Klim Artemis ladies jacket review

The Artemis is Klim’s high-end, offering for ladies. And although Klim has positioned the Artemis as an adventure suit we fail to see the basis on which it could not be considered equally appropriate for any kind of road riding or touring. In fact, we think it will work incredibly well on the road. It will be better in this role than any other Klim outfit, and indeed we cannot think of many other suits out there that can match it for versatility. New for 2022, the suit is an upgrade on its predecessor, with more venting, more abrasion resistance, more storage space and more mobility.

Let’s talk first about the jacket; and then we’ll move onto the pant.

The jacket, and indeed the entire suit, is constructed with what is known as a two-layer Gore-Tex Performance Shell. That is to say that the Gore-Tex membrane is laminated to the inner surface of the outer chassis. And what this means is that Artemis will never ‘wet out’. It will never become sodden, soaking wet even in the longest and hardest of downpours.

For added strength, you get Armacor-style, panels made from 630 denier Cordura on the back pocket and across the chest. You also get SuperFabric, the most abrasion-resistant material you can use on a motorcycle garment, on the elbows and shoulders. If ever you go down the road, this is re-assuring stuff to have on your gear.

The jacket comes equipped with a full suite of Level 1 D3O; in the elbows, shoulders and back. This armour could be upgraded to Level 2, albeit at the expense of weight and mobility. The jacket, like the pant, is classified as AA under EN 17092.

Ventilation is always a big thing for Klim, and that’s what you would expect of an adventure suit, which is obviously what the Artemis suit was designed to be. And so you get zipped vents on the forearms, on the biceps, and across the chest. You also get two exhaust vents on the back of the jacket. To allow even more air to reach the body, there’s a drawstring arrangement at the neck. And as with most of Klim’s jackets, small elastic tabs allow the collar to be pinned back whilst riding.

The only thing that Klim seems to like more than venting is pockets. You get two water-resistant, hand pockets. There are two more Napoleon pockets on the chest. On the back of the jacket, there’s a huge map pocket. You get a small pocket on the left sleeve for an ID or credit card. Inside, you get four more pockets. Really, nobody needs that many pockets!

There’s a lot going on with the Artemis. It’s a jacket with a lot of moving parts. And that’s why Klim has done everything possible to make the jacket as wearable as possible. You get football pockets behind the shoulders, and a seamless gusset under the arms. Adjusters on the forearms and biceps. A clever, 360 degree adjuster strap around the waist. Two zippered, hip gussets. And a drawstring arrangement at the hem.

We could go on. A storm flap down the main zip, which is important when the mud starts to fly. Lots of 3M reflective banding. A Klimatek cooling mesh inside the jacket. A soft lining to the collar. Zips and Velcro straps at the ends of the sleeves. And so on. You even get what Klim calls a Molle-compatible utility panel on the right breast. Lastly, of course, there’s a zip that allows you to connect the jacket to the Artemis pant.

The price for all this loveliness? £750. Not a jacket for the occasional, weekend rider, perhaps. But perfect for those who harbour the ambition to, one day, venture further afield.

In terms of riding philosophy and construction, the Artemis pant pretty much mirrors the jacket.

It’s two-layer, laminated. It has 630 denier, Armacor-style panels in the seat, on the pockets, and inside the ankles. SuperFabric on the knees, D3O in the knees and hips, Scotchlite bands, and so on.

But on the pants you also get leather panels inside the knees. There are vents at the front and the back of the thighs. Two billowed, thigh pockets. Another Molle panel. Adjusters below the knees. A velcro belt arrangement at the waist. And long zips up the inside of the legs, with poppers to cinch the hem of the pant around off-road boots.

The pant therefore has a spec. That’s as good as the very best the market has to offer. In fact, as with the jacket, we don’t think there’s an adventure riding trouser for women that comes even close to matching its functionality. But it won’t work for everyone, or on everyone.

Now, one of the key problems with laminated garments is that they can be a little crunchy, and hence they’re not always the most comfortable to wear. And that’s because when you bond a sheet of membrane onto a fabric it becomes stiffer. Drop-liner jackets and pants, by contrast, are softer, more cosseting, and therefore ultimately nicer to ride in, and nicer to walk around in.

And so the Artemis pant was never going to the loveliest, but we think there is a particular issue with the Artemis pant. Basically, it is low waisted. It is not shaped to follow a woman’s curves. It will probably work best, therefore, on those of a less curvy disposition.

If you do have hips, you may find it difficult to pull on the Artemis pants that accord with your waist size. The solution, you might think, would be to go up a size, and this larger pair may go on more easily. But the problem is that they will then gape at the waist. And this makes sense, for you would be wearing a waist size that is not yours! All this is less than perfect. Braces will help in some cases. And the problem will not be so apparent when you zip the jacket into the pant. But still it is not ideal. And so, as we have implied, the pant will work well for some, but certainly not for all. Obviously, the only way to find out is to try them on.

The trousers cost £570.

The Artemis suit is a classic Klim adventure suit, in the mould of outfits like the Badlands and the the Carlsbad. It’s not the kind of suit you would wear for proper off-road riding. It is too heavy for that. And the membrane would mean you would find it difficult to stay cool when you’re running hot, even with all those vents

But if you are looking for a touring suit that is going to keep you totally dry in the wet, reasonably well vented when it’s hot, and totally protected when it all goes wrong, then the Artemis should be on your short list.

Of course the one thing that the Artemis does lack is any form of thermal protection. That has often been part of the Klim way. An outer shell beneath which you wear your own base and mid layers. And, frankly, that’s not a problem for us. Most thermal liners that come with motorcycle gear are not really up to much. You’re normally much better off with something Merino, or perhaps a down-filled layer.

What will put some people off the Artemis is that it’s not particularly comfortable. At least initially. A drop-liner suit from somebody like Halvarssons or even Rukka would be much nicer to wear and easier to live with. But the Artemis’s range of talents will always be greater than those of a drop-liner suit.

Of cou At a price of just over £1300, the suit is not inexpensive. And, of course, you will need to supply your own thermal, but this a suit that could take you all around the world. It wants for very little; and for all the different types of protections it offers you must expect to pay a proper price.

For more information and to buy online, click Klim Artemis ladies jacket.