Klim Carlsbad jacket review 2026

Now if you just want the spec. and the cold facts about the new Carlsbad you can visit the website of any Klim stockist. You could even go direct to Klim's own website. But that's not our way. Of course, we will get into all the detailed stuff, but only when we've put the Carlsbad into a kind of context. So first we're going to talk about what the Carlsbad is, where it fits into the range, who it's designed for and why Klim has redesigned it.

And we'll be able to do this with a degree of objectivity because we don't write reviews like this purely to sell stuff. We produce them in order to inform. If after you've absorbed what we have to say, you feel that the Carlsbad is right for you then we'd be delighted if you wanted to buy it from us. But if you reckon it's not for you, then that's equally fine, because the last thing we want is to sell something to somebody that doesn't do what they want it to do.

And who knows? If the Carlsbad isn't what you're looking for we may have something that is.

What is the Carlsbad?

I am not going to spend too much time banging on about how we think an adventure suit should be configured.

But basically we don't really buy into the notion that a proper adventure suit should be equipped with a laminated waterproof membrane. And that's because if you're riding somewhere really hot, or if you're generating your own heat off road, the last thing you want anywhere near your body is a waterproof membrane of any description; let alone a laminated one.

If you're working up a sweat and want to avoid heat exhaustion, your sweat needs to be be able to evaporate through a process known as 'evaporative cooling'. This is the body's natural mechanism for cooling itself down; but the problem is that this won't happen anywhere near as effectively as it could do if your outer wear incorporates a membrane that impedes the garment's breathability.

But really all this comes down to is an interpretation as to what adventure riding is. And clearly Klim's interpretation is one where a key consideration is staying dry from the rain.

And that's fine, but for us that makes the Carlsbad more of a touring suit with off-road capabilities and an adventure aesthetic.

If you're really going to be riding somewhere exotically hot, or if you’re going to be working your nuts off in the rough stuff and generating lots of your own heat, we'd go for Klim’s Baja S4, the Klim Induction or the Klim Marrakesh in preference to the Carlsbad.

But if you are looking for a suit that does a bit of everything, then the Carlsbad might not be a bad call.

Where does the Carlsbad sit in the Klim range

Let's, for now, ignore Klim's high-airflow outfits, and look at just their Gore-Tex ones. Klim does two outfits that, in their parlance, they term 'touring' suits. These are the Kodiak and the Latitude. They're both Gore-Tex laminated outfits, but we have found that neither fits quite the way we would expect a touring suit to fit; and so we no longer offer them. I suppose the truth is that we feel we have the touring and commuting space better covered by a number of the European brands.

Now, in what they term the 'adventure' category, Klim has the Badlands and the Carlsbad.

The Badlands is their flagship outfit. It’s the suit that made Klim famous. They have thrown everything at it. The best of the best. It has more pockets, more vents and more features. It’s a suit of many moving parts.

These days, though, even Klim talks about the Badlands being designed for the 'world traveller'. And indeed if you were going to spend years on the road, and wanted something badass that could stand up to the worst you could throw at it; and to do so year after year; then the Badlands might indeed be the perfect suit for you.

But it is big and heavy and, for us, there's just too much going on. It is not particularly comfortable to ride in, in our view. It is even less comfortable off the bike. And although we understand that there is a different aesthetic on the other side of the pond, we just don't think that its boxy look works over here. Well certainly we've never seen the person it looks right on. The Badlands is a feat of engineering, but for us it's just too much. It may work over there, but over here not so much, in our opinion.

Which leaves the Carlsbad.

It's the only Klim Gore-Tex suit we offer. It's lighter and easier to live with than the Badlands. Its waterproofing is guaranteed for life. And it's going to be more than sufficiently vented for most riders in most of the situations in which they might find themselves.

We think it's Klim's best laminated suit, which is why we are happy to range it.

Who will the Klim Carlsbad work for?

Klim is 'the' adventure brand. They have long owned that particular space, although these days there are lots of pretenders; from Fox and Leatt to Adventure Spec. and even Revitt.

