The O’Neal Hardwear pants and jersey gearset is a high-end way to go off-road riding. There are lots of details and features that I discovered on this year-long off-road test. While evaluating the Hardwear gear, I also checked out a pair of O’Neal Matrix gloves. With dozens of rides in this gear, which held up impressively well, let’s get to it.
O’Neal Hardwear Pants
Comfortable and durable, the O’Neal Hardwear pants provide the flexibility needed to ride off-road successfully while barely showing wear after countless confrontations with creosote bushes, pine branches, and other trail obstructions.
Thanks to large stretch panels above the knees, a pliable knee area, and flexible calf/lower-thigh material, the O’Neal Hardwear pants are fully compatible with Alpinestars Bionic-10 Carbon knee braces. Leather is used to protect the knee area from hot pipes, and it works on four-stroke and two-stroke dirt bikes.
Nothing snags when putting the pants on, as the mesh liner does not extend down past the knees. The ankle cuff has a bit of a grasp, helping keep the pants in place.
The fit through the thighs is just right—not overly fitted or annoyingly loose. The semi-relaxed fit allows O’Neal to use a more robust fabric without restricting movement. Discreet quilted thigh pads reduce soreness on long rides on hard Euro-bike seats. There is also an extensive stretch panel across the lower back, so the pants stay in place while allowing all the body movement you need.
It’s easy to adjust the waist fit of the O’Neal Hardwear pants. After you zip up the beefy uncovered zipper, there is a long belt with four inches of hook-and-loop adjustment. Small stretch panels at the left and right sides of the waist add to a personalized fit. Inside the waist, there is plenty of silicone to keep your jersey in place—it works.
While not summer pants, the O’Neal Hardwear pants have large ventilation holes above vents above the knees. There are no exhaust holes or vents, so the air flows out of the breathable rear lower thigh material.
Off-road riders will appreciate a nearly secret zippered external right front pocket. I wouldn’t carry keys or anything sharp in it, but the pocket is big enough for an energy bar/liquid, wallet, or paperwork. If you’re brave, you can put your smartphone in there—it certainly won’t fall out, but it could break in a fall.
The O’Neal Hardwear pants meet the standard most of us have for off-road gear—we don’t want to notice it while riding. These pants go on easily, stay in place, have no restrictions, resist wear, and look great in the Haze Blue/Red colorway. They aren’t cheap at $190 a pair but are resilient and have the features off-road riders need.
O’Neal Hardwear Jersey
Although not a full-mesh summer jersey, the O’Neal Hardwear jersey is comfortable year-round. The main body has a weave that flows air. That is supplemented by cooling intake holes across the top of the chest and exhaust holes at the sides of the body.
The extra-long mesh tail tucks nicely into the Hardwear pants, and stays there. As the mesh extends above the waist, it assists in airflow. Open mesh also makes an appearance at the armpits.
O’Neal calls the primary material Pro-Lite and accurately describes it as having four-way stretch. The Pro-Lite fabric is impressively resistant to tears. It went through the same off-road torture testing of various aggressive Southern California plant life without suffering any tears. There has been some pilling on the sleeves, but the fabric’s integrity is not compromised.
The fit is athletic, with enough room to comfortably wear an Alpinestars Bionic Pro V2 protection jacket underneath.
A perfect match for the Hardwear pants, the jersey has nice detail styling touches, including a one square inch TPU O’Neal logo on the left sleeve. Regardless, the most impressive features of the O’Neal Hardwear jersey are its durability and comfort.
O’Neal Matrix Gloves
These ultra-lightweight gloves are about comfort and grip-feel rather than protection. The palms are extraordinarily thin, and the material on the back of the hand is perforated for plenty of airflow. The O’Neal Matrix gloves are definitely summer-friendly, yet still usable when the temperatures drop, unless your hands are sensitive to cold. Despite their thin construction and bargain price of $20 a pair, the Matrix gloves have shown the same level of durability under hard use.
O’Neal Hardwear Gearset Review Summary
With an MSRP of $265 for the O’Neal Hardware pants and jersey gearset, plus the Matrix gloves, the combination neither breaks the bank nor presents itself as a budget buy. However, when you factor in the toughness of all four pieces, the value becomes increasingly apparent, especially for off-road racers and trail riders. Oh, and it looks great.
O’Neal Hardwear Pants Fast Facts
Sizes: 28-42 (even numbers)
Colors:
- Elite Black
- Elite V.23 Blue
- Flow V.23 Blue/White
- Flow V2.3 Gray/Neon
- Haze Blue/Orange
- Haze Blue/Red
- Haze Red/Gray
O’Neal Hardwear Pants Price: $190 MSRP
O’Neal Hardwear Jersey Fast Facts
Sizes: Small – XX-Large
Colors:
- Elite Black
- Elite V.23 Blue
- Flow V.23 Blue/White
- Flow V2.3 Gray/Neon
- Haze Blue/Orange
- Haze Blue/Red
- Haze Red/Gray
O’Neal Hardwear Jersey Price: $55 MSRP
O’Neal Matrix Gloves Fast Facts
Sizes: 8-12 (Small – XX-Large)
Colors:
- Attack Black/Neon Yellow
- Camo Black/Red
- Camo Gray/Neon Yellow
- Mahalo Black/Multi
- Ride Black/Neon
- Shocker V.23 Black/Red
- Shocker V.23 Blue/Orange
- Stacked Black
- Stacked Neon
- Stacked Red
- Stacked V.23 Black/White
O’Neal Matrix Gloves Price: $20 MSRP
