The best leather jackets for men combine fashion, fine craftsmanship and durability. While the most stylish leather jackets carry a high price tag, with the right care and maintenance, they can last for years — decades, even. Plus, if you choose a timeless cut and style, your leather jacket will never go out of fashion. The best leather jackets truly are timeless.
In SPY’s Fall Fashion Guide for Men, we noted that leather jackets were going to be one of the season’s hottest trends, and we’re expecting leather jackets to stick around for winter in all but the chilliest climes. That’s because they’re durable, incredibly stylish, and when layered correctly, surprisingly warm.
Below, we’ve gathered the season’s most stylish leather jackets for men, with options for clotheshorses, designer fashion aficionados, and more laid-back guys. Whether you’re hoping to spend $100 or $1,000, you’ll find some stylish — and on trend — men’s leather jackets. We even threw in some vegan leather jackets for good measure.
What Kinds of Leather Jackets Are There?
Leather jackets can be made from many different types of leather. The most common leather used is cowhide, sometimes called cattle hide. It’s water- and dirt-resistant, and with the right maintenance it can outlast you, which is why you’ll find so many vintage leather jackets for sale at thrift stores.
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Cowhide leather starts stiff, but as the leather jacket is worn and broken in, it becomes softer. Leather jackets are also made from lambskin. Lambskin is a softer leather, almost silky. It’s lightweight and easy to tailor; that’s one of the reasons it’s so expensive. While goatskin leather is used more in Europe, both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Airforce utilize this leather in their jackets. It’s as durable as cowhide, but is soft, wears well and has a distinctive pebble-like grain. Calfskin is buttery soft like lambskin.
There are also different qualities of leather. Genuine leather typically indicates a lower quality leather, while more premium leathers include and top grain and full grain, with the latter being of the highest quality.
Leather jackets come in a range of styles, as well. The black moto leather jacket is arguably the most famous and was popularized by Marlon Brando. It’s notable for its asymmetric zipper, spread collar and built-in belt. Another style is the racer jacket or cafe racer, which has a straight zipper and stand collar. Both come from motorcycle culture; bikers adopted leather for the protection it provided in the event of falls.
Other styles are inspired by the military, such as bomber jackets, flight jackets and field jackets. Other styles to consider include varsity jackets and trucker jackets, which, while typically made from other materials, are even better in leather.
Got the basics down? Great. Below you’ll find SPY’s picks for the best men’s leather jackets to buy right now.
Schott ’50s Oil Tanned Cowhide Leather Moto Jacket
When it comes to leather jackets, it doesn’t get any more authentic than Schott. The brand invented the moto jacket, notable for its spread lapel and offset zipper. The iconic Schott jacket was sported by everyone from James Dean to the Ramones.
The leather moto jacket was made for motorcycle riding, with a diagonal zipper that was intended to resist wind better and the belt buckle allows for extra warmth and insulation. Schott continues to make this jacket in the US.
Thursday Boot Co. Keanu Jacket
For the second year in a row, we’re naming the Thursday Boot Co. Racer the best leather jackets for men. While this boot brand is best known for its footwear, the company knows leather, and this jet-black jacket just looks cool. If you’re looking for a leather jacket with that’s classically cut yet that won’t look out of place when worn with jeand or khaki pants, the Thursday Boot Co. Keanu jacket is your best bet. This jacket has one hidden interior and two exterior pockets, making it a great travel companion. This leather jacket also comes in other colors. Wear them with the company’s equally excellent Thursday boots.
Why It’s the Best Leather Jacket for Men: The streamlined silhouette gives it the superpowers to blend with any outfit. It’s made with lusciously soft leather that only gets better with age
AllSaints Lark Leather Jacket
When it comes to cool, modern leather jackets, you can always count on AllSaints to deliver. This jacket has a point collar and a trim fit, making for a streamlined take on the leather biking jacket. There are two zip pockets on the chest and two hand pockets.
Golden Bear The Albany Wool-Blend and Leather Bomber Jacket
It may not be as well known as Levi’s, but Golden Bear is another San Francisco brand that played a a part in Americana workwear history. But while Levi’s made dungarees (ahem, jeans), Golden Bear’s specialty was jackets. Founded in 1922, the brand made jackets for longshoremen, and eventually got into bombers for pilots and varsity jackets. The brand is still based in SF, where it continues to manufacture its jackets.
The body of this jacket is made from a blend of wool and nylon, while the sleeves are genuine leather.
Polo Ralph Lauren Lambskin Leather Jacket
Polo Ralph Lauren’s take on the leather jacket is the kind your grandpa might gravitate toward, in the best way possible. It has a classic, no frills design with a single zip up the front and a pointed collar, similar to an Eisenhower jacket.
Small details include a button on the back of the jacket for cinching the back, and there are buttons on the collar of the jacket as well. The jacket is made from 100% lambskin, with a cotton lining in the body and polyester lining in the sleeves. The jacket features a tonal Polo logo on the chest, and it comes in black or brown.