But they've all got a lot of catching up to do; and it’s still a fact that if you've got yourself an adventure bike, and you want to look the part, the Klim brand is the one to go for.

The truth, however, certainly in the UK and probably throughout Europe too, is that 99% of adventure bikes never leave the beaten track. And that's not just us talking; that's pretty much the official BMW line too.

The modern adventure bike is a bike that will do everything. Yes, if you are an off-road God you could take your GS into unchartered territories, but an adventure bike excels when it comes to touring and high-mileage commuting; as well as pretty much everything in between. If you are looking for the Swiss Army knife of two-wheeled transport then it's probably an adventure bike you want.

And if you're looking for a suit that is similarly versatile, then the Carlsbad is potentially the perfect option.

The Carlsbad is a suit you could commute into work in every day. You'd also be happy touring the world in a Carlsbad, although go too far south, and you might still reach what the Peter Principle would suggest is its 'level of incompetence'.

So if it is true that the adventure bike is the Swiss Army knife of two wheels, then the Carlsbad is probably the Swiss Army knife of motorcycle apparel! It does a lot of things. And that means it’s going to work for a lot of people in a lot of situations.

Why Klim has redesigned the Carlsbad

The Carlsbad has been around for donkeys years. This new version is its fourth iteration. And if the Badlands is the brand's flagship outfit, then the Carlsbad is its bedrock.

Perhaps the primary reason for the change is that Gore has updated all of its laminated membranes for new ones that do not incorporate what are known as 'forever' chemicals. Gore is intent on getting out in front of this particular environmental issue, and has stopped making fabrics with membranes that contain ePTFE chemicals. But under EN17092 whenever you change a garment's outer fabric you have to re-test it for abrasion resistance.

Now in common with many other brands Klim has chosen to turn this necessity in to an opportunity by updating the suit.

But, for Klim, there's another change that would also have necessitated re-testing. And that is a new range of armour that the company has created to replace the D3O that it has for many years fitted into its garments. Whether that's about increasing margins or improving levels of protection we will never really know. Conceivably, of course, it could be both.

But as with a change in the outer fabric, you have to retest a garment if you change the armour.

Anyway, on two grounds Klim had no choice but to create a new iteration of the Carlsbad for 2026. And so, as we have suggested, they have used this as a reason to upgrade, and hopefully improve, the suit.

The Klim Carlsbad jacket

The new jacket is very similar to the old one, and from ten metres you probably wouldn't be able to distinguish between them.

So it's the same 2-layer Gore-Tex Performance Shell construction. Now two layer is lighter than three layer. It is potentially less robust, but very few riders will ever get to test that hypothesis, and as two-layer is still guaranteed to be waterproof for life, we tend to think that two-layer is the best option for most riders.

There are three different weights of fabric employed in the jacket's make up. There's a 630 denier Ripstop Cordura used in the more vulnerable Zone 1 areas, namely the elbows and shoulders where the abrasion demands are greatest under EN17092. There's a lighter 400 denier material that forms the body of the jacket. The pockets use a lighter 200 denier fabric.

Like its predecessor the Carlsbad is AA rated under EN17092; and frankly in a supposed adventure jacket you wouldn't want more than that. And certainly you wouldn’t need it.

The pockets look a bit different on the new jacket, but essentially offer the same level of accommodation. On the chest you get one larger pocket and one smaller one. There's then an even smaller one on the left chest pocket to take something like a set of earplugs. Down below you get two flap pockets. Klim loves a pocket, so inside you get no less than five mesh pockets, including a hidden one behind the back protector that's large enough to house a passport.

Now interestingly Klim talks about the zips on the Carlsbad, including the ones on the pockets, being only water resistant. Now insofar as the pockets are concerned, therefore, we are prepared to claim that they too are only water resistant.

he Carlsbad is reasonably well vented, but it's not the most vented jacket in the category. So you get two vents on the chest. You also get two-way zips at the ends of the sleeves that can act as vents. Now we used to suggest that such vents work best when zipped down from the top, but these days we tend to take a different view. Undo the zip from the cuff and you will allow air to run up the sleeves to the body. Lastly, you get two long zips on the back that act as exhaust vents.

