Icon Raiden Watchtower Jacket

We tried the size Medium in this jacket on Huey and we put an XL jacket on Dewey. These are the sizes they normally wear and both fit great. My advice would be to wear the size you normally wear in men’s clothing.

If you look at Icon’s chest size estimates for each jacket, you might be choosing a size larger than you normally wear (example a person with a 46 chest typically is an XL, but using Icon’s chart you’d buy an XXL). Icon’s styling has always been sort of loose as compared to other brands’ sport style jackets. This probably explains why the size chart understates the chest size range for any given alpha jacket size.

My personal advice for a good fit that is snug enough not to flap or inflate while riding would be to buy the size you normally wear in men’s clothing. We’ve added a column to the table below to give you our estimate of max chest and belly size for each jacket size. If you prefer a loose fit, then Icon’s estimates would be appropriate.

Contrary to Icon’s marketing info which says this jacket has an “Icon Sport Fit”, I find the taper from chest to waist to be pretty “relaxed” and therefore belly size won’t be a problem for most. But if you have a bit of a belly, you’ll want to get a measurement and make sure to choose a jacket large enough to work. The jacket has the side waist adjusters so you can snug the waist/belly down to get a good fit.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

While looking over this new Icon Raiden Watchtower jacket, the general look and feel reminds me of a Klim jacket. The styling is decidedly “adventure”. That means a relaxed fit with a bit longer torso, lots of storage options, and rugged feeling materials. The colors are very muted and would work well for those who actually do ride off the road and get muddy. I can see this jacket being used in that environment for sure. But really, it is a comfortably fitting jacket that could be used by any street rider.

The Watchtower comes with D3O armor in the shoulders, elbows and back (another similarity to Klim gear). The D3O stuff is great… we sell tons of it as an aftermarket product and people really like it because not only is it very protective, but it is very flexible and comfortable. Its decidedly more “squishy” than lesser “stock” armor found in many other brands and will more easily form around your elbows, etc.

The comparison with most Klim jackets ends in the waterproofing department. The Watchtower is not a waterproof jacket, so those who think they’ll be in the rain, will want to pick up a rain jacket to go over this one. But not having waterproof capabilities offers an advantage that this jacket exploits fully… venting. I see two LARGE front vents and “two way” zippers on the sleeves that help shoot air up the arms and there are also a couple “vented pockets” on the upper bicep that double as both a pocket and a vent. The big chest vents are set up so that when you open them, there is slack in the meshy material behind the zipper and so the vents naturally gape open. Its similar to designs by Joe Rocket and Tour Master that do sort of the same thing. Nice. Finally, I have to mention the zip-off sleeves… the ultimate venting for your “guns” as Icon puts it. We sell lots of vests that have an incorporated back pad and if that is your thing, this jacket will “convert” into that configuration. The shoulder and elbow armor comes off the sleeves. so when converted, don’t fall!

Other notable features: A built in bungee cord around the collar with very nice soft material lining the collar will make the normal collar a bit more functional. LOTS of pockets! check our photo gallery to see those… better seen than described. And you get a removable vest-type liner to add some insulation in cooler weather. The main zipper is “two way” so you can zip up from the bottom a bit if the tail of the jacket is in a bit of a bind when sitting on the bike… a great feature for a longer torso style like this.

The build quality and rugged materials are both excellent and should be very much up to heavy use and will also hold up to scrapes and snags from branches, etc when off road. I mentioned the lack of waterproofing, but great venting and that is how this jacket differs primarily from other similar styles. Also consider the price… about half that of a Gore-Tex jacket of similar design. Uh, and also you can show off the “guns” Watch out! :) :: Paul, 09-14-17