REV’IT! Dominator GTX: The Ultimate All-Around Adventure Suit?
REV'IT! seeks to crush the competition with their no-compromise ADV Suit.
Often it’s the small conveniences and creature comforts that separate the high-end suits from the mid-range ones. And when it comes to premium features, few adventure suits come packed with as many as the REV’IT! Dominator GTX. As their flagship ADV suit, REV’IT! designed the Dominator GTX to handle some of the most demanding weather conditions and toughest terrain, without compromising comfort and protection. So we were eager to get our hands on one to see what it’s all about.
REV’IT! Dominator GTX Tech
Both the Dominator GTX jacket and pants start with a 3-Layer Gore-Tex Pro shell for the highest level of breathable waterproofing, then CE Level-2 Seeflex molecular armor is added for impact protection. Next REV’IT! Applies heavy-duty Armacor material lined with miniature ceramic beads in high-wear areas of the shell for maximum abrasion protection. The shell also utilizes ‘safety seams’ in its construction to help ensure everything stays together in a fall – basics covered and then some.
For cooling, a total of 10 vents on the jacket and four on the pant keep air flowing directly to the body on hot days. Large VCS Aquadefence vent panels located on the chest and thighs flow massive air, while oversized zipper pulls and a magnetic clasp system ensure vents can be opened and closed easily with a gloved hand. What’s more, the shell’s inner lining utilizes Aero Cool 3D mesh material that helps wick moisture away from the body for an added cooling effect.
In addition, the Dominator GTX incorporates features like an expandable rabbit pouch on the back of the jacket where base layers or other items can be stowed away, a detachable kidney belt with a secret stash pocket, an ID Pocket on the forearm, a set of CE Level-1 hip pads, and a convenient ‘Flexisnap’ slide-adjustable collar.
While the Dominator is packed with features, it’s also designed to be as form fitting as possible. It has a ‘roomy’ European fit that utilizes stretch Kevlar fabric in the knees, elbows and underarms to help minimize bulk. There are also a large range of pant length sizes (short, regular, long) and strap adjustments on knees and elbows to ensure armor is perfectly placed, and stays in place, during a fall. Even better, pant leg openings have large Velcro panels with a range of adjustment, allowing you to get a snug fit with many different styles of boots (e.g. Touring, ADV, Moto).
Protection, features and fitment are all top notch as you would expect from a high-end suit, but it’s the little things that stand out. First off, the jacket and pant do not have zip-in liners, so there’s no need to stop and rifle through your luggage when the rain starts. Waterproofing is baked into the shell and you can add your own base layers to match the weather conditions. Seeflex armor is also asymmetrical on the knees, elbows and shoulders, giving each joint a precision fit for maximum comfort and minimal bulk. And REV’IT! lined the interior in key areas (collar, elbows and knees) with a soft fleece-like material for plush contact with your skin.
First Contact
Slipping on the Dominator suit for the first time, it was lighter, sleeker and softer than I expected from a suit with high-end abrasion protection and proper CE Level-2 armor. It already felt pre-broken-in and the Seeflex armor with its honeycomb construction was light and comfortable on the shoulders and knees. Even the back protector (also CE Level-2) felt well balanced and its weight was hardly noticed.
Armor can often cause chaffing when you are moving around constantly on a long ride, yet the Seeflex pads with their contoured design, along with a fleece-like inner lining, offer a smooth, soft feeling around the joints. Another nice touch are the jacket’s fleece-lined hand warmer pockets, which provide added comfort and warmth when hanging out by the campfire.
The collar is often one of the trickiest features to get right on an adventure riding suit. The Dominator’s collar has a velvety smooth lining with a soft neoprene edge to keep it water tight, along with a unique slider mechanism that provides precise collar tension for a variety of neck sizes. A hook-and-loop system holds the collar open on warm days. It’s a similar system to the REV’IT! Sand 3’s but with an improved design that makes it a bit easier to operate while riding.
