The MXstore Motocross Gear Buying Guide

Here at MXstore, safety sits at the very forefront of our core values, so protective gear like Helmets, Boots, Neck Braces and Knee Braces will always come first for us when it comes to our customer's interests.

The motocross gear category follows in a close second place - while people's definition of 'motocross gear' will always vary, we categorise it as the actual riding gear you wear on the bike - your jersey, pants, gloves, and socks, while base layer compression also fits in there. With a delicate balance between budget, performance, and style, people often struggle to choose the motocross gear that is right for them.

So we decided to take some time and dive into the details of what exactly motocross gear is, how it varies across brands and ranges, what's on offer between the different price points available, and what makes a good set of motocross gear perfect for you!

What is Motocross Gear?

As we mentioned earlier, motocross gear itself is a fairly broad term that gets thrown around referencing a great number of different things when it comes to what you wear on your dirt bike. We like to separate the riding gear from the protective equipment as much as possible, so today we're going to be looking at the four main categories under our dirt bike gear banner - jerseys, pants, gloves, and socks.

We stock a full range of all four categories across Adults, Women's, and Kids sizes, so no matter what you're after, we've got you covered. Be sure to check out the rest of our MX Buying Guides if you're interested in specific information on other categories! But for now, let's jump into the riding gear.

MX JERSEYS

Motocross Jerseys are one of the most popular pieces of riding gear we sell. Making up 50% of your typical Gear Set (easily the cheaper 50% of the set!), jerseys are usually run hand in hand with their matching Pants, although this is certainly no actual rule. Offering slight protection from injuries such as grazes and scrapes, a Jersey is worn on the upper body as you would a standard shirt, covering your torso, arms, and midsection.

Most brands will offer jerseys ranging from somewhere between $39.95 to $59.95, although cheaper options are available, and you may be looking at upwards of the $100 mark for some more premium options. The kind of riding you're doing will often influence your decision of what kind of jersey you're after, but with a massive range of different styles, constructions, materials, price points and colours available, you're going to be able to find one that's just what you need.

MX PANTS

Making up the other 50% of your main Gear Set, Pants are the more expensive (and generally more functional) half of the kit. While jerseys are often chosen from a looks perspective, pants should be looked at from a performance point of view, ensuring they're capable of performing as you need them to. We'll look into that a little later in the guide, but it's worth noting nice and early.

Recent technological advancements have seen motocross pants come a long way in the past few years, and no matter what kind of riding you're into, we guarantee you'd be better off investing in a set of MX pants than an old pair of denim jeans. Ranging from around $99.95 right up to $399.95, there are a plethora of options when it comes to dirt bike pants, offering varying degrees of technologies and features that will blow you away. For anyone new to riding dirt bikes, a decent set of pants should be on your shopping list right behind your helmet and boots.

MX GLOVES

Gloves may not be the most protective piece of gear you can wear, but in terms of your riding, they're easily one of the most important. How so? Gloves are the number one way of stopping blisters from developing on your hands, and as any rider will tell you, there's nothing worse than trying to hold onto your dirt bike with blistered hands! While you might get some sideways looks in the gym for wearing gloves while you lift, you won't cop any judgment out on the track or trails.

With options starting for as little as $24.95, these are an investment that you should make without delay. More advanced glove options are also available, with prices reaching right up to the $99.95 mark. As one of the main points of contact between you and your machine, you'll want to make sure you've got yourself a decent set of riding gloves before you hit the track.

MX SOCKS

Easily the most straightforward category when it comes to motocross gear, Motocross Socks are another necessity when it comes to riding your dirt bike. With options starting from as little as $14.95 there's no excuse not to invest in a solid pair of socks, and it'll be one of the best value for money investments you'll ever make. Socks will vary in both thickness and length when it comes to motocross specific socks, while most brands will offer clean colour options as well as graphics and patterns to suit whatever you're after.

