The 4th generation Tornado series from REVIT boasts a redesigned rain layer configuration that can be fitted inside, or now, more logically, outside the jacket. This adds great 3-season versatility to what is, at its core, an excellent mesh summer jacket that’s backed up with serious abrasion resistant material and Level 2 armor in all the right places. The jacket also gets an updated color palette, including a smart tan/sand color, and in general retains the same great versatile 3- to 4-season performance that’s made it a staple on our shelves for years. The secret sauce is generous 3D mesh paneling that lets airflow through but stays lofted even when pressed flat against the body at speed. Sequels are rarely better than the originals, but by the 3rd or 4th iteration of a given product, you can bet that the manufacturer is on to something. And that indeed is the case with the Tornado 4, the fourth-generation summer-weight adventure jacket from REVIT that hits a sweet spot in the ven diagram of performance, price, versatility, and (subjectively) looks. Previous editions relied on a removable full-sleeve internal liner that provided a combination of thermal insulation plus waterproofing. We always emphasized the windproof nature of the liner, because while it would, technically, keep out water, the design uses the mesh-paneled shell as a sacrificial layer that will “wet up.” So despite technically staying dry underneath, as you rode at speed with a sopping wet, increasingly heavy shell, the evaporation would leach warmth when you need it most — riding the cold, wet, windchill.We’d always recommend also picking up a waterproof jacket over top for extended wet weather riding, but now the Tornado 4 solves that issue by including two separate full-sleeve liners—a thermal liner that fits inside the jacket, and a waterproof liner that fits either inside the shell or outside the jacket. Or even on its own, in a pinch. The waterproofing tech comes by way of REVIT’s proven 3L Hydratex material, which we’ve known to work well across a range of the company’s products. Outside of the liner saga, the Tornado 4 is an excellent standalone summer jacket. With all those extra layers removed, it is essentially a full mesh jacket with burly, adventure-ready reinforcements where it matters—at the elbows and shoulders, where CE Level 2 armor lies underneath. The elbow armor in particular is commendable for its extended length design that runs down the forearm, and has a small degree of adjustability via some internal Velcro pocket dividers. The matching REVIT house-brand SEEFLEX shoulder armor is nice, too, with its anatomically correct left/right specific design that seems to sit in just the right spot. Reflective logos at the sleeves complete the kit. Like all REVIT jackets this one is designed to accept the company’s size-specific RV series back protectors. CE AA RatedLevel 2 SEEFLEX shoulder and elbow armor included.Prepared for a size-specific REVIT RV back protectorTwo inner pocketsTwo slit pockets on frontWaterproof inner pocket within waterproof linerComes with a short-connection zipper to tie into pant.Two-way Collar Snap Closure System