On the pants, there is a unique front button attachment with a slide-in design that won’t pop open. Belt adjustments on either side allow you to customize the tightness of the waist and the pants also come prepared for attaching suspenders. You can zip the Dominator jacket and pants together to make a mono-suit as well.
Overall, the suit has a streamlined, lightweight, comfortable fit that doesn’t constrain movement or feel tight in any particular area.
Getting In Some Miles
The first few rides with the Dominator took place in early spring with morning temperatures starting in the low 40s Fahrenheit. Typically with suits that run molecular armor like D3O, it can feel like you have rock-hard ice packs on your knees, elbows and shoulders until the armor warms up. The Seeflex armor has a much softer feel in colder temps which makes putting on a frigid suit in the morning a lot more bearable.
Riding in the low 50’s F, the suit was excellent at blocking the wind. And when we hit a stretch of rain, the Gore-Tex Pro offered complete protection from any water seeping in. A plush inner lining provides some mild thermal properties, and I never felt cold enough to need to pull over for a mid layer on the highway.
As temperatures warmed, it was easy to flip open the big chest and thigh vents while continuing to ride. However, when wearing a hydration pack, the straps do cover up some of the venting making them less effective. And for those who might want some roost protection, those chest vents are right where a set of chest pads would go.
There’s also two big vents on the abdomen area that deliver additional cooling to the torso. Two more vents on the biceps and two on the forearms keep arms ventilated, and the pants have back exhaust vents which are very effective at pulling cool air through.
Getting out in the dirt, the contoured fit of the Dominator GTX suit did not cause any restriction in movement. The shell was also fast and effective at making sweat moisture vanish during aerobic off-road rides. The CE Level-2 armor was definitely a confidence boost on the trail as well. The only issue encountered was a waist belt adjustment that would loosen up a bit over time.
Handling Heat
Handling colder weather was to be expected with the Dominator, but I was less optimistic it could perform as well in the heat of summer. On hot days, I have always preferred a mesh suit or something with more breathable material. High-end suits with thick abrasion-resistant shells usually don’t fair so well.
Suiting up on a hot morning, as the temperature began to climb into the 80s F, the Dominator definitely felt warm. As soon as I was on the highway getting some air flowing through the suit though, it cooled off quickly. In fact, the hotter it got the more cooling effect I began to notice.
Looking at the temperature gauge, I was surprised I was feeling a little chilly at 92°F. It’s a strange sensation caused by Gore-Tex’s unique ability to dissipate moisture. It works like this: the Aero Cool lining sucks moisture from your skin and hands it off to the Gore-Tex Pro shell, which transfers it out of the jacket like a conveyor belt. The evaporated moisture combined with airflow from open vents cools your body like a swamp cooler. However, you need to maintain good airflow for it to work. Just keep hydrating, keep moving and you’re all good.
After putting in over 5,000 miles riding with the Dominator there haven’t been any failures yet, even after several light tumbles. The suit continues to perform at peak levels and shows few signs of wear. It cleans up nicely after a wash, although the light-colored version is hard to keep clean (also comes in black) when you play in the dirt. Even so, the lighter color option does absorb less heat on a sunny day than black.
Final Thoughts
When you are exerting yourself, sweating it out, dealing with nasty weather on big adventures, it’s nice to have a few indulgences. What might seem like a minor annoyance for a quick trip or commute to work (e.g. scruffy collar), can develop into a major pain point on longer journeys. We all have limited time to ride, so you want to get the most out of it when we do.
The Dominator GTX has a smooth interior with lightweight armor and pliable shell. It’s a comfortable companion to live with day in and day out, like a second skin. All of its premium features and conveniences add up to higher level of comfort, helping to ensure you enjoy your rides to the fullest.
Knowing you’ve got state of the art protection gives piece of mind too. Because when (not if) that big accident happens, it can be the difference between whether you get up and dust yourself off or end your journey with a trip to the hospital.
