Design 
Quality of Materials 
Value for Money 
Craftsmanship 
Customer Service Leather jackets have been a staple in menswear for the last hundred years, proving that some things just never go out of style.
But adding a leather jacket to your wardrobe can be pretty hard on your wallet, with many costing upwards of $500.
The truth is it’s difficult to find a good leather jacket at an affordable price.
If you’re looking for a jacket to
What Is Angel Jackets?
Angel Jackets is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce company with home offices in Chicago and London.
They specialize in leather jackets for men and women, but also have a large selection of suits, wool clothing, and other jackets.
The brand prides itself on making leather affordable for the masses while also offering solid customer service and a robust blog complete with buying guides and gift ideas.
They make their jackets from lambskin leather and tout their attention to detail and hands-on quality checks as pillars of their business.
Angel Jackets are affordable and hold up pretty well if taken care of correctly. I tried one of their top styles (the Distressed Cafe Racer) and it's more than decent for the price. It's one of the best brands I've found for trying out the leather jacket style without breaking the bank.
Things to Consider Before Buying
If you’re 100% sure that you want a leather jacket and know what style to buy, you should consider making it an investment piece by focusing on quality over cost.
A good leather jacket should last forever and only get better with each wear.
In general, you’ll find a variety of leather types when looking for these pieces.
You’ll see terms like full-grain, genuine, nubuck, and roughout, just to name a few (the Distressed Cafe Racer Jacket I tested is actually made from lambskin leather).
This isn’t always indicative of the garment’s quality or durability, but think of it this way: the more detail you get from a brand about where the leather is from, what animal it’s made from, and how the leather is refined, the better idea you’ll have of what you’re getting.
Also, this may seem like a given, but because styles vary and different types of leather will break in more than others, it’s very important to make sure the jacket’s measurements will fit you.
Good quality leather will stretch a bit over time, but only where you need it to. You’re not going to be able to stretch a leather jacket to a completely different size, so just buy the size you need.
With its distressed design, quilted shoulder pattern, and handy features like zippered pockets and a strap collar and cuffs, this jacket is a great choice for experimenting with the leather look at an accessible price.
My Hands-On Review
I ordered the Cafe Racer Distressed Brown Leather Jacket in a size medium, and, within a few days, it arrived directly from Dubai in a box that was taped enough to survive the apocalypse.
There was no branding on the box, but, luckily, I didn’t have anything else on the way at the time, so I sort of assumed this random DHL package was my jacket from Angel Jackets.
The shipping was quite fast. Getting something from the Middle East to the middle of America in a week is admirable.
Out of the box, I was surprised to find that the jacket came folded within a protective dust bag, a nice, albeit unnecessary, bonus. What also pleasantly surprised me was the lack of branding. It’s a very subtle brown, almost black, in fact.
But this was a deliberate choice on my part, as I wanted something more muted than the other brown leather jackets in their range.
All the Cafe Racer says on the tag is “Real Leather.”
My first thought was, “OK, good, it had better be real.”
I thought the leather felt just fine, if a little thin, but I don’t think the Cafe Racer will just fall apart after a few wears, as other reviewers may have hinted at in the past. It probably depends on which of the hundreds of designs you choose from, but the one I got is not exceptionally flimsy.
I wear a medium in just about every jacket in the world, and a medium from Angel Jackets fits great. I wore it over a tee and over a crewneck sweatshirt; in both cases, I was plenty comfortable size-wise.
The sleeves are just slightly long, as you’d expect from a leather jacket, and the chest fits really well when zipped up.
The jacket also has a number of nice details that add to the overall motorcycle-rider vibe you’d expect with a leather jacket dubbed the Cafe Racer.
There are elbow patches, some criss-cross stitched “padding” in the shoulders, and buckles on the sides at the waist to refine the fit.
I will say that I wish the actual hardware, like the zippers, buttons, and other metal bits, was a little more well-made and sturdy-feeling.
The color is nice, and where other reviews took the brand to task for its faux “patina,” I’ll say the jacket looks just like any other leather jacket looking to achieve a pre-worn look.
I’ve seen jackets like this one stocked at just about any mall brand store you can think of.
The jacket doesn’t have any super fake-looking “worn-in” accents, and, while it may not actually age that well, it looks fine right out of the box.
Ultimately, the Distressed Cafe Racer felt great. It provided a nice range of motion, and I could definitely see myself wearing this to a casual outing or even just to run a few errands.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Given the direct-to-consumer nature of Angel Jackets, it’s not easy to find many reviews of their jackets that are readily available to read on the web.
Unfortunately, I did read a few stories that lambasted the jackets and bemoaned their lack of quality, but I wanted to get some hands-on experience with their product before passing judgment myself.
There’s certainly a place for a super-affordable leather garment in plenty of guys’ wardrobes. These aren’t the heirloom pieces you expect to buy from other, more well-known brands, but as an entry option, they’re just fine, and the Distressed Cafe Racer certainly held up to scrutiny.
With its distressed design, quilted shoulder pattern, and handy features like zippered pockets and a strap collar and cuffs, this jacket is a great choice for experimenting with the leather look at an accessible price.
My Thoughts Overall
What I Like
- The price is great, but the vast array of styles to choose from is even better.
- The construction was perfectly decent for a jacket priced around $200, and it won’t take too long to ship to you if you need it in a pinch.
- The little details are there (if the Cafe Racer is anything to go by, anyway), and while you might not want to wear it on a motorcycle, at least it has the look you’re after.
What I Don’t Like
- I’d just love a bit more transparency overall. When you buy something for a couple hundred bucks, you want to understand what you’re getting and why it costs what it costs. We don’t really know that much about the Angel Jackets story.
Who are Angel Jackets for?
Angel Jackets are ideal for someone trying to dip their toes in the world of leather jackets, whether that means buying their very first one or trying a new style. They offer real leather at an affordable price point.
The Verdict
Ultimately, I’d say the Cafe Racer is something I’d count on keeping in my wardrobe for years to come. If you don’t chuck it around too much, you can wear it daily for a few months without feeling like you need something more expensive.
Angel Jackets are affordable and hold up pretty well if taken care of correctly. I tried one of their top styles (the Distressed Cafe Racer) and it's more than decent for the price. It's one of the best brands I've found for trying out the leather jacket style without breaking the bank.
FAQs
Is Angel Jackets a legitimate company?
Angel Jackets seems like a perfectly legitimate company, providing stylish men’s jackets at reasonable prices. It does deal exclusively as a direct-to-consumer brand, though, which can leave some questions unanswered. I wish we knew more about where the leather was sourced and how the jacket was made, but I did, in fact, receive a perfectly legit leather jacket in the mail.
How long does Angel Jackets take to ship?
Speaking of the mail, Angel Jackets has a pretty solid delivery period. Standard delivery is within 5-8 days of purchase, while expedited delivery is available on a lot of jackets, meaning you’ll get it within 2-4 days. My jacket came via DHL directly from Dubai, which leads me to believe the jackets are shipped directly from the manufacturer straight to your door, which does take out the middleman, indeed.
Who is the owner of Angel Jackets?
Bob Petrick is the CEO and owner of Angel Jackets.
