“The Rev’it Sand Urban is a brilliant bit of kit. It has all the functionality of a proper adventure jacket mixed in with a beautiful blend of style and perfect fit. It’s the full package.”
Update
The Rev’it Sand Urban has been discontinued. If you’re after a similar jacket, take a look at our Rev’it Zircon Review, or for a more adventure focused jacket, take a look at the Rev’it Sand 4 (on which this jacket is based). You’ll find more info on that jacket in our Best Adventure Motorcycle Jackets guide.
Rev’it Sand Urban Review
Snapshot
- Price: £404.99
- Mileage tested: 4000
- Testing conditions: Through the deserts of Central Asia and into Mongolia
- Durability: 5⁄5
- Fit and comfort: 5⁄5
- Protection: 2⁄5
- Value for money: 4⁄5
- Colours: Green or Black
- Where to buy UK: sportsbikeshop.co.uk
- Where to buy US: revzilla.com
Features
The Sand Urban is probably the world’s most stylish adventure jacket. The Sand jacket is Rev’it’s ‘proper’ adventure jacket – what makes it a proper adventure jacket you ask? because it’s not Pro-laminate and has a removable rain and thermal liner, which means you can ride round-the-world and adapt to the conditions. Rev’it, being fashion conscious, decided to up their adventure jacket game by producing a stylish take on the Sand – the Sand Urban. Think, classic Belstaff meets modern adventure. That means the material’s different, has that cotton wax look but keeps all the functionality of an adventure jacket – packed with pockets, vents, straps and all the nifty features we expect.
It has two buttoned large pockets up front, two hand warmer pockets behind the main pockets and two vertical zipped chest vents, which double as pockets. There’s one large map pocket at the rear and a large velcro tabbed inside pocket. It has a very cool ventilation system with two large vents on the chest, full sleeve zipped vents and one on the back. It also comes with compression straps on the waist and sleeves and a drawstring at the bottom – for that extra stylish fit. Other nifty features are the collar hook, which fastens the collar away, the cuff buttons and Velcro cuff strap and soft collar.
But here’s where it gets interesting. The jacket is a fashionable adventure jacket. I love the look of it, hence why I wanted to test it (although I prefer it in green to black) but I wanted to really see if it could stand up to a serious test and isn’t just a gimmick. So, it accompanied me for 4000 miles through some of the toughest terrain in the world. From Georgia through the Caucasus, across the Caspian Sea, into Kazakhstan, the arid deserts of Uzbekistan, the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, into Afghanistan and through Kyrgyzstan. And this jacket performed beautifully.
What’s good?
What impressed me most was the sublime fit, excellent ventilation and practicality. We rode through 40C, and with the arm and chest vents open I was cool and content throughout. The jacket is light, not bulky and very well fitted thanks to its compression straps. The abundance of pockets made it easy to stash my passport and paperwork in the inside chest pocket while the wallet, phone and GoPro lived in the large lower pockets.
And what makes this a ‘real’ adventure jacket is that the thermal and waterproof liners can be removed (both of which work very well). That’s crucial for round-the-world travel. As one minute I was riding through baking deserts and two days later I was stuck in a snow storm. Sure, taking the jacket off to slip a liner on underneath can be a faff. But it beats riding with a heavy waterproof outer shell jacket for thousands of miles through the heat.
What’s not?
The only, very slight, niggle is its use of soft lightweight protection, which doesn’t feel as sturdy and as protective as the harder counterparts. The soft back protector didn’t fill me with confidence, especially for off-roading so I opted for a replacement Level 2 insert. It’s a shame as it’s the only factor dropping the overall score. Change the protection and you’ve got 20⁄20.
Round up
The Rev’it Sand Urban is a brilliant bit of kit. It has all the functionality of a proper adventure jacket mixed in with a beautiful blend of style and perfect fit. It’s more than capable of tackling Central Asia, the Pamirs and some of the most remote parts of the world and is equally at home in a cute café. It’s the full package.
Rev’it Sand Urban Review: Total score: 16⁄20
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Great review. I actually bought this jacket off the back of your review, but I have a question. What trousers are you wearing in this review? I wasn’t sure if they are hiking trousers, or riding trousers?
Hey DW! Ah, I’m really glad the review helped and hope you like the jacket!
Yeah they are actually hiking trousers from Decathlon! They’re very thin and not particularly suitable for motorcycling, but every so often I rode in them instead of my riding jeans because they’re just so comfortable!
What riding trousers are you thinking of using with the jacket? It’s a shame Rev’it don’t produce a matching pair.
Cheers
Thanks for replying. Ahh hiking trousers make sense. I actually have some Fjällräven trousers I’ve been meaning to try out on my bike as they have pockets in the knees for pads, but which could also take some low profile motorcycle armour. Would be handy as a dual purpose trouser if I ride to the mountains and don’t want to change when I get there.
I’m actually using the revit offtrack textile trousers I got from Sportsbikeshop. I really like them but during the hot spell we’ve had in the UK lately they’ve been way too hot (even with both liners removed, and vents undone). During the rest of the year they’ll be great I’m sure, but for high summer and overseas riding I just fancy something a little cooler, and which blends in with the wax cotton type feel of the revit sand urban.
Yeah, hiking trousers come in very handy on my trip because they’re so light, loads of pockets, roll up tiny and are super comfortable.
That sounds like a good idea! Never heard of those trousers, I’ll look into them too.
Yeah, I know what you mean. Although Rev’it do produce trousers with a lot more vents than the Offtrack. For example, the Airwave or Tornado. Although, if you’re going super hot weather then I’ve been using the Macna Buran trousers which are literally just one big mesh net https://www.madornomad.com/macna-buran-trousers-review/
But, like you say, it’s hard to find trousers that match the wax cotton look.
Cheers mate and best of luck!
The Sand 3 riding trousers are tits on a ritz.
Haha! Nicely said!
Yeah, the Rev’it Sand 3 trousers are the closest you can get to a matching pair as the ‘Sand Urban’ is technically modelled after the ‘Sand’ range. Here’s the Sand trousers https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/317249/#/27246,3187,0
(I’m still laughing at tits on a ritz lol)
Hi! I notice that your version of the jacket has black fabric on the shoulder and the sleeves, i cant seem to find this version anywhere other than here. |Are you able to provide a link to where you got this from? Great review btw!
Hi Rhu,
I’ve just checked and it looks like Rev’it has discontinued their Sand Urban, which is a huge shame. It doesn’t look like any shops are stocking it anymore, and if there are some that do then it’s probably old stock. Here’s the link to the black one you’re after on Sportsbikeshop, it shows it’s discontinued but also shows the product code so you could always call them and ask if they have plans for getting it back in.
Alternatively, Rev’it are still producing the Sand 3 jacket, which is extremely similar to the Sand Urban, but just doesn’t have that waxy ‘urban’ look to it. They’ve only got this jacket in blue, sand or white though. This has been a staple Rev’it jacket for years. I wouldn’t be surprised if a new 4 version comes out with more colours perhaps closer to summer.
Thanks also for your kind words on the review! sorry it’s been discontinued and I hope this helps, cheers and all the best mate,
Andy