MSR NXT AIR Gear Set

What it is

• Premium vented gear offering from MSR.
• Based off of MSR's premier NXT line of gear.

MSR’s newest lineup of gear is the NXT Air gear. It is based off of the NXT line with added ventilation. The jersey features HYPERFLO vents on the main chassis of the jersey and HYPERFLO high-vent fabric along the sides and cuffs of the jersey. The breathable graphics are sublimated into the jersey and are claimed to be fade resistant while the Lycra collar provides comfort. Lastly, the cuffs are low profile with Micro-Rib stretch panels.

The NXT Air pants is MSR’s hot weather pant with large vented thigh panels and backside exhaust panels to optimize airflow for better ventilation. The main part of the pant is made of a lightweight 450 denier Oxford material while the saddle area is comprised of a higher wear denier 650 material claimed to maximize its lifetime. The upper knee, groin, and calf panels feature a stretch material paired with a triple-panel domed knee design for optimal fit and movement. Lastly, premium cowhide leather placed in the inner knees resist heat and wear.   

Finally, MSR’s NXT Air glove has an ergonomic pre-curved fit and finger flex gussets with mesh vents to allow for better ventilation. With breathable backhand fabrics and a perforated palm, more airflow is claimed. Direct-injected rubber pieces help protect against roost while silicon traction on the palms help with better lever control. Lastly, a shorter cuff with an adjustable rubber strap holds the glove on and reinforced thumb panels help prevent blisters.

The jersey and gloves are available in sizes SM-2XL and the pants are available in sizes 28-38. They come in colors White/Cyan/Navy, White/Grey/Red, White/Grey/Black, and lastly White/Green/Black

How it works

• Good amount of airflow in jersey.
• Comfortable to wear.
• Adjustable side straps and ratchet closing system do a good job keeping the pants from falling down.

After a great experience utilizing MSR’s older Max Air gear for many years, I knew I’d like to try the new NXT Air gear in hopes of having the same results. When first getting the gear, the amount of holes in the jersey appear to be much less than what the previous Max Air gear had. However, after riding in it, it performed just as well. It does a good job of letting air in while keeping dust and dirt out. Even when riding in 100+ degree temperatures, the air flow through the vents kept the upper body from overheating. The collar has a nice fit where it’s not too tight or too loose and it doesn’t go down too far allowing dirt to get under the jersey.

The pants have a comfortable fit and feel to them and I had pretty good mobility. The stretch panels in the groin area allow for easy leg movement and for a shorter rider like me, this feature is very nice as getting on the bike can be a problem since I have to lift my leg much higher than normal. The vented panels on the thighs provide some good airflow and keep the sweat down a bit. The leather does a good job of keeping the heat off the knees and hasn’t deteriorated at all. The zipper hasn’t fallen down or broke and it also hasn’t gotten stuck when zipping it up and down.

With the ratchet closing system and the adjustable side straps, finding a good fit around the waist was no problem. I never had any problems with the straps or ratchet coming loose while riding and the pants didn’t want to fall down which could be a huge problem. The elastic waistband didn’t bunch up for me and had a consistent feel around the whole waist. I also didn’t have a problem with moving around inside the pant when sitting which helps keep me from sliding back on the seat.

The gloves provide a very comfortable fit and a lightweight feeling. I don’t like having a bulky/heavy glove but this one definitely fulfills my needs. I even prefer this one over the NXT glove since it feels much lighter and slimmer and also has less material on the palm. However, I still prefer the Max Air glove from a few years ago with minimalist material and a strapless design. I didn’t have a problem with sweating a lot inside the glove and the vents on the index and middle fingers helped with this.

The fit of the jersey and pants are a little big and I actually ordered a size smaller than what I normally would run. I’ve always preferred to run a little larger pant for more leg room but with these I am able to use my regular size of 30 rather than 32 while having a comfortable fit. Likewise, the jersey isn’t too snug and allows for a chest protector to be run underneath with no problems. Also, the area around the knees on the pants have plenty of extra space and they fit very good with knee braces. But if you only wear knee pads, there’s a lot of extra space inside the pant and I found that folding over that extra material in the back kept it much tighter once my boots were on. Additionally, the gloves fit spot on.

For the most part, the gear set held up pretty well. The pants don’t have any holes or tears in them and the gloves are also resisting wear even in the thumbs which I have proven to be very hard on. The jersey; however, does have a little bit of deterioration in the high-vent material on the cuffs. Some of the stitching in the vents is coming apart but no tears have appeared after plenty of hours of riding and multiple washings. Lastly, the graphics haven’t faded at all but the white on the jersey, like any, is prone to stains from mud.

When compared to their old vented gear line, Max Air, the NXT Air pants weigh much less. As a result of this and the added vents, my legs didn’t get as hot in the new pants. Price wise, it isn’t the cheapest vented gear out there since it’s incorporated into their top of the line gear set; however, it also isn’t the most expensive either.

Overall, MSR’s new NXT Air gear is a great set of vented gear that performs well in the hottest temperatures whether you’re riding through the desert or flying through the air on a motocross track. It features top quality materials that are breathable yet durable which is what you want when riding in all conditions throughout the year. On top of that, it has clean and good looking graphics to keep you looking fast at all times.

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