If you have shopped for motorcycle kit online you will have read the phrase “CE approved armour” hundreds of times. It sounds like a guarantee about the jacket. It is not. It is a statement about the foam pads inside it.
These are two entirely separate certifications, testing two entirely different things, and the gap between them is where most of the confusion in this market lives.
The two standards
EN 1621 certifies impact protectors — the armour inserts.
- EN 1621-1 covers limb protectors: shoulder, elbow, hip, knee
- EN 1621-2 covers back protectors
Each is rated Level 1 or Level 2, measured by how much force passes through the pad when it is struck. Level 2 transmits less. That is all these numbers describe: the performance of a piece of foam under a hammer.
EN 17092 certifies the garment. The whole thing — the shell, the seams, the zips, the way the armour is positioned and retained, and how the assembled jacket behaves when a body slides down a road inside it.
Armour is certified to EN 1621. Jackets are certified to EN 17092. A jacket can contain fully certified armour and hold no garment certification whatsoever.
What EN 17092 actually tests
This is worth knowing, because it explains why the two are not interchangeable.
Impact abrasion. Material specimens are mounted and slid onto a concrete tile at a set speed, simulating a 75kg rider coming off. To pass, no hole of 5mm or more may appear in the layer closest to the body. Armour has nothing to do with this test. Abrasion is about the shell.
Seam strength, by zone. The standard divides the garment into zones by crash risk, and every distinct seam type, zip and protector-pocket seam in each zone is tested. A jacket is only as good as the thread holding it together — plenty of garments have adequate leather and seams that open on first contact.
Tear strength. Tested on every material forming the structurally strong layer, individually. Materials cannot be tested as a combination, so a thin shell cannot be rescued by counting the lining.
Dimensional stability. If the garment can be washed or dry cleaned, it must not change size by more than ±5%.
Two-piece connection. On a two-piece suit, the connecting zip is loaded to 100N for 60 seconds with no gapping permitted.
Fit and ergonomics. An assessor wears it and performs a set series of movements. Armour that shifts off the joint when you get into a riding position fails, no matter what the armour itself is rated.
None of that is captured by the phrase “CE armour.”
The class letters
Garments certified to EN 17092 carry a class:
| Class | Part | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| AAA | EN 17092-2 | Highest abrasion and impact protection. Heaviest and least flexible |
| AA | EN 17092-3 | The practical high standard for road and most track use |
| A | EN 17092-4 | Lower abrasion requirement. Lighter garments |
| B | EN 17092-5 | Abrasion equivalent to Class A, but no impact protectors |
| C | EN 17092-6 | Impact protection only, no minimum abrasion. Worn over or under other kit — a back protector or armoured base layer |
Class C is the one most often misread. A Class C garment is not a lesser jacket; it is not a jacket at all in protective terms. It is a supplement.
Why it isn't self-declared
Motorcycle protective clothing is Category II PPE. That means certification cannot be self-assessed by the manufacturer — it requires type-examination by an independent Notified or Approved Body, who test samples and issue a certificate.
That certificate names the body, carries a number, names the specific product, and is valid for a maximum of five years.
This is the part that matters commercially. Testing costs real money and takes months, which is why a great deal of gear sold online has certified armour dropped into an uncertified shell. The armour certificate comes free with the armour.
How to check a claim in thirty seconds
Look for four things. Not one of them, all four.
- A class letter — AAA, AA, A, B or C. If a garment is certified, this is printed on the label. Vagueness here is the tell
- The standard cited as EN 17092, not only EN 1621
- A named Notified or Approved Body and a certificate number. “CE approved” with no number attached is not a certification claim, it is a marketing phrase
- A UKCA or CE mark on the garment, with the manufacturer's name and postal address
You can verify a body's four-digit number against the EU NANDO database or the UK Approved Bodies register. A seller who holds real certification will send you the certificate without hesitation — it cost them thousands and they are usually pleased to be asked.
The honest summary
“CE armour” is a true statement about a real certification. It just is not a statement about the jacket.
If a listing tells you only about the armour, that is usually the most it can tell you. That is not necessarily bad faith — plenty of sellers genuinely do not know the difference. But the effect on you in a slide is the same either way.
IVY FLAG's motorcycle range is in development and will carry its EN 17092 certificate number, class and Notified Body printed on the product page. We would rather be asked than assumed about.