Stay cool and protected on warm rides with our Cool-Air Mesh Motorcycle Shorts. Designed for hot and humid conditions, these breathable mesh shorts provide maximum airflow while delivering top-notch protection with CE-Level 2 armor at the hips.
The lightweight, stretchable fabric ensures all-day comfort under jeans, riding pants, or shorts. Perfect for those who want protection without the bulk, these armored shorts are a must-have for warm weather rides.
CE-LEVEL 2 ARMOR – Removable armor offers protection for tailbone, hips, thighs (CE-Level 2 on hip. Tailbone and thigh are thin and lightweight)
Cool-Air™ Fabric - great for hot and humid weather
Soft, stretchy and comfortable
Base layer––wear these shorts under your favorite motorcycle pants or jeans.*
Lasts for years with proper care
Elastic ribbing at the bottom of the leg prevents riding up
Lasts for years with proper care
Soft, stretchy and comfortable
Popular Uses: Street Riding, Motocross, Adventure and Enduro Riding, Mountain Biking, Snowboarding, One-wheel, Electric Unicycle, Electric Skateboard, Roller Skating, Street Hockey, etc.
Protection and Comfort:
The Bohn Adventure Shorts are worn as a base layer under jeans or moto pants for the ultimate impact protection for the hip, tailbone and thigh protection. (*Note: Pants are designed for impact protection, not abrasion resistance. EU Customers)
Armor:
Offers 5 protection points: Tailbone (1), Hip (2), Thigh (2)
Comes standard with CE-Level2 Hip
High-performance shock absorption
Flexible—fits the curves of the body
Extremely comfortable
Lightweight
Tear and break-resistant
Repeat performance (rarely needs replacement after a fall/crash)
Armor measurements: Tailbone armor- 5.25 in (top) / 2.25 (bottom) wide x 8 in long x .23 inches thick – 1.75oz
Thigh Armor- 8.5 in (top) / 7 in (bottom) wide x 10 in long x .23 inches thick
Hip Armor- 9 in wide x 5.5 in tall x .35 in thick – 2.5oz each
Fabric and Design:
Ultra-Cool, lightweight, Lycra@ or our 100% Cool-Air Mesh with reinforced seams
Comfortable 4-way stretch fabric
Soft, fine mesh feels good against skin
Breathable comfort for hot, humid weather
Features:
100% airflow throughout entire shorts
Stretchy mesh fabric keeps armor in place while giving you great range of motion
Removable armor for easy laundering
Virtually invisible under your favorite clothing
Non-shrink/non-run fabric
Benefits:
Cool and comfortable
Freedom of movement
Unisex design fits both men and women from S through XL
Adventure Sports – Skateboarding, Long Boarding, Onewheel®, Barefoot Skiing
Performers – Historical Reenactments, Television and Film Industry
Roller Derby – Jammers, Blockers, Pivots
Medical – Helps prevent injuries from falls related to balance or other medical issues
Q: What type of protection do these shorts offer me? A: Our Cool-Air Mesh Armored Motorcycle Riding Shorts offer 5-points of protection for hips, tailbone and thighs (CE-Level 2 on hips.) Low-profile armor fits comfortably and hugs the vulnerable corners of your body. The armor stays in place and won’t move around. Elastic ribbing at the bottom of the leg prevents riding up.
Q: Will the fabric tear or rip when I put it on? It looks delicate. A: No, this fabric should not tear or rip when putting it on. It is actually quite strong but lightweight. With just a little mindfulness, these shorts can last for decades and provide long-lasting protection. Just ask the 1000s who already own a pair. We always recommend putting on the shorts with care and be careful not to tug too quickly to avoid undue stress on the seams. We also recommend that you wash this garment often and do not leave salt residue from salty air or sweat on it for long periods of time. Like any fabric, the salts can eat away at the stretchiness of the material.
Q: Why would I choose the shorts instead of the full-length pants? A: Our Cool-Air Mesh Motorcycle Riding Shorts have the exact same armor in the hip, thigh and tailbone as our original Cool-Air Armored Pants. They just stop above the knee. They are extremely popular for motocross and downhill mountain bike use where riders use separate, heavy-duty or specialty knee/shin guards. They are also great for road racers to wear underneath their leathers.
Other popular alternative uses reported by our customers have been snowboarding, skateboarding, historical reenactments, barefoot skiing and roller derby.
Note: Since these use the same armor as our Adventure Pants, you may wish to purchase a fully armored pair of the full-length pants and add a fabric shell in the shorts version for versatility in your Bohn Bodyguard System.
Q: Are the shorts abrasion-resistant?
