FirstGear Mesh Tex Jacket - 2013

FirstGear products in general are a “full” cut, aka “American Cut”, which means the jackets are generously sized in the torso, shoulders, etc. The 2013 Mesh Tex continues that general pattern. We tried a size Medium jacket on Huey and an XL on Dewey (our Fit Check mannequins) and they fit just fine. You can see some shots of how they look by clicking the “View Larger Images” link above.

We developed the size chart below to help you choose a size based upon your chest and belly measurements. Sizes Small thru XL are very much in line with other casual cut jackets and the taper from chest to belly is about 2” which is about what you’d expect. In the sizes larger than XL, the chest sizes are generous and there is not much taper from chest to belly, so these jackets are cut more generously through the belly than most others.

FirstGear offers this jacket in tall sizes. The tall selection of each size adds about 1 1/2 to 2 inches to the torso and sleeve length. If you normally have to buy “talls” then these should work for you.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

We’ve always lived in warmer parts of the country and finding protective riding gear that is also comfortable in really hot weather is really something liberating. The Mesh-Tex by FirstGear is what I would call the “standard of the industry” for a street rider’s mesh jacket (or pants). FirstGear has been offering these simple, quality all-mesh design for years. And it seems with each new iteration, they improve a couple small things… they build on the past without cheapening the overall product quality.

So what’s different in the 2013 version? Well, the big thing this year is nighttime reflectivity. We take “nighttime shots” for you as part of our product evaluation, so please click the “View Larger Images” link above to have a look. You’ll see LOTS more reflectivity in the 2013 version as compared to past versions. Also, FirstGear continues with the Hi Viz color as an option. I’ll rob some discussion from last year’s version to outline the rest of the features (since those are largely unchanged): The entire outer shell is made from mesh polyester to give you total ventilation through every inch of this jacket. And, the liner is a typical mesh nylon material, so the wind will blow right through this design. There is a removable, full-sleeve water/wind resistant liner that will help block the wind on a cool day or keep you dry in the rain. As for storage, you get two zippered hand warmer pockets on the outside and for internal storage, there is a secure cell phone pocket, a patch pocket on one side, and an internal document pocket. One neat feature you’ll see in the close up photos is that the interior pocket layout is the same for the liner as with the jacket shell, so you’ll have the same pockets available whether you are using the liner or not. For protection, there is removable CE armor in the shoulders and elbows and an EVA foam back pad. In addition, there is also a second layer of mesh over the shoulders and elbows for abrasion protection in case of a fall. My personal opinion is that you can’t go wrong with a quality jacket like this. I highly recommend them! :: Paul, 09-17-12

Note about product naming: Years back, FirstGear started with the name “Mesh-Tex” with their first design, then in subsequent releases, they added the software revision style number each year as they came out with a new style. I sort of like that scheme, but now they have just gone back to using the same name year after year. We often have older versions on the site as closeouts, so to make it clear which version was being offered, we started adding the year of release to the product name. Otherwise, you can only go by the looks of the jackets to tell one version from another.

Did you find the sizing advice and review helpful? Help us keep’em coming!