CE Armor Levels Explained

Motorcycle gear is covered in CE labels, and almost nobody explains them. Here's the whole system in plain English, because once you can read the labels you can shop on protection instead of on marketing.

Two different things get certified

A jacket has two separate CE stories. The armor — the hard or foam inserts at the shoulders, elbows and back — is certified under EN 1621. The garmentitself — the shell's abrasion, tear and seam resistance — is certified under EN 17092. A jacket can have great armor in a weak shell, or vice versa, so both labels matter.

Armor: EN 1621 Level 1 vs Level 2

EN 1621 impact protectors are rated Level 1 or Level 2. The test drops a weighted striker onto the armor and measures how much force passes through. Lower transmitted force is better: Level 1 allows more, Level 2 allows less. So Level 2 absorbs more energy — at the cost of a little more bulk and heat.

• Level 1 — the certified baseline. Fine for most street riding, and what most jackets ship with.
• Level 2 — absorbs more impact energy. Worth it especially for the back protector, and for faster or longer riding.

The armor codes also carry a temperature marking (T+ / T−) and an area code (A/B for size). For most riders the number — 1 or 2 — is the one to read.

Garment: EN 17092 AAA, AA and A

The shell's abrasion and burst resistance is rated AAA (highest, for sport/touring at speed), AA (a strong all-round road rating), or A (lighter protection, often for hot-weather gear). There are also lower B and C classes for impact-only or supplementary garments. For general road riding, look for at least an AA shell with Level 1 (ideally Level 2) armor.

What to actually look for

Shoulder and elbow armor certified to EN 1621-1, a pocket for a CE Level 2 back protector(EN 1621-2), and an EN 17092 shell of at least AA. That combination is a genuinely protective jacket. Anything selling "armor" with no CE level printed is selling you foam. See our best armored jackets for picks that get this right.