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KLIM Induction Pro jacket review

melensdad

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I've been riding with the KLIM Induction Pro jacket for about a month and am very very pleased with this jacket.

First off, this jacket flows a TON of air. I've been wearing a First Gear Rush AIR jacket and was actually pretty happy with that jacket. I had one minor gripe with the collar but other than that it is a nice light mesh jacket. But the KLIM Induction Pro takes airflow to a level that I couldn't even comprehend.

The first thing I noticed when riding, and this was within the first 60 seconds, was that the airflow in the arms was astonishing. There is far more mesh on this jacket than on my prior jacket. KLIM claims their mesh will take a slide. I hope to never find out.

As my speeds picked up from pulling out of the driveway to running down rural roads I noticed far more airflow near my collar bone and shoulders.

But after a month of steady use I'm now seeing some of the warts. And really there is 1 wart. A big freaking wart. The backpad is a D3O piece of armor. It does not flow air. I don't care what they say. I don't care that it has some tiny holes punched into it. It simply doesn't flow air. So I have this fantastic jacket, literally amazing airflow, but it is hobbled by back armor that is about as ventilated as a piece of sheet metal. Seriously?

In a desperate attempt to get some additional airflow through my back I tried to swap in my Dianese Pro Armor G back protector but it did not fit. The armor from Dianese is too tall. Perhaps I will buy the smaller model designed for women's jackets? I currently use the Dianese back protector in my KLIM Apex Air jacket, which is a leather/textile jacket that has zipper closure vents. So the Apex Air is more of a SPRING and FALL jacket but the Induction Pro is a summer only, high heat, high humidity jacket. At 65 degrees (F) you will freeze in this jacket if you are running at highway speed. But if you are in a high humidity area and need maximum airflow and also want protection then consider this jacket.

I looked at the ICON Mesh AF jacket, but a slow speed crash video on YouTube convinced me to take that off my list. Guy crashed and did a simple roll, at fairly low speed. The jacket tore apart. Thank goodness it was a low speed crash. I looked at the regular KLIM Induction too, but I was able to get the PRO version at only a few dollars more than the regular so I took the upgrade option for the PRO.

Despite my displeasure with the D3O back armor's lack of ventilation, the Klim Induction Pro is simply an astoundingly well made jacket that feels very protective and gives more ventilation than I thought was possible. In fact the Induction Pro jacket is one of the few "AA" rated mesh jackets on the market so this jacket is legitimate protective gear.

Unlike my FirstGear Rush Air jacket, the KLIM Induction Pro has a comfortable collar. I also like the cuff pocket on the left sleeve, which has enough room to fit a garage door opener and/or a toll booth pass. The pocket is designated as a medical emergency pocket where you should store you blood type info. There are also "hand warmer" pockets, and an inside Napoleon pocket. There is also an external chest pocket. But most of all there is airflow. Glorious airflow. Wonderful airflow. If you think your jacket flows air, try this one and you will see how wrong you were.

There are also the usual details that KLIM is known for, the arms have adjustable bicep snaps to make sure the CE Level 2 elbow armor stays in place and there is also CE Level 2 armor in the shoulders. Elbows and shoulders are externally reinforced with heavy textile for wear resistance. The D3O back armor is CE level 1. The whole garment is certified as AA. I have the red/grey jacket but it comes in a few different color options.

iu-1.jpeg
There is plenty of reflective material for night riding too. The silver/grey looking bits in the photos are all reflective material that light up under a headlamp beam.


iu.jpeg


This is the Dianese back protector that I tried to fit into the KLIM jacket but it did not fit. The men's size it just about an inch too tall to fit into this jacket. I may order the women's size to see how that fits. It would to a much better job of flowing air that the thick rubber D3O pad.

Screen Shot 2021-07-04 at 10.45.35 PM.png

For some silly reason KLIM decided not to use the above CE Level 2 back protector but instead is using the D3O CE Level 1 armor that has ridges and a handful of vent holes but really doesn't do much to vent air. Insert your sad emoji here. In an otherwise superior jacket that really flows tons and tons of air, the D3O back protector is the only source of disappointment I can find with the Induction Pro

Screen Shot 2021-07-04 at 11.08.33 PM.png
 
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Today was 90's and HUMID and I was out for nearly 3 hours running errands. Got home and was hanging up my jacket. The sun outside was bright and I was standing next to the front door so I was able to see thought the jacket.

NOW I KNOW WHY THIS FLOWS SO MUCH AIR ... this thing has far more mesh than seems possible. If you look at the photos in the prior post, the red parts look like fabric but holding the jacket in front of bright light you can see the perforations in the red bits of the jacket. That explains a lot. The SHOULDERS and ELBOWS are not ventilated but pretty much the rest of the jacket is made of mesh.

Holding up my wife's FirstGear Contour or my FirstGear Rush Air, both mesh, shows that they really are only partially mesh. Most mesh jackets that I examined are roughly 60-70% mesh and 30-40% textile.

