8 Best Motorcycle Pants for Women Who Wear a US Size 18

I have been riding for over a decade, and I have spent an embarrassing amount of money on motorcycle pants that did not fit. Not “a little snug” — actually unwearable. I am a US size 18, and for years the women’s gear market pretended I did not exist.

The frustrating part is that it is not a safety issue or a design problem. Brands like Olympia and Joe Rocket have been cutting proper plus-size women’s riding pants for years. They just get buried under a wall of size 4 marketing photos.

So I did the tedious work for you. I ordered, returned, crawled around in, and sweated through a pile of pants to find the ones that actually work for a US 18 body.

Below is what I kept, what I sent back, and exactly how each pair fits. Everything here is a real, currently available product from a brand you can actually buy from today.

Why Size 18 Riders Get Ignored (And What I Check First Now)

Most European brands stop their women’s line at an EU 44, which is roughly a US 12 or 14. That is the ceiling, and it has not moved much in ten years.

American brands are better. Olympia, Joe Rocket, and Aerostich all build to real US body measurements, and their largest sizes genuinely fit a 16 to 20.

The catch is that sizing labels lie. A “3XL” from one brand fits like a “L” from another. So I stopped trusting tags and started trusting three measurements: hip circumference, thigh circumference at the widest point, and the height of the knee armor.

If the knee armor sits two inches below your kneecap, the pants are unsafe no matter how comfortable they feel standing in your garage.

1. Olympia Women’s Airglide 3 Pants — Best Overall for Hot Weather

If I could only own one pair, it would be these. The Olympia Women’s Airglide 3 is built on a 500D Cordura shell with large mesh panels, and the women’s cut runs in sizes XS through 3XL.

At a size 18, I fit comfortably in the XL and had room for a base layer underneath. That never happens. Olympia actually designs the women’s pattern separately instead of shrinking a men’s block, and you feel it in the hips and thigh.

You get CE-rated knee armor with adjustable height, plus pockets for hip armor if you add it. The removable waterproof liner and the removable thermal liner mean these work from about 40°F up to 95°F.

Downsides? The mesh lets a lot of air through, which is exactly the point, and it means these are a three-season pant, not a winter one. They run around $250 to $280 and I have seen them on sale regularly.

2. Joe Rocket Women’s Ballistic 7.0 Pants — Best Waterproof Textile

When it is genuinely raining and I still have to get somewhere, these are what I reach for. The Joe Rocket Ballistic 7.0 in the women’s fit uses Joe Rocket’s Rock Tex outer shell with a Dry-Tech waterproof and breathable liner bonded inside.

I have ridden two hours in steady rain in these and stayed completely dry. The women’s version goes up to 3XL, and the 18 is a real 18 — no vanity sizing games.

Knee armor is CE-rated and height adjustable, there is a removable insulated liner for cold mornings, and the reflective piping is genuinely bright at night. The waist has real adjustment straps too, which matters because my weight fluctuates a few pounds across the season.

They are heavier and warmer than the Olympia mesh pants. At roughly $180 to $220, though, they are the best value waterproof option in this size range that I have found.

3. REV’IT! Factor 4 Ladies Jeans — Best Everyday Riding Jean

For short hops and coffee runs, I want something that looks like a normal jean. The REV’IT! Factor 4 Ladies is 12.5oz Cordura denim woven with COOLMAX, which makes it far more abrasion resistant than fashion denim while staying breathable.

It ships with SEESMART CE-level 1 knee protectors and has pockets ready for SEESMART hip armor. The knee pockets are height adjustable, which is the single feature I care about most on a jean.

REV’IT! runs this one in EU sizes that top out around an EU 46 to 48, which lands at roughly a US 16 to 18. I sized up to the largest and it worked, but this is the one pick where I strongly recommend checking the chart before you buy.

Expect to pay around $250. The cut is slim but not painted on, and the high-rise waist actually stays put when you are leaned over.

4. Alpinestars Stella Andes V3 Drystar Pants — Best All-Season Touring

The Stella Andes V3 is Alpinestars’ women’s-specific touring pant, and it is the pair I take on multi-day trips. The Drystar membrane is waterproof and breathable, and the 600D poly fabric shell holds up to real abuse.

Knee armor is Nucleon Flex Plus, which is flexible enough that I forget I am wearing it. The waist is adjustable, there is a removable thermal liner, and direct ventilation panels open up when the temperature climbs.

