Leatt MTB 4.0 pants and 2.0 jacket reviewed

Leatt has expanded its DBX bad-weather range with pants and jacket. We’ve been fighting through the winter filth in them to see how they perform

Leatt review
(Image: © Guy Kesteven)

BikePerfect Verdict

Leatt MTB 4.0 pants are durable and well-designed race pants for winter riding, while the 2.0 jacket offers some innovative features those who ride in the wet will be better-served upgrading to Leatt's 4.0 jacket

Pros

  • +

    Decent fit

  • +

    Well-considered and innovative features

  • +

    Durable construction

  • +

    Men's and women's verisons

Cons

  • -

    Sizing is a touch on the large size

Why trust BikePerfect Our cycling experts have decades of testing experience. We'll always share our unbiased opinions on bikes and gear. Find out more about how we test.

We’ve already reviewed Leatt’s weather beating DBX 5.0 (now renamed MTB 5.0) jersey and DBX 4.0 shorts so when the weather turned worse we jumped at the chance to try Leatt’s most affordable ‘waterproof’ jacket and their MTB pants. 

Leatt MTB 4.0 Pant

Well cut and durably built MTB pants for wintery riding

Price: £120 | Size: XS-XXXL (28-40in) | Colours: Onyx (tested), Sand, Black

High mobility fit
Weatherproof
Useful pockets
Relatively warm
Slightly oversized

The wide range of sizes is on the generous side so our mediums looked wrinkly off the bike. The multi-panel cut means on-bike fit was still good although stretch in the fabric meant we could have gone a size smaller for a snug fit. The pre-curved knees have plenty of room for full-on hard shell pads without constricting pedaling but they don’t feel flappy with slim or no pads. There’s a flap protected fly with a ratchet strap to take up slack in the waist while you’re riding. The upper seat and yoke are separate wrap panels with a zipped back pocket that’ll take a phone. There are two zipped hand pockets as well with a key loop in one for extra security. Heavy-duty fabric up the inner legs and seat panel is designed to increase wear resistance and the seamless design is particularly welcome if you don’t wear padded shorts. Small laser perforations below it and on the inner thigh reduce ‘personal perspiration’ but they’re relatively warm for a race pant. That’s obviously not an issue in colder conditions though and they get strategic rubberized details and a DWR splash/shower proofing coating that shrugs off a fair amount of water. They’re still pretty light when wet and dry fast quick.

The tapered lower leg keeps them out of your chain and they’re a decent length so there’s no awkward ankle gap but they can be tight on chunkier legs. The white lowers on our Onyx sample aren’t the most practical option and definitely gives them a motocross vibe. You can get more filth forgiving and less moto looking sand or black colors though.

Leatt MTB 2.0 jacket

Versatile fit and innovative features although material lets the jacket down in warm or wet conditions

Price: £120 | Sizes: XS-XXL | Colours: Black (tested), Sand, Cactus green

Versatile on/off bike style
Excellent hood design
Packs into pocket
Mesh lined mobility
Very expensive for spec
Not very waterproof
Not very breathable

Leatt does a range of three waterproof jackets with the 2.0 as the most affordable entry point. It gets some neat practical features too but the fabric holds back its performance.

Based around a relatively casual, boxy cut the MTB 2.0 looks good on and off the bike and the logos and offset reflective detailing give it a quality look. There’s some genuine innovation in the design too. Including a patent-pending idea using a magnet in the hood that connects to a separate magnet that you can stick onto your helmet so it doesn’t blow off at speed. The helmet also gets a drawstring around the face and on the back to control volume and stretch fit cuffs and hem to keep things snug and draught-free. There’s a popper secured strap across the sternum so you can unzip it without completely ballooning the jacket. The chest pocket is big enough for a phone and essentials or you can stuff the whole jacket into it for easy packing. The fabric is stain-resistant and it comes in full black (tested) or with a sand or cactus green lower body in a wide range of sizes. There’s a women’s version, too.

While a mesh liner keeps movement easy and helps spread sweat over a wide area for easy evaporation, the outer fabric has a really low 5000 WVT breathability rating. The low waterproofing rating means it can’t keep the rain out for long. As a result, it doesn’t take long to get wet from bad weather or from sweat even if you’re just cruising along. The Jacket 4.0 (£140) has a slightly higher spec fabric (10,000 WVT/10,000 waterproof) with big chest pocket zips that act as vents. It also adds a goggle wipe and reinforced elbows and shoulders and those features are carried over to the £200 5.0 jacket which gets a proper performance HydraDri fabric for a much drier life in wet weather and/or when you’re working hard.

Verdict

Leatt’s MTB 4.0's are a super comfortable, practically detailed race pant that works well on the trail even in grim weathers. Slightly generous sizing makes checking before you buy worthwhile though and the moto look won’t suit everyone. The jacket has some neat practical features in a good looking on or off-bike format, but low fabric performance lets it down.

Guy Kesteven
Technical-Editor-at-Large

Guy has been working on Bike Perfect since we launched in 2019. Hatched in Yorkshire he's been hardened by riding round it in all weathers since he was a kid. He spent a few years working in bike shops and warehouses before starting writing and testing for bike mags in 1996. Since then he’s written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of riding gear. To make sure he rarely sleeps and to fund his custom tandem habit, he’s also penned a handful of bike-related books and talks to a GoPro for YouTube, too.


Current rides: Cervelo ZFS-5, Forbidden Druid V2, Specialized Chisel, custom Nicolai enduro tandem, Landescape/Swallow custom gravel tandem

Height: 180cm

Weight: 69kg