One thing that confuses us a little is that Klim also claims that the vent zips are only water resistant. And on one level that is concerning because if the rain passes through a vent zip on a laminated jacket it can reach the body. But this isn't Klim's first rodeo. And Gore would not have approved the vents if they weren't watertight because if you ever get wet in the Carlsbad, Gore will be obliged to replace it. What there is behind the zips are small storm flaps. The don’t look like much, but clearly everybody thinks they will do the job.

Lastly, on the subject of zips and waterproofing, what Klim acknowledges is that the main reason for water ingress on a laminated garment is a partially undone zip; and so they have redesigned the zip garages to make it less likely that you'll forget to fasten a zip securely.

When it comes to adjustability, you get straps on the biceps and on the forearms. There's a drawstring in the hem which can come in handy on a jacket with such a boxy shape. There are zips with Velcro flaps at the ends of the sleeves. You also get a revised drawstring arrangement in the collar; apparently it will work better for people with long hair!

As on many Klim jackets there are tabs to hold the collar open to allow more air to enter the jacket when you’re riding in warmer conditions. The collar is soft lined with something like neoprene; and whatever that material is it’s used at the front of the neck to make it more comfortable against the throat.

What else? There's some reflective detailing. And a short connecting zip. That's about it.

Which brings us finally to the armour. Now Klim tells us that they have been developing their new armour for some five years. And I have to say that we like it. It’s Level 2, as indeed the D3O was in the previous version. But it's lighter, thinner, softer, more flexible and much much more breathable than the old armour. Importantly, Klim reckons that one of the reasons they created it was because they wanted armour to pass the 'hot' test in the way that the old D3O didn’t.

Now normally when a brand ditches D3O for another brand of protector it signals cost cutting, but whilst developing their own armour may benefit Klim’s finances in the long term, in the short term their new Rogue armour seems to represent numerous upsides with no apparent downsides.

The Klim Carlsbad pant

As we often point out, a suit's pant will nearly always match the jacket in terms of materials and construction.

And that applies as much to the Carlsbad as to any outfit. So there’s the same two-layer Gore-Tex laminated construction. The same use of 200, 400 and 630 denier Cordura. Like the jacket, the pants come with Klim's new Rogue Level 2 armour. And the same AA rating for abrasion resistance under EN17092.

The pockets have changed. On the old Carlsbad the main pockets were top entry; on the new pants they’re side entry. Klim reckons that this makes it easier to access them on the move. And we would tend to agree. As with the jacket, Klim claims that the zips on the pocket are only water resistant. Now, to be fair, the pockets are protected with large storm flaps, but we are still only going to claim that the pockets are water resistant, and not waterproof.

As with the previous incarnation you get incoming and outgoing vents on the thighs. Again the zips are only water-resistant, but in the case of the vents the zips are again backed with little storm flaps to prevent water ingress.

At the waist you get two elasticated adjusters to cinch the fit. Now on a trouser like this we always recommend braces, but we are not great fans of the braces produced by Klim. At the front, the braces attach to loops; and that works fine. But at the back a Velcro flap attaches to the hanging tag; and frankly that's not a sufficiently reliable system. All too often the loop that is sewn into the waist band comes adrift. I have to say that we would probably go for Richa's somewhat ferocious clip braces.

As with the jacket you get a bit of reflective detailing for better nighttime visibility. You get volume adjusters behind the knees. And leather up the insides of the legs for better grip on the tank. At the bottom of the leg there’s a long enough zip and a three-position poppered adjuster.

Which brings me, finally, to the way the Carlsbad pants fit.