Alpinestars’ women’s 2XL maps to roughly a US 18 to 20, so a size 18 rider has a little breathing room rather than a squeeze. That is exactly what I want on a long day in the saddle.

Price sits around $230. The one thing I would change is the inseam — it runs a touch long on me at 5’6″, and I had mine hemmed for about $25.

5. Aerostich AD-1 Pants — Best Custom Fit, Made to Order

This is the nuclear option, and honestly it is the one I wish I had bought first. Aerostich builds the AD-1 to your measurements, so there is no such thing as “your size is out of stock.”

You send them your waist, hip, inseam, and thigh numbers, and they cut the pant to those. For anyone who sits between sizes — which is most of us at a US 18 — that is worth a lot.

The AD-1 uses Aerostich’s tough 500D Cordura shell with TF3 armor at the knees, and it is designed as a serious touring and commuting pant. It is also fully repairable, which is rare.

The catch is price: expect around $600 and up, plus a few weeks of lead time. I think of it as buying two pairs of pants that will outlast four.

6. Rokker Rokkertech High Waist Lady Jeans — Best Premium Single-Layer Denim

If you want the protection of a riding pant with the silhouette of your favorite high-waisted jean, this is the one. The Rokker Rokkertech High Waist Lady is a single-layer jean woven with a high-tenacity fiber blend, not a bulky Kevlar lining sewn in.

Because it is single layer, it does not trap heat the way lined jeans do. I have worn these through a full summer day and not felt like I was wearing a sauna.

It comes with height-adjustable knee armor and hip armor pockets, and the high waistband means no gap at the back when you are tucked forward on the bike. Rokker’s women’s range runs up through EU 36 and beyond, which covers a US 18.

They cost around $400, which stings. But I have had mine for three seasons and they still look new.

7. Klim Artemis Women’s Pants — Best Gore-Tex Adventure Option

Klim’s Artemis is a proper three-layer Gore-Tex laminate pant built for adventure riding, and the women’s pattern is genuinely different from the men’s.

The laminate construction means the waterproof layer is bonded to the shell instead of floating inside as a separate liner. That keeps the pant from soaking up water and getting heavy, which is a real difference on a wet ride.

It uses D3O CE-level 1 armor at knees and hips and has big ventilation panels. I have worn these in everything from cold mountain passes to 90°F afternoons.

Here is my honest caveat: Klim’s women’s sizing tops out tighter than the US brands on this list. If you are a solid 18, try before you buy or be ready to exchange. Around $600.

8. Bull-It Covert Ladies Jeans — Best Budget Kevlar Jean

Not everyone wants to drop $400 on denim, and you do not have to. Bull-It builds the Covert with an aramid fiber lining, and their women’s range extends well past a US 18.

It is a lined jean, so it runs warmer than the Rokker single-layer option, and the fit is straighter through the leg. For commuting and around-town riding, though, it does the job at roughly $150.

Knee armor is included and the pockets are adjustable. If you are testing the waters on riding jeans for the first time, this is where I would start.

How I Actually Size a US 18 in Motorcycle Pants

After enough wasted orders, I built a routine that works. It takes five minutes and saves weeks of shipping boxes back and forth.

Measure Your Hips and Thigh, Not Your Waist

Riding pants are cut to sit at or above your natural waist, and the armor and liner add bulk. Your hip measurement at the widest point is the number that predicts fit far better than any waist label.

Also measure your thigh circumference at the fullest part. If that number is more than half the listed hip measurement, size up — I have never regretted it.

Check the Knee Armor Height Adjustment

This is non-negotiable for me now. If a pair of pants does not let me move the knee armor up or down, I do not buy it.

Tall and short riders both get punished by fixed knee pockets, and armor that floats below your kneecap will not protect you in a slide.

Buy Somewhere With Free Returns, Every Time

I have never once gotten the size right on the first try with a new brand. Never. I now only order from retailers with free returns, and I order two sizes at once and send one back.

Final Thoughts

If you want one answer: buy the Olympia Women’s Airglide 3 for warm weather and the Joe Rocket Ballistic 7.0 for everything wet. That combination covers 90% of my riding at a reasonable price.

If budget is not a concern and you want a perfect fit, go straight to Aerostich. It is the only brand on this list that will cut a pant to your exact body, and that is worth a lot when you have spent years making compromises.

You deserve gear that fits. You should not have to choose between safety and a size that closes.

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