Gear Review: Macna Equator Ladies Jacket

An all-weather jacket is an essential piece of safety gear if you live on the east coast of Australia, as you can experience varying temperatures throughout the day and night, from Autumn to Spring. So, the women’s Macna Equator Night Eye Jacket is a great addition to my wardrobe – it’s suitable for at least nine or 10 months of the year.

I’ve had the opportunity to wear this jacket for the last couple of months, through winter and into spring and I’m impressed by how adaptive it can be to the weather. This is owing to, what I think is the standout feature of the Equator jacket, the two detachable liners.

Macna Ladies Equator Jacket & Macna Moon Ladies Gloves

The jacket features a three-layer system, with one lining a Raintex membrane for wet weather, and a thermo lining for cold weather. Remove both and you have a jacket fit for warm weather – so you can see the appeal!

In wet weather the liner keeps you relatively dry and warm; I found it to be most effective in light-medium rain. In cold weather the thermo layer was a bonus to combat the wind chill and those sudden drops in temperature. That said, I prefer to layer up in clothing in the cold months so I liked having the ability to pop these layers in and out of the jacket as needed and not have to worry that I may over heat.

Macna Equator Ladies Nighteye Jacket – Tailored fit

For those warmer days the jacket features two air vents on the torso, two on the arms, and one on the back. They are easy to reach and to zip up and down when on the bike. I also found they were suitably placed allowing air to move freely around the body when moving.

Given my preference for layers I’m wearing a ladies large to accommodate the extra clothing, but it also means in summer I have a little more breathing room and air flow. The length and fit of the jacket are perfect for me and I found it comfortable wearing the jacket on and off the bike.

There was a little extra length in the arms than I’m not used to but I actually appreciate this simply because I prefer to wear wrist length gloves, as opposed to gauntlet style gloves, meaning the area above the wrist can be exposed in other jackets. When wearing the Equator jacket I’m ensured full coverage (and no strange tan lines in the summer). This will also no doubt benefit riders on bikes that have them more stretched out to the handlebars.

Macna Equator Ladies Nighteye Jacket

I also found the torso length gave the right amount of coverage, particularly when leaning over as a pillion, without leaving the lower back exposed. The jacket is available in six sizes, ranging from XS to 2XL which is a good range that should cater to a large variety of female riders.

The styling of the jacket is also sporty but more suited for touring (meaning it’s less sexy and more practical) and it comes in a grey/black combo which I quite like because it’s more neutral or subtle, and will blend well with other gear and is easy on the eye. A key fabric in the construction of the jacket is Night Eye, which adds to the safety credentials of this jacket. In daylight Night Eye appears as a simply grey, but at night it becomes luminous when lit up by headlights and other light sources. While you don’t get to see the full effect while wearing the jacket, it is a safety feature I’m happy to have.

Macna Equator Ladies Nighteye Jacket – Styling and cut is sporty with a touring theme

In addition to this, the Macna jacket features Safe Tech CE protection at the shoulder and elbow, and is CE back protector prepared, meaning you can add a quality back protector. The standard armour was comfortabl, including when moving around in and didn’t feel awkward or imposing as some can.

Lastly, my other favourite feature of the Equator jacket is the pockets; there are two at the bottom and a right-chest pocket. In my experience, jacket pockets are easy to get wrong – they’re too small, they don’t close properly or are poorly placed, or they create a bulky look to your frame. But, Macna got it right with this one.

Macna Equator Ladies Jacket – Generous vents and pockets are featured

The bottom two features a Velcro closure and are big enough to fit a small wallet, you keys and some other knick knacks you might need for a quick trip. The top pocket has a zip closure, is easy to reach and fits a smartphone. If I was greedy I’d ask for a couple of more pockets, especially on the inside, because they are so damn useful.

Overall I loved this jacket – it suited me perfectly, adapted to the weather and my needs. The jacket retails for $529.95 and is available from XS-2XL. See your local Macna stockist for more information, or the Macna Australia website – macnaridinggear.com.au.

Macna Ladies Equator Jacket

Macna Ladies Equator Jacket