A: The main design function of our Motorcycle Shorts is impact protection. While the armor pieces offer some abrasion resistance in a fall, the shorts are not reinforced with Kevlar® or Cordura®. Our goal with our shorts is to keep the armor right where you need it, if you need it. The armor stays snug to your body and won’t flop around like riding pants do.
Most of our customers wear our shorts with a pair of jeans or riding pants and find that those two alone provide plenty of protection in a crash. However, adding a pair of Kevlar® pants over these motorcycle shorts would be the perfect combination.
Q: Won’t these shorts be HOT?
A: By no means. These motorcycle shorts are actually quite cool. They are made of a very soft, stretchy mesh material that lets air pass right through to help keep you cool and comfortable.
We recommend you read the reviews to determine if these will work for you.
Q: Will they look bulky under my jeans? A: No, not at all. Oftentimes, no one will ever know you are wearing them.
Q: Do these have a chamois lining?
A: There is no chamois lining but the mesh fabric is smooth and comfortable against the skin.
Q: Do I need to purchase a larger-sized pair of riding pants so these fit under them?
A: In our experience (and 1000s of others) you do not need to purchase a new pair of larger pants to fit over our motorcycle shorts. This is because the fit is streamlined and the armor conforms to the body to prevent additional bulk.
Q: Do I have to wear underwear with these?
A: That is a personal choice that we leave up to our customers, but most riders choose to wear undergarments with their Cool-Air shorts for cleanliness, hygiene and modesty reasons. Remember these shorts are somewhat “see-through”.
Q: Can I get them with a fly?
A: While our full-length pants are available with a fly opening, our shorts are currently only offered in the unisex (non-fly) style.
Q: What is the difference between your Adventure and Cool-Air Shorts?
A: The Adventure Shorts are made from a stretchy, mid-weight Lycra® fabric with a ventilated crotch panel. The Cool-Air Shorts are made entirely from a stretchy, lightweight elastic mesh material. Both types of shorts have tailbone, hip, and thigh armor. Adventure Shorts have consistently been popular among our all-season riders. The Cool-Air Shorts are popular for people who ride in very hot and humid climates.
Q: I am in between sizes, how do I know which one to choose?
A: Great question. If you are in-between sizes or you are having trouble fitting into our size chart, give us a call 704-663-0351 or email us at bohn@bohnarmor.com. We are more than happy to help. Indicate your waist, inseam, height and weight if you would like.
Another option: Oftentimes, customers will order one size fully armored and then a fabric shell in another size and return the fabric shell of the one that does not fit. This saves time and money in the long run should you order the wrong size.
We do ask that you contact us via telephone or email to request an RMA number and let us know which size you are sending back. This helps to expedite your return within our facility.
I want to order for a friend, but I am unsure of their size.
If you are ordering for a friend, give us a call – 704-663-0351. We can help size that person or you can always opt for a gift certificate.
Lycra and Mesh Shirts, Pants and Shorts Instructions:
Follow the steps below to ensure long-lasting wear and care:
Pull the fabric back on the armor pockets to remove the armor. (Note: failure to remove armor may cause damage to the fabric shell.)
Wash fabric shells on a low-temperature setting and gentle cycle or hand wash. Do not dry clean!
White Summer Mesh shirts must be washed with white clothes only or by hand. Discoloration due to washing with colored garments, leaving sunscreen on the garment too long or stains are not warrantied.
We recommend using an activewear detergent when laundering your garments to maintain the integrity of the stretch in the fabric.
Do not wash Bohn fabric shells with items that have Velcro®, hooks or accessories that could catch and snag the fabric or with garments that have not been washed before.
Dry shells at a low temperature or best to just hang them dry.
We recommend removing the armor from your Bohn gear from time to time to clean it as detergent residue, salt (including body salt) and moisture can stick to it and could negatively affect the armor.
Armor pieces should NOT be placed in the washing machine or dryer, but may be wiped clean with a damp cloth if they become soiled.
When dry, reinsert the armor pieces into their respective pockets and pull the pocket flaps into place. This ensures the armor will stay in the proper position.
Please NOTE:
Our garments are made with Lycra® and must be washed regularly. Salt air and sweat left on the garment can break down the Lycra® in the garment so it is imperative that they be washed regularly and not stored for long periods of time with salt or sweat on them.
Also, pilling can occur if the garment is consistently rubbing against something that agitates the garment (i.e., tag, plastic, loose seam, etc.), so please be certain you do not have an overgarment that could agitate the fabric. If you start seeing pilling, turn your jeans, pants, or jacket inside out and feel for the item that is rubbing on your garment.
