REV'IT! Levante 2 H2O Jacket

We tried a size Medium and an XL on our Fit Check mannequins Huey and Dewey. Those are sizes they usually wear in an “American” cut jacket. This jacket from REV’IT! fits well enough and it looks sharp, but there is very minimal room left. Many brands from Europe exhibit a fit like this, such as Alpinestars. If you look at REV’IT’s published size chart (below), you’ll see their estimate of chest size is at least a full size smaller than what you’d find in equivalent US designed clothing.

So, having said all that, and judging the fit ourselves, we conclude that the fit is just about one half size smaller than what you would find in ordinary US men’s clothing. The amount the jackets are undersized is not as severe as REV’IT’s size chart would have you believe. For most people, this means you’ll be able to buy the size you normally wear if you want a snug, European style fit. If you want a looser American fit, or if you are between sizes, choose one size larger.

Below is the REV’IT!-published chest sizes for each jacket’s alpha size along with our estimate of max chest and max waist/belly. This particular style is not a “sport” oriented style so there is not a lot of taper from chest to waist, and with a style like this you can effectively tailor the fit of the waist with the side waist adjusters, which makes the jacket look great and fit great, so don’t worry if your waist/belly is smaller than the max. We only list this for those that have a belly so they can know what minimum size they’d have to choose to fit the belly. This style also has draw-cord adjusters at the hem.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

The REV’IT Levante 2 H2O jacket is a 3/4 style jacket with lots of mesh panels and a removable waterproof liner for multi-season riding.

The Levante 2 is the evolution of their 3/4 Levante style with updates. The Levante has always been popular because mesh options are rare in a 3/4 touring style jacket anymore. The H2O in the name comes from a removable and stowable hydratex® lite liner that installs in the jacket or it can go over the top. If you wear it over, there are reflectives at the chest and back for some visibility and there is even a short connection zipper within the liner so you could connect it to a pair of riding pants to keep the tail down. This liner also has an internal pocket at the left belly for waterproof storage. I mentioned the liner is stowable, there is a large pocket on the back of the jacket that will hold the liner if you want to keep it close just in case of a downpour. To remove the liner it is two snaps at each cuff and two near the collar, simple stuff! I will call out that the snaps near the collar are a little higher up than ideal and it makes it a little difficult to get to the liner zipper if you are wearing it all with gloves on. It basically keeps the outer shell of the jacket too close together and you’re likely to unsnap the liner while you try to get the shell out of the way to reach the interior zipper. All of this doesn’t really matter since the snap doesn’t have anything to do with functionality and it’s easy to snap it back together though so no big deal just something we found a little annoying!

Another update in the Levante 2 is the armor. While the original used Knox armor (hard to believe, it feels like REV’IT! has been using their in house stuff forever at this point!) this jacket has SEEFLEX™ CE-level 2 protectors at the elbows (adjustable at the elbow with hook and loop “pocket within a pocket”) and shoulders. The SEEFLEX™ armor is lighter and allows some airflow but it is still fairly stiff. Another nice feature they have in this jacket is a 3D mesh on the interior of the armor pockets. This keeps some space between you and the armor and gives air a route through the jacket in these areas that can get overheated due to the armor. The 3D mesh is even on the back pad pocket which is prepared for the SEESOFT™ CE-level 2 back protector which is sold separately (see related items for armor options). The chest is also prepared for the SEESOFT™ CE-level 1 divided chest protectors which are available separately, no 3D mesh on this section though.

Below the optional chest armor pockets internal storage pockets : hook and loop closure on the right and zippered on the left. There are also two front zippered storage pockets on the exterior to go along with the large pocket at the lower back. The bulk of the remainder of the shell is mesh with some textile overlays on the arms and sides of the torso. The upper chest and middle back have a 3D mesh to improve airflow in these areas. The 3D mesh gives the air more surface area to penetrate and therefore lets more air into the jacket. These panels look like they are accordion for stretch, but that is just looks and they do not stretch. REV’IT! really does a phenomenal job with reflectives and this jacket is no exception. There are strips at the back and the logos on each shoulder and the left forearm are also reflective and they really shine!

The Levante 2 has lots of adjustability as well. There are sliding straps at the forearm and waist and snap at the biceps. The cuffs have a snap closure on one side with a zippered opening to widen the cuff over a glove if desired and on the other side of the cuff is a hook and loop adjuster for a perfect fit. Finally the hems of both the jacket and the liner have drawcords. The collar is even flexible thanks to the Flexisnap closure that allows you to adjust the tightness around the neck. The collar also has the ability to be snapped in the open position to keep it out of the way. One other little thing to call out here though, the main zipper is one way, normally on a 3/4 you see a 2 way zipper so that it doesn’t bunch up at the chest in the riding position. The mesh paneling negates most of the bunching but there is still a bit where it transitions to the 3D mesh, it’d be nice to see a 2 way zipper in the next generation if they’re taking notes from us, haha.

The REV’IT! Levante 2 H2O jacket is a nice update on a popular style. The 3/4 mesh styling is something that isn’t found often, and their choice to include the hydratex® liner that works inside or over the top of the jacket makes this one versatile jacket. Aside from a couple of nit-picky call outs this jacket is fantastic, and it will work for riders looking for a mesh jacket that has ample storage and the option for waterproofing to get you through 3 seasons in most places and 4 seasons in a few! :: Mike, 08/11/2022