly be more than a match for any traditional mesh jacket.

The details sets the Sonic 2 apart from its would-be competitors. There is brushed fabric in the collar for comfort, concertina banding for added movement at the elbows and in the shoulder; sturdy YKK zips, uncrushable 3D vented piping on the body side of the back protector pocket; zips at the sleeve ends and Velcro adjusters at the hips. There are also clever adjuster straps on the biceps, reflective detailing and a full length connector zip.