Rukka Kingsley jacket in black

The Rukka Kingsley jacket is new for the 2021 season. And technically it now sits at the very top of the Rukka range. Indeed, it is more expensive than the superlative Rukka Nivala that has proven so popular in recent years. For some people, we suspect, the Nivala will still be the better suit. And that is because the Nivala will be the more comfortable option.
 
The Rukka Kingsley has been created as a suit largely to meet the needs of the British police. They told Rukka that they required a riding suit to be accredited to at least the new CE AA standard. Now the Nivala technically doesn’t do this because, when it was first created, it achieved its CE accreditation through a different route; a route that technically precluded it from being considered for government tenders. What we would stress, however, is that if the Nivala had been tested to the new standard it would have easily met the AA standard. Of that we have no doubt. But given that the Nivala is coming to the end of its natural life cycle, Rukka decided not to re-submit it for accreditation. Anyway, that’s the back story. 
 
Like the matching pant, the Kingsley jacket is made from a Gore-Tex laminated 3-layer Pro Shell; the most robust and waterproof construction for motorcycle gear, although traditionally perhaps not the most comfortable. The Rukka Nivala uses the same laminate construction, but uniquely with the Nivala the outer fabric is infused with a stretch material for added comfort. It is to this same end that the Rukka Kingsley jacket features stretch panels on the chest, in the shoulders and on the elbows. Likewise, there are adjusters on the arms, at the hem and at the sleeve ends. But despite al of this, the Kingsley will, for most people, still not match up to the Nivala when it comes to wearability.
 
On the shoulders and elbows you will find a panel of Keprotec laid over an area of Armacor. Now this would certainly suggest that, in these areas, the suit will outperform the Nivala in an accident scenario, because Keprotec is very strong, and both supremely tear and abrasion resistant. The armour in the Kingsley is D3O Air XTR. It meets the higher Level 2 standard, and comes as standard also in the back. You also get, as you do with the Nivala, a Level 1 chest protector. Venting is a strong suit for the Rukka Kingsley. It is better vented than any road suit ever produced by the Finnish brand, with vents on the sleeves, up the flanks, on the chest and across the back. The jacket is also positively festooned with hi-viz, reflective stripes and panels for better night-time visibility.

Rukka always make a big thing these days about their storm collar that, on its latest jackets, zips into to a compartment at the back of the neck. Rukka proudly make the claim that this stops anyone from stealing the collar from your jacket. We can only assume that this kind of theft has reached epidemic proportions in Finland. Here in the UK we haven’t yet witnessed such unconscionable acts.
 
Thermal protection comes courtesy of the superb Down-X duvet-style liner to be found in the Nivala. The jacket also has a fixed Outlast liner. A combination of the two should mean that the Kingsley will be warmer than the Nivala. But, because of the Outlast, potentially cooler  in the summer too. The neck is lined with neoprene, both for comfort and to stop rain running into the jacket. Pockets are, as ever with Rukka, in plentiful supply. You get three on the outside and one on the inside. Of course, the jacket will zip into the matching Kingsley pant, or indeed into any Rukka pant. But if that is too much hassle, there is also an elasticated crotch strap that will keep the jacket in place. The sleeves come with GTX cuffs. These cuffs create a double seal around the sleeve ends so that rain can never go up the sleeves and get into your gloves. Finally, as with all of Rukka’s outfits, you get a six year warranty, provided that you register the purchase with the importer.
 
All the other details for the jacket are pretty much as you would expect. So where do we stand on the Rukka Kingsley? Well, from a comfort and wearability perspective we would almost certainly go for the Nivala. But others may have a good reason for preferring the Kingsley. Some people will be persuaded that the Kingsley is safer to ride in than the Nivala. But to us this is a little like saying that a 200 horsepower motorbike is faster than one with 185 horsepower.  This might conceivably be the case but, in the real world, this is a distinction without a difference, as both are going to be way too fast for any road-going motorcyclist to ever be able to discern between them. The fact is that both the Nivala and the Kingsley are going to be supremely protective.

Read our Rukka Kingsley suit review.