Riding Gear for Animal Lovers (and Shredders): Animoz First Ride

If you love animals and good riding gear, this one is for you!

Animoz is a French clothing brand with a unique twist: 3% of their profits go to associations involved with the protection of animals. Needless to say, they also believe in eco-friendly sourcing and sustainable, socially accountable manufacturing. You may have come across their logo already as they have been a lifestyle apparel sponsor of Amaury Pierron for a couple of seasons, and now they have launched a riding wear collection as well. We’ve put a few select items to the test, read on to find out what we think of them.

Animoz Wild Pant Highlights

  • PETA-certified (Vegan friendly) 
  • 4-way stretch fabric
  • Silverplus antibacterial treatment
  • Ecological water repellency treatment (C6DWR)
  • Laser cut vents
  • 3 zippered pockets and 2 open pockets
  • Micrometric waist closure
  • MSRP: €129,95 EUR

Animoz Wild Short Highlights

  • PETA-certified (Vegan friendly) 
  • 4-way stretch fabric, lightweight and soft
  • Breathable and quick drying
  • Laser cut vents
  • 3 zippered pockets and 2 open pockets
  • Micrometric waist closure
  • MSRP: €79,95 EUR

Animoz Wild LS Jersey Highlights

  • PETA-certified (Vegan friendly) 
  • 4-way stretch fabric, lightweight and soft
  • Breathable and quick drying
  • Laser cut vents
  • Microfiber goggle wipe
  • Card pocket
  • Abrasion-resistant fabric used for sleeves
  • Silverplus antibacterial treatment
  • MSRP: €59,95 EUR

Animoz Wild SS Jersey Highlights

  • PETA-certified (Vegan friendly) 
  • 4-way stretch fabric, lightweight and soft
  • Breathable and quick drying
  • Microfiber goggle wipe
  • Card pocket
  • Silverplus antibacterial treatment
  • MSRP: €49,95 EUR

Animoz Wild Glove Highlights

  • PETA-certified (Vegan friendly) 
  • Lightweight and soft fabrics
  • Breathable and quick drying
  • Smartphone compatible
  • Silicone grip pads on 3 fingers
  • Silverplus antibacterial treatment
  • MSRP: €29,95 EUR

Initial Impressions

The Animoz gear shows up in eco-friendly and minimalistic packaging, setting a responsible tone from the outset. The apparel itself is very well put together, with great attention to materials and workmanship. Everything is made from a combination of recycled polyester (derived from plastic bottles) and spandex, which we’ve seen in several other apparel items from other brands lately. Animoz also uses hemp in their lifestyle collections.

Starting with the pant, we find a sturdy yet not too heavy item that was made for enduro and DH riding. It features a whopping five pockets, three of which are equipped with waterproof zippers. The fabric itself is not waterproof, but treated with C6DWR which makes the garment water repellent. There’s a “micrometric” ratchet that provides adjustability at the waist, and laser cut ventilation holes behind the knee for added airflow.

Moving on to the short, the overall cut is similar to the pant but the fabric used is of lighter weight (and there is no water repellency treatment here, although the zippers are still of the waterproof variety). The short sports the same five pockets as the pant, and there are laser cut ventilation holes on the inside of the thighs here as well.

The long sleeve jersey is made from a mid-weight polyester fabric, with a thinner but more abrasion-resistant fabric used for the sleeves. There is a small pocket for a credit card or a lift pass, and a small goggle wipe inside the bottom hem as well. A non-stretchy band sits around the whole inside hem, presumably to help the jersey keep its shape in this area.

The short sleeve jersey is made from the same fabric as the main panels of the long sleeve version, without the abrasion-resistant sleeves. The other features are the same as well.

To conclude this overview section, the gloves are made from a combination of recycled polyester and faux-suede for the palm area. You get touch-screen compatible threads sewn into two of the fingers, and a small Velcro strap to adjust the cuffs. Three fingers feature silicone grippers, and there is a patch of faux suede to reinforce the area between the thumb and the index finger. A small micro-fiber snot/sweat wiper on the thumb completes the feature list.

On The Trail

The fabric of the pant is very soft on the inside, and the cut and sizing are pretty much spot on. This tester has an 87 cm inseam (slightly longer than average for his 1m84 height), and typically wears a 33 or a 34. The size L(34) is perfect in length, not too short and not too long. The waist adjuster provides enough margin to cinch down, with a couple of clicks left before reaching the tightest setting. The cut is slim without being French-DH-racer-bro tight, and there is enough room for a standard kneepad (a thick hard shell pad may be an issue for some, depending on how voluminous your knee is to start with). In action, the pant is awesome – sturdy without being heavy, and breathable enough to use also for more pedal-intensive rides. The 4-way stretch fabric accompanies your movements with ease, and the five pockets provide a storage solution no matter how you prefer to distribute your cargo. If you crash a lot you may want to look for something with abrasion-resistant patches over the knees, but for everybody else, this pant will put a smile on your face.

Moving onto the short, we find a lighter weight fabric with the same great cut and features as on the pant. The result is a short that breathes really well and that will simply make itself forgotten within minutes of starting the ride. Definitely an instant favorite!

The main jersey fabric weighs in sort of in the middle of the typical range – not too heavy, but not super light either. The fabric is very soft to the touch and does a good job of staying comfortable when you get sweaty. We’d recommend it for cool to warm climate zones, perhaps not the best choice when it gets really hot and/or humid outside. The sleeves on the long-sleeve version are a nice touch, the abrasion-resistant fabric provides a little extra protection against branches and thorns and will keep your arms out of the sun as well for those long days up in the bike park for example.

The glove fits well, if a tiny little bit on the small side – especially with regards to the length of the fingers. The pre-curved shape works well enough once your hands grip the bars, but some may find that they want a little bit more room for the fingertips. Other than that, the glove is very comfortable and provides good grip. The touchscreen compatible threads sewn into the index finger and the thumb function as intended, and the small Velcro strap does a good job of securing the cuff. The snot/sweat wipe is on the smaller side but ticks the box.

What’s The Bottom Line?

We’re always a little bit suspicious of lifestyle brands who suddenly decide to make riding gear, but any such concerns regarding Animoz proved to be unfounded. The pant, short, and jerseys tick all the boxes when it comes to fit and functionality, with comfortable fabrics and perfect cuts. The gloves are equally functional and will make great companions as you look to complete your look. Eco-friendly, socially accountable and sustainable manufacturing should also make you feel better about your impact on the planet, and with the company donating 3% of its profits to support organizations who work to protect animals, our furry little friends will thank you too.

More information at: animoz-clothing.fr.


About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 49 // Years Riding MTB: 17 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord and Nils Hjord

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