It can be overwhelming when it comes to purchasing mountain bike apparel. With so many brands on the market today, how do you know what the best mountain bike apparel brands are?
Here we have come up with a list of brands that have some of the best biking gear on the market.
Having good quality apparel makes a big difference to comfort when you are out on your bike, so the brand you choose is important.
The top brands that we recommend are Fox, Endura, Mons Royale, Pearl Izumi and Troy Lee Designs. That’s in no particular order, so be sure to check out a bit more about them below!
Fox
Fox is a California-based company that has been in the mountain and motocross industry for a long time. They started way back in 1974 with motocross suspension. Their hand-built high-quality gear was a success, and it wasn’t long before they branched out into the apparel scene with motocross and MTB jerseys in 1974.
These days in the mountain bike world, Fox are renowned for their high-quality, suspension, apparel, and protective gear. It’s hard to avoid brands like Fox while mountain biking and there is a reason why. They provide great quality gear at reasonable prices. Hence they made this list.
Fox does it all when it comes to apparel. They have both summer and winter gear, as well as everything in between. Not to mention the range of styles that come with that. If you’re looking for apparel, then you can’t look past Fox gear.
Check out Fox gear at Backcountry.
Endura
Endura was founded in Scotland back in 1993. Today they are one of the leading cycle clothing manufacturers with partnerships with some of the biggest athletes.
They also buck the trend as the majority of their products are still manufactured in Scotland, and they are looking at expanding production there.
Endura has a very strong passion for ensuring that their clothing is made fairly and that those who make it get a fair wage. For any manufacturer outside of Scotland, one of their quality team will personally visit and make sure the staff are treated well and that there are no signs of child labor.
Further backing Endura’s ethics, they are committed to sustainability right through their production. Trying to use recycled materials as much as possible and offering a repair service for their gear to prevent it from being unnecessarily thrown away. Not only that, they have pledged to plant 1 million trees per year right through to 2030, which is awesome!
Similar to Pearl Izumi, Endura has a huge range of mountain bike apparel ranging from socks and gloves right the way through to waterproof jackets and pants.
They have partnered with some of the top athletes, which means their gear is well-tested and they are constantly developing their gear to make sure it is durable and will stand the test of time.
All in all, they are a great company and provide a huge range of mountain bike apparel that is sure not to disappoint.
Shop Endura apparel at Backcountry.
Mons Royale
Mons Royale started in New Zealand in 2009 and since then has gone global with over 40 staff. It was founded by Hannah and Hamish Acland, who were high-country farmers with a passion for adventure sports. This gave them a very powerful skill set to provide some of the best outdoor gear in the world.
Mons Royale is very much a premium brand that focuses there products around Merino Wool, which is one if not the best performing natural fibers you can get. It has a range of benefits that lend itself well to mountain biking, such as being; odor-resistant, anti-bacterial, cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cool, excellent moisture-wicking capabilities without feeling wet and a superfast dry time. For more on Mons Royales merino and its benefits, check out their information page here.
Mons Royale creates a wide range of Merino outdoor and casual gear. Their main offering to mountain biking apparel is their mountain bike shorts and tops range. They are great, and as a further testament to their gear, Mons Royale is my favorite MTB shorts and are the one I reach for first when I am heading for the trails!
To be honest, they are a brand I can really get behind. They create top-quality products, support adventure athletes, including mountain bikers and have a real focus on sustainability and the environment. They have integrated sustainability right through their production, from farming right through to packaging and shipping.
Although their products are expensive compared to some other MTB apparel brands, if you have the budget, then it is well worth it!
Check out their range here.
Pearl Izumi
Pearl Izumi was actually founded in Tokyo wayy back in 1950. Today they are one of the largest bike apparel manufacturers.
Pearl Izumi is another one of those great brands that are optimizing everything they do to benefit the environment and have set lofty goals to reduce their carbon footprint.
Unlike the other brands on this list, Pearl Izumi creates apparel for both road and mountain biking and everything else in between. They also have a wide range of more casual gear that you can rep while not on the bike.
Pearl Izumi has a huge range of bike apparel, not just mountain bike shorts and jerseys. They have everything from shoes, shorts, pants, jerseys, and rain jackets, plus much more. If you can think of some mountain bike apparel, chances are Pearl Izumi will have it.
While brands like Mons Royale have a strong focus on using natural fibers to create great gear. Pearl Izumi has a different approach that they have held from the start. They innovate and create fibers that are designed to do a specific job.
For example, they have a range of trademarks on some of the technologies that they have created. Such as their unique Chamois fiber technology or their water-shedding fabric. If you want to check out their range of unique materials, you can see it all here.
Pearl Izumi stands behind its gear and offers an incredible lifetime warranty and free in-house repairs. Not only is this looking after their customers it is also part of their sustainability plan. Throwing away old gear doesn’t sit right with them, and we agree if it can be fixed, it should be fixed.
So, if you are after great affordable gear that will do exactly what it’s supposed to, then Pearl Izumi will be the brand for you. They have a huge range of apparel at affordable prices. What’s not to like?
Check out their gear at Backcountry.
Troy Lee Designs
Troy Lee Designs (TLD) is based out of California, and that’s right, you guessed it, it was founded by Troy Lee in 1981.
The start of Troy Lee Designs might not surprise you, given the standout look of their gear. It started when Troy Lee was a teenager and loved bikes and art. Hence he would end up painting custom helmets for himself and his mates in his garage. It was a huge hit and soon grew beyond the realms of a garage.
Although they started out by painting custom helmets. It wasn’t long until they started developing their own helmets and apparel. All still with standout unique designs worthy of TLD signature.
Troy Lee Designs have stuck with their roots and still only focus on mountain biking and motocross, where they make some great apparel. Such as helmets and other protective equipment like knee and elbow pads.
TLD has a great apparel range where you’ll find gear ranging from lightweight summer mountain bike gear right the way through to thick protective warm winter gear. They do it all.
As well as a huge range of MTB apparel, they come in lots of different unique styles. Troy Lee won’t put his signature on gear that doesn’t live up to their style and expectations.
So, if you are looking for gear that is both high quality, durable and with standout designs. Troy Lee Designs will be the apparel choice for you.
Wrap Up
Well, there you have it. That’s our list of the best mountain bike apparel brands. I am confident that whatever you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
Take a look at what each of them has to offer and go for the one that has the right style and type of apparel for you.
If you are keen to learn more about mountain bike apparel, check out our in-depth guide with everything you need to know.
