Raida Bolt Riding Jacket Review: Good Protection At An Affordable Price?

Recently, the guys at Raida sent us their entry level riding jacket, the Raida Bolt to test out. The jacket is the brand’s most affordable offering, coming at a price of Rs 5,950. It features a simple design and good looking graphics. After riding with it for a while, here’s what my experience has been like.

Styling, Design & Visibility

The Raida Bolt does look really good and manages to stand out in its own way. It doesn’t feature the same kind of mesh construction that other entry level riding jackets like the Rynox Cypher GT or the Royal Enfield Streetwind do, and instead tries to strike a middle ground between a full-textile jacket and a mesh jacket. With this design, the manufacturer seems to have focused more on adding textile layers to make it more abrasion resistant.

The jacket is offered in two colours: Hi-Viz and Red, both featuring a similar design and reflectors throughout. While the Red colour I tested out looks good, it is a bit too subtle because of the overall black finish and doesn’t make the rider stand out in traffic. 

This can be a bit problematic as not being clearly visible might lead to situations where others on the road do not notice your presence and could potentially lead to accidents. The first rule of riding on roads is making sure you are clearly visible to others. But given the general trend these days with jacket manufacturers mostly offering darker shades, the Raida Bolt with the red highlights, doesn’t seem too bad.

The jacket also gets reflectors at the front, side, shoulders and back. The reflectors are decent and make the rider a bit more visible when riding at night. So compared to other jackets, this is a major advantage the Raida Bolt has. Overall the stitching and quality of the jacket is quite good and there’s nothing to complain about. 

Safety And Protection

The first thing that’s usually on the minds of most riders who are looking for a riding jacket is, how safe is it? Because in the end, a jacket’s main purpose is to protect the rider.

In this department, the Raida Bolt really does shine. It offers level CE certified 2 armor at the back, shoulder and elbows, from Safe-Tech. The jacket also gets pockets for chest armour, with foam pads in them, which can be swapped out for actual chest armour if riders wish.

So in terms of safety, the Raida Bolt is definitely a good jacket and at this price point is a value for money proposition. But safety is just one part of the whole picture.

Comfort & Ventilation

Safety is important but, if the jacket is uncomfortable then chances are, riders will less likely be to wear it. The Raida bolt is a mixed bag in this department. The jacket is comfortable and easy to wear, but the ventilation is poor.

The issue comes down to the placement of the pockets and the foam padding at front. The lower half of the mesh is occupied by a pocket on the inside. This pocket is quite convenient but it ends up blocking the entire mesh and doesn't allow air to pass through.

At the top half, the foam padding ends up blocking the mesh there as well, so when riding with the foam pads or projectors on, there’s little to no air circulation. Removing the foam padding does help a bit, but even then the poor ventilation is still present.

During my rides I find myself always unzipping the jacket when taking a break, because the heat at times is just too much to bear. This is the case with both short and longer rides in the summer. During the monsoon, I found the jacket to be quite useful in keeping me warm, especially during late night rides when the weather is exceptionally cold in Pune. 

Should You Buy The Raida Bolt?

The Raida Bolt overall is a good jacket and one which offers excellent protection and decent visibility at an affordable price of Rs 5,950. But the main issue with the jacket is the poor ventilation, which makes it a bit uncomfortable to wear in the summers. 

But considering what the jacket offers overall in terms of safety, the slight discomfort you’ll have to put up with is just a small price to pay. Overall, if you are a serious rider who is in the market for a good entry level jacket and protection is your main priority then the Raida Bolt makes sense. 

But for casual riders who only plan on going for small rides or just daily commutes in the city it doesn't make much sense and such riders should look into something that offers better breathability and is more comfortable to wear.