At $1,249 for the jacket and $799 for the pant, a ‘no compromise’ 4-season suit like the REV’IT! Dominator GTX may not be accessible to everyone. It’s probably not a practical choice for those who only do a few rides a year. Yet for those who are heading out on an RTW journey, long overland trips, or regular extended weekend expeditions, it starts paying dividends.
Shopping Options
.
Dominator GTX Jacket:
Revzilla | Rocky Mountain ATV/MC | Bike Bandit |
Dominator 2 GTX Pants:
Revzilla | Rocky Mountain ATV/MC | Bike Bandit |
Photos by Stephen Gregory
Notify me of new posts via email
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA $2000 for a jacket and pants. No thanks, not gonna happen. Ever.
Some people are willing to pay for quality. Enjoy your Bilt – don’t forget the duct tape!
haha go ahead and spend $2k so you can pose in front of starbucks and talk about “real” rally racers hahaha Will $2k guarantee that this garment won’t fall apart??
Fall apart? WTF do you wear? This suit is as close to bullet proof as it gets.
Bullet proof? put it on and shoot yourself then, I’d like to see the bullet proof-ness
The Dominator shall Dominate while the whiners scowl and complain. Great review, even though the fringed pleather set doesn’t like it LOL. Get a job, ya reprobates!
Have both jacket & pants. It’s awesome. Spot-on review. Haters, enjoy your vinyl ass-less chaps.
I own one of these suits. I think the reviewer was a bit generous describing the “cooling action” of the suit, but it’s a fantastic piece of kit. Once you get into the upper 80s in temp, dominator is unbearable at a standstill. If you are not in motion and can’t take it off, you’ll bake.
That said, I’ve never seen this suit’s equal.
I have the baby brother of this suit, the defender GTX and I love it except that after one year of very moderate use, the material around that fancy pants slide buckle of theirs started to come loose. I have to be careful now not to pull too hard on that buckle, otherwise I will just rip it out …
I bought this suit as a deal not to be missed aced it within reach of my price range (I paid £1180 for the jacket and trousers), my reasons for buying this suit were due to my role as a volunteer bloodbiker and bing out in lovely British crappy weather and leaving continuous puddles of water on hospital floors was getting a bit much.
I previously owned a richa drop liner suit, which might I add kept my dry in the heaviest of rain, and a little too chilly in the winter (clearly need better thermals), however having to leave the dam thing to dry off for a few days after such events out became a huge pain in the rear…
When I looked into laminated riding suits, I like many found them to be way too expensive….
So the decision was made the suit was order after trying on offerings from klim, rukka and dainese, finally I unboxed it jumped on my Bike and instantly thought dam this thing is rigid as hell, it surely can’t stay like this from now on….. Well it took a few long trips out (any excuse) to get it to bed in so to speak or soft up, am sure it was more I got used to the feel of it, well some delightful British weather attempts it’s usual crappy display of vengeance and blimey, this is amazing. Got to my first hospital a quick shake in the style of a dad dance and dry not a drop in the floor, jumped back on the bike finished my 6 hrs of volunteering got home took the suit of and virtually hung it straight up in the cupboard….
Now I still find it hard to justify the price tag even at the discounted price I managed to get it for but it is by far the most versatile, protective and confidence inspiring ( crap weather decision riding) piece of motorcycle kit I’ve ever owned…
It’s not without its flaws, the neck closure is a pain in the arse to adjust all the time and will loosen if your simply pull the tab one handed meaning you need to readjust each time you close it, also the lining at the end of the sleeves when you remove the monkey paw has a habit of pull forward when removing glose or putting jacket on, the strap on the rear of the trouser legs for ankle/knee adjustment can drop a little too much making my short leg strain a tad more when reaching for the ground.. Its a very swoop swoop kind of suit highlited more when strolling down an empty hospital corridor at 2am.
Am I glad I bought it…. Most definitely… Would I pay this much again… Not a decision I would enter too quickly… Would I go back to my drop liner suit… No way