The key dependant on your sock choice will be whether or not you wear knee braces when you ride (highly recommended), in which case you'd want to grab yourself a longer set of knee brace socks, which will cover up to your mid-thigh, protecting your leg from any potential chaffing or rubbing from your braces or knee guards.

Different Brands & Ranges

As with all products and product lines, there's going to be differences across the various brands in each category. Motocross gear is no different, and with a number of big-name brands leading the way in the motocross market, there's always going to be some healthy competition for the title of 'the best' when it comes to producing motocross gear. Brands like Fox Racing, Thor, Alpinestars, and O'Neal are some of the more established and well-known brands, having been making high quality motocross gear for decades, while some newer brands like Fasthouse and Seven MX have hit the ground running in recent years to keep things as fresh as ever. With such an abundance of premium brands in the industry, you can be certain that no matter the differences between them all, you'll be able to find something just right for you.

Fasthouse is one of the newest names in the Motocross Gear game. Darryn Durham showing us some serious style in their Jersey, Pant and Glove combo.

The main point of difference in motocross gear is the same as it is in everything else we buy - the price. While we'll dig a little deeper into the pricing side of things next, it's worth mentioning now as a key point of difference between the different brands. Typically, the bigger and more established a brand is, the more ranges and different price points it will have on offer throughout its categories. Fox Racing, for example, offers four main jersey and pant lines, six different glove ranges, a huge range of various sock styles, and that's not even mentioning the endless lines of protective gear and accessories it also has.

Seven MX, however, as one of the newer gear brands on the market, only runs three different jersey and pant ranges, along with three glove lines. And that's not to take anything away from Seven, who make some serious quality MX gear, it's just a good indicator of the 'size' of a particular brand within the motocross industry.

Another selling point that comes into play when deciding between gear brands is the image of the brand itself. All of our brands have their own stories, their own way of doing things, and it's an exciting journey figuring out which brand you relate to the most. Do you live by the mantra of riding as much as possible, keeping it fun, keeping it fast? Join the brotherhood of the Shift syndicate.

Or if you're more of a technically minded rider with a passion for individual style and personal flair, you'll want to check out the insane gear ranges from our Italian friends at Alpinestars. Whatever it may be, you can bet that there's a brand out there that you can identify with more than any other, and you can truly wear your heart on your sleeve. Or if you're anything like us, just buy the gear that looks completely badass.

Gautier Paulin putting the Shift MX Black Label racewear to the test. No matter what conditions you ride in, having the right gear is a must.

Differences in Price Points

Unless you've got deep pockets and unlimited funds at your fingertips, buying yourself some new motocross gear will usually be an investment that you'll be wanting to last you for more than just one ride. While the kind of riding you're doing will of course play an important role in this consideration, it will usually come down to the quality of the gear you're buying.

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. If you spend the odd afternoon simply riding around the paddock with your kids, you're probably going to be fine with a clean value range MX gear set, which you can get your hands on for under $150. If you're at the track four times a week cutting multiple 30 minute +2 lap motos however, you might want to consider investing in some more premium gear.

As the cheaper side of a gear set, jerseys don't have a huge variance in pricing from the value range to the top of the line stuff. Adult jerseys will start from around $34.95 mark, while your premium ranges will come in at just over the $100 mark for brands like Fasthouse, Fox and Shift. At the bottom end of the range, the product is fairly simple. Breathable, moisture-wicking material to keep you cool, sublimated graphics, and some will offer some sewn in elbow padding for good measure.

There's nothing too fancy about these kinds of jerseys, but they get the job done well enough. Your mid-range jerseys will typically offer a lightweight poly-fabric to reduce the weight of the jersey, strategically placed venting mesh panels, as well as some tailored cuts for optimum fit to go along with fade-resistant graphics.

Top of the range jerseys combine 4-way stretch panels, TruDri fabric, lightweight ventilation and customised openings to give you the ultimate freedom of movement on the bike. If you're serious about your riding, the differences between a $50 jersey and a $100 jersey is definitely worth the investment.

