SixSixOne Recon Advance armour jacket review

SixSixOne’s latest body armour, the Recon Advance armour jacket, has a similar feel and fit to its EVO Compression jacket (which we’re big fans of), but is lighter and more breathable.

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The padding covers just about every major part of your upper body, and you can customise it by removing the Astrotech (a two-layer, smart-type foam) shoulder and elbow pads and Koroyd (as used on Smith/Endura helmets) back protector.

You even get a coccyx pad, although I found it uncomfortable, so removed it. There’s a sleeve and hose routing for a hydration bladder, plus stash pockets (non-zipped) for essentials too.

Compared to the older jacket, the back protector is a touch narrower and stands out from your body more. Made from two layers of Koroyd, it’s relatively light and more breathable than others I’ve tried, but stiffer than the D3O equivalent and doesn’t conform to your back as well. That said, it goes largely unnoticed when riding.

My only other quibble is with the tight elastic straps across the forearms, which caused me arm pump. After cutting them off, the tight-fitting sleeves meant the elbow pads stayed put regardless.

Considering the coverage, the jacket doesn’t get too sweaty.

The slim, well-articulated padding and construction make it easy to forget you’re wearing it. Most importantly, the pads stay where they need to be – having had numerous spills in the EVO version, I can vouch it does a good job of protecting against knocks and abrasions.

If you can handle the price, the Recon is a solid bet.