As we have suggested, the Klim aesthetic is on the baggier, looser side. And that's potentially important with an adventure pant where you might find yourself standing on the pegs and moving around a lot. A wider fit on a pant like this is also important because they are very much intended to be worn with larger off-road boots.

And that is fine, but the legs on the Carlsbad are wider than you'll find on many adventure pants; certainly we've rarely come across pants as wide. The downside here is that they can look a bit ridiculous with a pair of slimmer touring boots. They can look even more ridiculous with an ankle boot.

There's another thing about the fit.

Over the years we have often found that the knee armour in Klim's pants didn't sit in the right place. It is adjustable, but a little too often for our liking we find that it sits too high. Now we have spoken to Klim on many occasions about this, but never has there been an acknowledgement that there was an issue. Now that could just be a corporate stance never to acknowledge errors. Or it could be that our American cousins don't know where armour should sit. We don’t know.

It's too early to say, but we are hoping that the matter has been addressed on this new version of the Carlsbad pant. Only time will tell us whether there has been a change. Certainly the new softer armour will help a little to disguise any issues, but as ever there is a right position for the armour and a wrong one. All we can say is that we hope the problem has gone away.

But what this does suggest is that visiting a store to try the Carlsbad pants on before you buy might be beneficial. Klim's fit is different. If you get the right waist size and the right leg length, if the armour sits where it should, and if they work with your boots, the Carlsbad pants can be terrific. But getting to that point can be challenging. And trying to do it online can be frustrating.

And so our advice if you want get it right first time, is to visit not only a Klim stockist but one, like us, that holds all the sizes in the store. And frankly given that these pants come in seven waist sizes and three leg lengths you won’t find many, if any, shops that do!

In conclusion

The Carlsbad, in our view, is the most wearable, waterproof outfit in the Klim range.

Like all of Klim’s gear, it is well put together. It will stand up to heaps of abuse. We get very, very few warranty issues with Klim’s gear. The same goes for waterproofing, although if there were to be an issue that would quickly be resolved by Gore.

On the subject of warranty, Klim says theirs is a lifetime one. But obviously wear and tear is excluded, so even we are not sure what a lifetime warranty really means.

This new version of the Carlsbad is very similar to the old one. Most of the changes represent minor points of detail.

The most significant change is to the protectors, and I have to say that we like the look of Klim’s new Rogue armour. It seems like a worthwhile upgrade in just about every regard.

But before you take the plunge you need to understand what the Carlsbad is.

A lot of adventure bike riders go for Klim because they are attracted by the badge, and the kudos and acceptance that they feel it will confer upon them.

But that’s not a great rationale for choosing your motorcycle clothing.

Klim’s stuff is great. We are huge fans. It’s an important brand for us, but we don’t like the idea of anybody buying from us gear that is not appropriate for their requirements. Which is why we go to such lengths to explain how gear works, and to manage expectations.

The Carlsbad is our favourite Klim suit. But it’s not like a set of aluminium panniers. It’s not just an accessory that you bolt on because you’ve got an adventure bike.

For many people the Carlsbad will be a great choice. For some it will be the perfect option. But it won’t work for everybody; and you need to work out whether it’s the best suit for the kind of riding you do. As always, and especially if you’re spending this kind of money, you need to make sure that your heart doesn’t rule your head.

And then there’s the fit. Klim’s gear doesn’t fit like European brands; it just doesn’t. And before you take the leap and buy the Carlsbad, you need to make sure you get the sizes that are going to work best for you. On the internet that will be difficult. As indeed it will be in one of the multiples, because however big the store they won’t hold all the sizes on the shop floor. Some shops will order stuff in for you to try, but go down that route and it could still take an age to get it right.

Without doubt we’re the best place to come if you want to make sure the Carlsbad is the right suit for you. And that’s partly, as we have suggested, because we’re probably the only people to hold all the sizes in store. But it’s also because we’re the only retailer who will tell you if it’s not going to work for you!

If you are serious about the Carlsbad, you know where we are.

For more information and to buy online, click Klim Carlsbad suit.