Rynox Tornado Pro 4 riding jacket review

The Tornado Pro 4 is Rynox’s mid-level riding jacket that I’ve been using for the past few months. From long rides, testing, shoots and commuting, I’ve done all this in relative comfort in this fourth version of the Tornado Pro series of jackets.

The Tornado Pro’s comfort factor primarily comes from its mesh construction, and while it isn’t as abrasion resistant as leather, given our weather conditions ventilation is important. This jacket has intake vents, 2 cross vents and 1 exhaust vent for adequate ventilation and this is something I can vouch for. Even on the hottest of days, there was enough airflow to keep me cool.

What also helps comfort are the adjuster straps on the waist, arms and cuffs, which enable you to get just the right fit as per your body shape. Even with my slender build, I have been able to get a comfortable fit with these adjusters. Furthermore, the accordion stretch panels on the elbows and shoulder blades help in moving your body without restriction. But I will say that the white accordion panels on the shoulder blades have been hard to keep clean. Rynox has also provided a soft, neoprene fabric on the cuffs and the collar and while this does help prevent chafing, I found the collar to be too high and tight, so often I would just leave it open. This also helped improve ventilation further. The inner lining, though not soft or plush, does feel comfortable enough against your body.

While I have been able to test out the Tornado Pro 4’s ventilation, I have not yet, thankfully, tested its protection capability. But even in the case of a crash, it’s nice to know that the jacket is constructed using a heavy duty 600D textile with double-stitched Cordura panels on the shoulders and elbows which do a good job of abrasion resistance. And the CE Level 2 protectors for the back, shoulders, elbows and even the chest take care of the impact protection. What’s also nice is that the chest protectors have holes in them, which doesn’t hamper ventilation.

The protectors all have their dedicated pockets inside the jacket, held in place using velcro. It’s a pretty straightforward process of removing the protectors for when you want to wash the jacket. And they all slot back in with not a lot of effort. Of other things, this jacket also features reflective strips on the front, back and sleeves, which improve your visibility to others and for storage you get three pockets, with one being on the inside in the chest region. I’ve kept my phone in this pocket while riding in light rain and it managed to keep it completely dry. The Tornado Pro 4 can even be zipped to a pair of compatible riding pants. I do have a pair of Rynox Airtex pants and I have successfully zipped them together.

Over these past few months, where I’ve used the jacket everyday, there are a few small issues that have crept up. The fabric has frayed in a few places but there are no cuts or tears and the zipper isn’t as smooth as it first used to be. Overall still, the jacket has held up well given the rough use it’s gone under.

At the given price point, the Rynox Tornado Pro 4 jacket really comes across as a good deal. It offers good protection, ample ventilation and is easy to maintain. It also looks quite nice to my eyes in this black, red and white scheme, but if you do disagree with me, there are three other colour options you can choose from.

Where: rynoxgears.com

Price: Rs 7,950