Unlike jerseys, motocross pants have some serious price variances when it comes to the different levels of technologies on offer. Your value range options will start from around the $100 mark, offering heavy-duty Denier construction for durability, ratchet closure systems, protective rubber patches and some stretch panels for increased movement in the knee and crotch areas.

Moving into your mid-range price points, you'll be getting a more tailored fit for precise positioning on the bike, triple stitching in key areas, heat and abrasion-resistant leather knee panels, stretch panels at the knee, rear and crotch, as well as ventilation in critical areas to increase airflow and comfort whilst riding. Your top of the line stuff is in a whole different ball game.

Made of the best materials money can buy, a premium set of dirt bike pants offers the ultimate in lightweight durability, manoeuvrability, comfort and performance. If you're a fan of pants off Fridays, you'll be wanting a top of the line set of MX pants - you'll hardly even notice they're there, at the same time offering all the protection and performance that you could ever need. If you've got the money for it, they're definitely worth splashing out on.

Check out the video above and listen to Fox Racing's Director Mark Finlay discussing their premium Fox Flexair range with input from multi-time world champions Ryan Dungey and Chad Reed.

Gloves are a hard one when it comes to differences in prices, as your choice of glove will often come down purely to personal preference. Some people prefer that 'naked' feel when it comes to gloves, something so lightweight that they barely even notice they're there. Others want some seriously heavy-duty protection; carbon fibre knuckle guards, additional palm protection, strong padded fingers, basically everything that's going to offer resistance against fast-flying roost or trees that simply come out of nowhere (we've all been there).

Lucky for you, there's pretty much an option for all these across multiple price points. Every dirt bike glove is going to have its benefits and its drawbacks, so find the features that you want and you can usually find an easily affordable option if you're strapped for cash. The one exception to this may be the carbon knuckle guarded gloves; these things simply aren't that cheap. Having said that, one of our favourite sayings here at MXstore has always been - can you really put a price on your safety?

Socks, as we touched on earlier, are fairly straightforward. Your differences in length are going to be the main reason for price differences, with knee brace socks usually sitting a level above your standard riding socks when it comes to costs. Other factors that come into play will include mesh paneling in the socks for increased ventilation, cushioning throughout the socks, thickness of the socks, as well as the materials they are constructed from. Coolmax is one of the more common materials used throughout our MX sock ranges, which works well to keep feet cool and dry. Compression is also becoming more common in higher end socks, aimed at targeting specific muscle areas to increase your cardiovascular performance on the dirt bike.

Which Gear is Right for You?

The right gear is usually going to come down to the kind of riding you like doing. Top level Supercross and Motocross riders will want the most lightweight and unrestrictive gear they can get their hands on, while offroad trail riders will be more inclined to go with a more heavy duty and durable set up so their gear isn't catching and ripping on bushes as they blast through the trails. For beginner riders who are just taking things slow, stick with a basic set of gear and gloves and invest that money into a decent set of boots and helmet. Unless you're riding at some serious speeds, your price point friendly motocross gear will usually do the trick. Unless of course you just want to look stylish as hell, in which case go ahead and grab yourself some premium stuff! It's not about how fast you go, it's about how good you look right?

Axell Hodges knows a thing or two about style and looking good. Check out the Seven MX Racewear range to get a taste for yourself.

There's a huge number of things that will determine whether your motocross gear is just right for you, and we've tried to touch on them all throughout this guide as much as we can. Of course, there's one bug aspect to it that we're yet to mention, and it's probably the most important of them all - the size! At the end of the day, all the technological features, protective qualities and design aspects of your gear aren't going to count for much if you don't have the right size. Luckily for you, we're here to help!

Check out our MXstore Sizing Guide at our very own Help Centre, where we have compiled as much information as we can to help you make an informed decision when it comes to buying your new motocross gear. Buying online can always seem a bit risky, but we take the risk out of it with our 60 Day Returns or Exchange Policy, so you can't really go wrong!