Animoz is a new brand to us, hailing from Clermont-Ferrand in central France, a city of just 150,000 people and also home to the Pierron Bike Park. Environmental consciousness and sustainability are at the forefront of the brand’s ethos, and Animoz offers things like gear patches and repair options and donates 3% of all profits to the Respect Animals Program.
Beyond this, Animoz also claim that all products, although being made in China, meet an SA8000 welfare standard. While these numbers didn’t initially mean anything to us, after some quick Googling we discovered that SA8000 is the world’s leading social certification program, ensuring companies are dedicated to the fair treatment of their employees. We can’t argue with that!
There’s nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable out on the trail, and there’s certainly quite a difference between a well-made comfortable riding kit, and the swampy, cheapy kits from Alibaba that fall apart after a dozen rides.
When a package of Animoz riding clothing showed up at Flow HQ, the team began unpacking it to decide where this gear fell within that spectrum. The French brand had packaged the clothing nicely within recyclable cardboard satchels which was the first indication that this was a much more premium product. The use of multiple fabric types, sturdy zippers and flexible materials left a good initial impression. We sized up our photographer, Campbell, on the Animoz website.
Animoz Wild riding kit fit
First, let’s address the fit. As Campbell emerged wearing the Wild pants, a few eyebrows were raised as the gear was a bit tighter than expected. At 185cm and 85kg, the manufacturer’s sizing guide for the large-sized Animoz pants had led Campbell astray. In reality, these kits run quite snug, and those trail paints are painted on.
The absence of a fly on both the shorts and pants was an interesting omission, particularly for riders with larger hips or thighs. However, the inclusion of an adjustable tightening clasp on the shorts helped alleviate concerns, ensuring a secure fit that stayed put throughout testing.
Constructed with a blend of 92% polyester and 8% spandex, the kit felt a little warmer than we’d expected while standing around on the trail, but once we started moving, our concerns were alleviated.
Animoz Wild kit features
The Animoz short and long sleeve kits aren’t just your basic tech-tee and trail shorts. We were stoked to see (pun intended) the built-in glasses cleaning cloth in the zippered jersey pocket. The pants and shorts also boast ample zippered storage space, providing plenty of room for all your trail essentials and chonky mobile phones.
Given the tailored fit, we were thankful for the elasticity of the four-way stretch fabric used across the garments, as it allowed for plenty of body English on the bike and a few trailside karate kicks without any pinching, binding or reduced range of motion.
Although we’ve only had the riding kit on test for around a month, it’s hard to speak to the overall durability but all of the seams from the gloves to the jerseys are double-stitched.
While the gloves aren’t the most flexible mitts we’ve ever slipped on, for their weight they also haven’t disintegrated when faced with grabby trailside fauna or slide in the dirt.
One interesting feature of the kits is their Silverplus antibacterial finish, which is claimed to keep odours at bay, even after hours of riding. After a bunch of testing, we haven’t had any unwanted stinks or pongs arise from the clothing so we can only assume that the antibacterial finish is doing its thing.
As mentioned earlier, Animoz are all about sustainability and minimising its environmental impact. Animoz have now introduced its ‘Wild Warranty’ program which can be accessed around the world. Essentially Animoz will send out iron-on patches to repair small tears or return their clothing for repairs if needed in an effort to extend the life of these garments.
Animoz H20 Wild Rain Jacket
Animoz also sent out its H20 Wild Rain Jacket. At face value, it’s great looking and wouldn’t be out of place walking down Collins Street on a grim Melbourne day.
Using a three-layer laminate fabric, the jacket has a waterproof membrane with a 15k/10k waterproof/breathability rating. The polyester is 90% recycled, and the fabrics are also four-way stretch. The seams are fully taped, and the zippers are also waterproof to prevent any precipitation from sneaking through.
The oversized hood easily accommodates your helmet and there is a drop tail at the back for better coverage
The Animoz Wild Kits may have their quirks, but we think these are outweighed by the comfort and style. However, we would recommend sizing up if you are unsure about the fit.
Besides that, the thoughtful features, sustainable materials, ethical construction, and robust design make these kits a worthy contender if you’re seeking out fresh kit.