Despite the high heat/humidity of the day, the only part of my shirt with visible sweat was my back, thanks to the D3O back armor that doesn't allow much airflow. Seriously WTH were they thinking? They could have punched 2 dozen more holes in that back armor and that might help. But at some point I will probably upgrade to the small Dianese CE Level 2 armor shown above. I own the large size Dianese armor and installed it into my Klim Apex Air jacket, but it doesn't quite fit the Induction Pro.
 
I also use the Klim Induction. One gripe I have is that the zippers on the pockets close by pulling up. Another is that the hi viz fades quicker than any other fabric I have seen before. To be fair, Klim did offer to replace it after 60 days (faded that quick) but would take 6 weeks to do it. They also said it is a normal characteristic of the material. I have not experienced the issue you have with the back protector; lucky me because I can be a dripper! But, the quality is exceptional. I could not even find a thread to trim when I first purchased it. One more thing, when you get caught in a downpour, this thing takes forever to dry.
 
The zippers for the pockets do close by pulling up, I thought it odd, but I don't have any real gripe with that. On the chest pockets I actually prefer done that way. On the "hand warmer" pockets I would prefer that they zip down.

FWIW, I also looked at the new version of the INDUCTION jacket (mine is the PRO version) but as I found my PRO-version well below the MSRP the cost difference between the standard version and the PRO version ended up being fairly small and so I opted for the PRO.

Honestly I don't see how anyone could go wrong with either version.
 
The zippers for the pockets do close by pulling up, I thought it odd, but I don't have any real gripe with that. On the chest pockets I actually prefer done that way. On the "hand warmer" pockets I would prefer that they zip down.

FWIW, I also looked at the new version of the INDUCTION jacket (mine is the PRO version) but as I found my PRO-version well below the MSRP the cost difference between the standard version and the PRO version ended up being fairly small and so I opted for the PRO.

Honestly I don't see how anyone could go wrong with either version.
Pretty much agree. No rain liner was available for the induction model that I own. Has that changed with the new pro? Obviously not a deal breaker for me but for an ADV jacket kind of standard. I also recall that the latest version is lighter and softer, but neither is an issue on mine.
 
Pretty much agree. No rain liner was available for the induction model that I own. Has that changed with the new pro? Obviously not a deal breaker for me but for an ADV jacket kind of standard. I also recall that the latest version is lighter and softer, but neither is an issue on mine.
Neither the regular INDUCTION, nor the INDUCTION PRO come with a rain liner.

Klim does sell a Gore-Tex rain shell, separately. I've been using it for 2 or 3 seasons and much prefer rain gear that goes OVER my mesh than under my mesh.

 
I've been riding with the KLIM Induction Pro jacket for about a month and am very very pleased with this jacket.

First off, this jacket flows a TON of air. I've been wearing a First Gear Rush AIR jacket and was actually pretty happy with that jacket. I had one minor gripe with the collar but other than that it is a nice light mesh jacket. But the KLIM Induction Pro takes airflow to a level that I couldn't even comprehend.

The first thing I noticed when riding, and this was within the first 60 seconds, was that the airflow in the arms was astonishing. There is far more mesh on this jacket than on my prior jacket. KLIM claims their mesh will take a slide. I hope to never find out.

As my speeds picked up from pulling out of the driveway to running down rural roads I noticed far more airflow near my collar bone and shoulders.

But after a month of steady use I'm now seeing some of the warts. And really there is 1 wart. A big freaking wart. The backpad is a D3O piece of armor. It does not flow air. I don't care what they say. I don't care that it has some tiny holes punched into it. It simply doesn't flow air. So I have this fantastic jacket, literally amazing airflow, but it is hobbled by back armor that is about as ventilated as a piece of sheet metal. Seriously?

In a desperate attempt to get some additional airflow through my back I tried to swap in my Dianese Pro Armor G back protector but it did not fit. The armor from Dianese is too tall. Perhaps I will buy the smaller model designed for women's jackets? I currently use the Dianese back protector in my KLIM Apex Air jacket, which is a leather/textile jacket that has zipper closure vents. So the Apex Air is more of a SPRING and FALL jacket but the Induction Pro is a summer only, high heat, high humidity jacket. At 65 degrees (F) you will freeze in this jacket if you are running at highway speed. But if you are in a high humidity area and need maximum airflow and also want protection then consider this jacket.

I looked at the ICON Mesh AF jacket, but a slow speed crash video on YouTube convinced me to take that off my list. Guy crashed and did a simple roll, at fairly low speed. The jacket tore apart. Thank goodness it was a low speed crash. I looked at the regular KLIM Induction too, but I was able to get the PRO version at only a few dollars more than the regular so I took the upgrade option for the PRO.

Despite my displeasure with the D3O back armor's lack of ventilation, the Klim Induction Pro is simply an astoundingly well made jacket that feels very protective and gives more ventilation than I thought was possible. In fact the Induction Pro jacket is one of the few "AA" rated mesh jackets on the market so this jacket is legitimate protective gear.

