Tested by: Mikko Nieminen¦£369.99¦www.tranam.co.uk¦01425 620580
I love retro leather jackets, and the Carter from Bering is a particular favourite of mine. The design is simple but effective; no stripes or big logos, just a classy 70s-style cut, high-quality materials, and features that make a difference.
The Carter may be a retro style, but there’s nothing retro about the level of protection that this jacket provides: it’s CE-approved throughout, not just the armour, so under its cool, casual look, the Bering hides a lot of protection.
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The jacket is made of 1.5mm-thick leather that’s surprisingly soft, making it comfortable to wear. The shoulders, elbows and back are all protected with CE-approved armour. To help with the perfect fit the elbow protectors are height adjustable. The back protector feels nice and thick and fits in its pocket well without moving around too much, although I have upgraded this to a Forcefield Level 2 protector.
On the inside, the jacket has a fixed mesh lining. There’s also a long back zip and loops for attaching the jacket to a pair of trousers.
Vintage jackets tend to be ones that you only wear on nice warm days, but the Carter features a removable thermos-alu lining, and there are even pockets for optional heating elements for added warmth if you really want to push the limits of riding in the cold. There’s no escaping the fact that on a hot day, a leather jacket will get warm, and as there are no vents this one is no exception. But it does look awesome!
There are four outside pockets (all zipped) and inside pockets for your mobile and wallet. None of the pockets are massive, but this is not a touring jacket and the space is perfectly adequate for the essentials that I carry around with me.
The Carter is not cheap, but with the quality of materials and the level of protection that it provides, it’s bound to cost a fair bit to make in the first place. It’s wearable all year, and looks pretty sweet too – there’s a lot to like about this jacket.