**Lack of care, pilling of garments, rips, tears, or lingering smells are not covered under our warranty.
With proper care, our garments can last years. We wish you many years of riding protection!
Cleaning:
We recommend removing the armor from your Bohn gear from time to time to clean it as detergent residue, salt (including body salt) and moisture can stick to it and negatively affect the armor.
Armor pieces should NOT be placed in the washing machine or dryer, but may be wiped clean with a damp cloth if they become soiled.
Temperature:
We recommend storing your protectors in temperatures above 60 degrees. Extreme temperatures will not affect the effectiveness of the protector, but extreme cold in addition to stress on the protector (ie. bending of the armor when cold) can cause the pieces to crack.
A such, do not stress the protectors in extremely cold weather conditions. (For example, leaving pieces in a cold garage and then putting them on can cause armor with articulation to crack at the articulation points.)
Just use good judgment when wearing the protectors and try your best to keep them against your warm body. DO NOT use frozen protectors–bring them inside to warm up and then use.
Warranty:
Limb armor, like your helmet, has an expiration date typically 5-10 years from manufacture.
If you have Bohn armor that is 5-10 years old and is "crumbling", you need to replace it. If only one piece is crumbling, the other pieces are sure to follow. This means your armor has expired and all pieces should be replaced as they were likely manufactured at the same time.
Cracking of Level 2 armor pieces is not warrantied as this means one of two things:
The armor placement is incorrect on your body (see proper placement graphic below). OR
It has been subjected to cold extreme temperatures and then bent or used while frozen or cold.
If your protector is affected and you are confident that you have taken care of your protector, please give us a call.
*** USE BAR TO SEE BOHN ARMOR COVERAGE BEFORE and AFTER***
Trusted by Riders Around the World
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 4.6 / 5 from 31 reviews.
These shorts are comfortable and though I've only had them a short while, they seem to be holding up me. There is extensive armor coverage which is why I bought them. The armor is a little loose but for the most part stays where it's supposed to, unlike m y armored jeans where the armor never seemed to be covering what it was supposed to cover. The mesh does help a great deal on the balmy days. I also like that it has multiple armor pieces beyond "just" hip coverage. Unfortunately occasional it does shift and it doesn't always cover the most at risk bony prominences. I would buy again but might consider sizing down to help keep it in place better. I'm 5'10" with a 36 Waist and bought a large. I wear it over UnderArmor Heat Gear.
As advertised. Fit well, armor is included and properly tagged for certification. No crashes, so I can't comment on armor effectiveness. A good alternative to having armor in outer layer as it makes it easy to maintain a routine but switch gear due to weather. I like them and would buy again.
I only put a few stars down because i have not used them yet. I've tried them on and the fit is great, the armor feels a bit thin compared to the full length pair that I've owned for about a decade now and those were awesome. I bought the shorts for dirt riding and hope they are as good.
Adventure" Cool-Air™ Mesh Armored Motorcycle Riding Shorts
Good quality shorts. I wear these under Rev'It GORE-TEX riding pants. They provide hip and thigh protection where the riding pants are lacking. I'm short (5'6" 156 lbs) and ordered size Medium per the size chart. I roll the waist band down a little and the each leg up just a little. This makes the shorts very comfortable. I not aware of them while riding. I've also been using the "original" Cool-Air full length under riding jeans for the past few years. These appear to be made of the same materials, so I'm confident they will serve well.
I decided to buy the cool air mesh shorts after the armor in my old cool air mesh pants started cracking. I debated buying another pair due to the price but finally decided to go ahead with the purchase. I put in 1200+ miles with them so far and they feel great. I barely even notice that I have them on. The armor is thin so I worry about the impact protection but the hip armor is CE rated so that made me feel better. I would recommend this product.
These Armored shorts allow me to wear a much broader range of riding pants during the changing riding seasons, giving me peace of mind that the solid construction and armor will help in any mishap. So far even in 90 degree heat the mesh fabric has prevented the dreaded swamp butt!.
Light armor, fits nicely under my jeans. Will be good on initial impact during a fall but the material seems easily ripped so not sure how well will hold up after. For that reason I consider my purchase pricey
As a breathable armor holding pair of shorts they are great but to call the hip armor CE level 2 seems off.
I test all my armor by putting it over my knee and giving it a whack with a hammer, well that hurt. So i slid a
level one d30 underneath and use the SAS-TEC for its abrasion resistance (which is great ) on top and all is good.