Unlike my FirstGear Rush Air jacket, the KLIM Induction Pro has a comfortable collar. I also like the cuff pocket on the left sleeve, which has enough room to fit a garage door opener and/or a toll booth pass. The pocket is designated as a medical emergency pocket where you should store you blood type info. There are also "hand warmer" pockets, and an inside Napoleon pocket. There is also an external chest pocket. But most of all there is airflow. Glorious airflow. Wonderful airflow. If you think your jacket flows air, try this one and you will see how wrong you were.

There are also the usual details that KLIM is known for, the arms have adjustable bicep snaps to make sure the CE Level 2 elbow armor stays in place and there is also CE Level 2 armor in the shoulders. Elbows and shoulders are externally reinforced with heavy textile for wear resistance. The D3O back armor is CE level 1. The whole garment is certified as AA. I have the red/grey jacket but it comes in a few different color options.

View attachment 45604
There is plenty of reflective material for night riding too. The silver/grey looking bits in the photos are all reflective material that light up under a headlamp beam.


View attachment 45605


This is the Dianese back protector that I tried to fit into the KLIM jacket but it did not fit. The men's size it just about an inch too tall to fit into this jacket. I may order the women's size to see how that fits. It would to a much better job of flowing air that the thick rubber D3O pad.

View attachment 45606

For some silly reason KLIM decided not to use the above CE Level 2 back protector but instead is using the D3O CE Level 1 armor that has ridges and a handful of vent holes but really doesn't do much to vent air. Insert your sad emoji here. In an otherwise superior jacket that really flows tons and tons of air, the D3O back protector is the only source of disappointment I can find with the Induction Pro

View attachment 45607
I agree with you 100%. I bought the

Forcefield Pro Lite K Back Insert for my Induction Pro, it is kind of stiff, but flows more air than the D30 sweat pad they use.​

 

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I agree with you 100%. I bought the

Forcefield Pro Lite K Back Insert for my Induction Pro, it is kind of stiff, but flows more air than the D30 sweat pad they use.​

Just out of curiosity, how stiff/flexible is the Forcefield. I've read good things about them but never have seen one in the wild.

My Dianese protector is very stiff but flows a ton of air. The stiffness only bothers me when I put it on/take it off, not at all when I wear it. It is far nicer to wear than the D3O which, to me, doesn't flow any air at all. The D3O is quite literally a sweat creating pad in a summer jacket.

But the Dianese does seem stiffer than it needs to be, even if it is not any issue for comfort.
 
Just out of curiosity, how stiff/flexible is the Forcefield. I've read good things about them but never have seen one in the wild.

My Dianese protector is very stiff but flows a ton of air. The stiffness only bothers me when I put it on/take it off, not at all when I wear it. It is far nicer to wear than the D3O which, to me, doesn't flow any air at all. The D3O is quite literally a sweat creating pad in a summer jacket.

But the Dianese does seem stiffer than it needs to be, even if it is not any issue for comfort.
I just went for a ride with it. The Induction Pro (large) fits me pretty well and once on the road I did not even feel the Forcefield. It is definetly stiffer, but it seemed to just be there and not really a problem & there was no sweating in the back area like the D30. I have the Dianese too, it stays in my old Dianese jacket, it is more bendable but more rigid on the solid parts compared to the Forcefield. In my Klim Latitude & Apex jackets, it is the other way around, the CE Level 2 D30 fits better and the Forcefield is really uncomfortable. My Latitude & Apex are XL. Looks like you will have to try it and see. I am 6'1" 185 lbs, 45" chest, 35" shirt sleeve.
 
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Klim has now come out with the Baja S4, which is almost entirely made of a durable stretchy mesh but has some really abrasion resistant sections. It is also pricier.
 
I also use the Klim Induction. One gripe I have is that the zippers on the pockets close by pulling up. Another is that the hi viz fades quicker than any other fabric I have seen before. To be fair, Klim did offer to replace it after 60 days (faded that quick) but would take 6 weeks to do it. They also said it is a normal characteristic of the material. I have not experienced the issue you have with the back protector; lucky me because I can be a dripper! But, the quality is exceptional. I could not even find a thread to trim when I first purchased it. One more thing, when you get caught in a downpour, this thing takes forever to dry.
I agree on the side pocket zippers ... "down to close" makes more sense to me. And the hi viz fabric fades VERY fast. Really surprising for a jacket that is sold as a "premium" product. My main zipper has started to separate whether the bottom left side tab is fastened to the jacket placket ... I'm going to try some gorilla glue and see if I can fix that. No sense in sending to Klim from all I've read about their customer service, and it's out of warranty. I really like the airflow on this jacket while still seeming to provide decent protection (I hope).

However, at this price, and with the fading and zipper issues, when I'm in the market for a new mesh jacket I'll be looking at other brands.
 
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