Overall these riding shorts are comfortable, lightweight and are certainly better then no protection at all. I'm a little concerned about how thin the pads and their ability to really protect your hips during a fall. The only other complaint is that the flaps that hold the pads in place on the inner side pockets should really have some way to keep them closed as when pulling the shorts down. The thigh side pads have a tendency to fold over themselves or even come out of their pockets at times. Again, I do like the product overall though and use it every time I ride.
These are well made and cool. I wear them on my road bike under my kevlar jeans, and on my dirt bike under my riding pants and they are nice an cool. Customer service is awesome too.
I am very happy with the sizing, fit and look of the Air Mesh Shorts. There was a bit of a delay on shipping, but Customer Service was super responsive and extremely helpful. Will definitely be looking at the rest of the Bohn products for future purchases.
I have a pair of First Gear riding over-pants with armor that fit loose on me and I worried about the pads moving during a crash and not staying at the impact spots of my hips and thighs. They don't have any tailbone protection either.
I liked the idea of a form-fitting garment that keeps the protection pads where they need to be and that used high-quality pads. I really like the CE-rated pads that Bohn uses because they are comfortably flexible and not as bulky as the ones in my riding pants.
I called Bohn to ask a few questions about sizing, the differences between the Cool-Air Mesh and the All-Season Lycra fabrics, and whether the shorts would be compatible with my Asterisk Carbon Cell 1 knee braces. I had an insightful conversation with Kristin who answered my questions and made a size recommendation that worked. She said their shorts should not interfere with my knee braces and she was right.
I chose the Bohn Cool-Air Mesh shorts and they are comfortable and breathe well in hot weather. If it's cold outside, I can add layers under or over them to stay warm.
I also like the fact that I can buy a new pair of the shorts without pads and insert my pads. That gives me the chance to try the All-Season Lycra fabric at a lower cost than buying another pair of shorts with pads.
It is important to me to support a family-owned American company like Bohn. I found the service to be excellent and I got detailed information from people who are committed to their products and customers.
I am very happy with my Cool-Air Mesh Armored Shorts and wear them while riding my dirt, dual-sport and road bikes. My next purchase from Bohn will likely be the Cool-Air Mesh Armored Riding Shirt. Then I will have much more confidence that top-quality body armor will be where it needs to be if I hit the ground.
I bought these for the added coccyx protection ant something with free movement vs my normal hip pads. They fit well, but wear something underneath them. They are a little rough on the fellas. First day on track with them, I crashed! They did a great job spreading out the impact! I had a bruise the same shape as the thigh pad (something I wouldn't have even had if it weren't for these shorts. I have since recommended them to my friends. I did break my Humerus in the crash, so once that's healed, I'll be also using the shorts for some MTB fun as well!
Just got the new pads to upgrade my old shorts armor. I am amazed at the weight reduction in the armor and the construction looks like it will be cooler than the old pads. I wish you would male a short sleeve version of the armored top that could be worn under t-shirts. Living in Florida I like to get sun on my fore arms so I only wear long sleeves in the winter.
I bought the cool air max shorts and shirt and liked them so much, I'm going to get the pants too. I'm 6', 185 lbs, and wear Levi's 511 slim fit jeans, size 34x34. When I first received the shorts, size L, I thought they might not fit under these jeans but they do. And yesterday, while riding I barely knew I had them on. Terrrific!
Function wise these are spot on, I am a woman 5'4 and ~135; I ordered the XS; the waist feels little tight but the rest fits good. I found them comfortable; little bit bulky feel but didn't really notice them after a while walking around the house and riding up and down driveway. Seems like good protection. The vane side of me did feel that I looked like I had gained 10-15lbs but I think it is pretty obvious I am wearing armor under my pants...
With two total hips I was looking for something like this to wear under my riding breeches. Very comfortable - doesn't impede your movements in any way. I also wear them under my riding jeans. Not exactly light weight with the pads in, but on the horse you don't notice at all. Great product.
These armored shorts are extremely comfortable and well built. I wear a size 33 x 32 in Levis jeans, and the medium fits perfect (snug yet plenty of room for flexibility).
I use two sets of Bohn gear. shorts for my BMW riding gear and top and full legs for my dual sport. have mesh top, shorts and long and long winter. I like the newer tops mine must be 10 years old and still going, the white is a bit dingy. just bought the new mesh long and i like the better protection materials. --Fred H
We ship for free anywhere in the United States on all orders over $150. If you need help with shipping, please give us a call or send an email.
high-quality materials
We strive to use the best, most durable, and most comfortable materials in our gear—so you can enjoy wearing Bohn with confidence and comfort for years to come!
American Manufacturing
We are dedicated to manufacturing in the United States when possible. Our BodyGuard System (our Lycra and mesh pants, shorts and shirts) are sewn in the US.
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