Abercrombie & Fitch Genuine Leather Moto Jacket
While the wide-lapel motorcycle jacket has been around forever, it wasn’t until Marlon Brando wore on in the flick “The Wild One” back in 1953 that it became an iconic fashion statement. You can never go wrong, fashion-wise, when wearing one. Abercrombie & Fitch is making a bit of a comeback in 2022, and they’ve updated the styling of classic leather jackets with streamlined tailoring that removed the awkward square shape of older styles. This clean-looking lambskin jacket is buttery soft and fully lined. It has an internal chest pocket, three outer pockets, and classic zippered cuffs.
Todd Snyder Italian Burnished Leather Dylan Jacket
Here at SPY, we’re huge fans of Todd Snyder. We’ve covered his watches, shoes, collabs and more. We dig his workmanship, aesthetic and general vibe. If you’re going to splurge on an item of clothing, pick something up that seamlessly blends classic craftsmanship, lines with a modern sensibility. This leather jacket is a great example of the melding of styles.
The classic jean jacket is reimagined here in brown leather (yes, you can pick it up in black) that has that style’s boxy shape allowing you to easily layer it over a hoodie or sweater. The leather has been treated so that it has a lovely burnished broken-in feel. It snaps up the front, has snap cuffs and two large flap pockets. Wear it with a crew neck sweater and cords, and you’re ready for anything.
Belstaff Black Trialmaster Panther Leather Jacket
Belstaff is a British brand best known for waxed cotton jackets, which are sturdy and water-resistant. They also make a leather version of their waxed jackets, adding extra toughness to this already durable jacket. The leather version of this jacket is also waxed, adding water resistance.
Another advantage of a Belstaff field jacket is pockets. While bomber and moto jackets tend to have a more cropped fit, Belstaff’s field jackets have a longer design, allowing for more room for pockets. There are four large patch pockets that are secured with buttons.
G-Star Raw Arc 3D Leather Jacket
G-Star Raw calls this sheep grain leather jacket “3D,” but isn’t every jacket 3D? Despite this conundrum, this is a handsome trucker jacket. Like trucker jackets in general, it has a slightly generous cut that allows you to pop it on over a sweater or sweatshirt. It snaps up the front, is fully lined and has two chest and two slash pockets. The jacket is embossed on one side near the waistband with “G-Star Raw Original Raw denim.”
Lucky Brand Leather Aviator Jacket
Sleekly designed this leather aviator jacket offers both style and warmth without bulk. It’s lined in the same faux shearling as the collar, and the jacket has front patch pockets that can be secured by buttoning them down. The sleeves are accented by tonal bands of leather. Wear it with your favorite pair of jeans, hiking boots and flannel shirt for work or the weekend.
Golden Bear Suede Trucker in Redwood Brown
We’ve mostly highlighted leather jackets on this list, but save some space in your closet for suede. As the inner part of the hide, suede softens up more quickly, and it has a pleasantly fuzzy handfeel. The softness of suede translates to the look, too, making it a great option for anyone who’s not into the tough guy vibe that leather can give off.
This jacket is cut like a trucker jacket, making it a great stand-in for your standard Levi’s jacket. It’s made in collaboration with San Francisco’s Golden Bear and made from split cowhide suede with a chambray lining.
Schott Classic Racer Slim-Fit Leather Biker Jacket
Like the motorcycle it’s named for, the cafe racer dispenses with extraneous details to make for a streamlined jacket. While the moto jacket has an asymmetric zipper and buttons aplenty, the cafe racer has a simple straight zip placket, a chest pocket and a stand collar. Schott’s take on the style is made in the US from cow leather and has a slim fit.
Wrangler Leather and Sherpa Jacket
American heritage brand Wrangler has successfully straddled ranch and cowboy with city and rocker vibes for too many years to count. They’re one of the few brands that has continuously and successfully appealed to a diverse audience. Take their leather jacket; yep, it’s a little bit country and a little bit big city. They took the denim jacket pattern, cleaned up the lines of the silhouette and made it into a shearling-lined leather jacket. It has shoulder plackets, stitching details along the buttonholes, and snap cuffs. No matter where you go when you wear this jacket, you’ll look awesome and be warm.
All Saints Mercer Leather Puffer Jacket
Level up your puffer game with a leather one for this season. All Saints really steps it up style-wise with this black lambskin leather puffer jacket that has a standup collar. This unisex style runs in sizes XS to XXL. It zips up with a snap placket that’s made to trap in air and keep you warm. The lining and fill are both made from 100% recycled polyester. The rib knit trim is made from a mix of recycled polyester and cotton.
The Jaket Maker Coffmen Black A2 Leather Bomber Jacket
Many brands offer one or two leather jackets, but leather jackets is The Jacket Maker’s entire brand. They have a great deal of variety in terms of color, style and material, including suede bombers, leather moto jackets and a bunch of other styles to choose from.
If, somehow, the kind of jacket you you want isn’t available, The Jacket Maker offers a customization feature, allowing you to consult with their brand representatives to get your own, one of a kind jacket.
Billy Reid West Village Leather Jacket
Billy Reid designs classic pieces with a little bit of Southern flair. His eponymous brand’s denim shirt is the platonic ideal, and he makes one of the best peacoats money can buy. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the brand also makes a great leather jacket.
It’s fully lined, and the front placket has a zipper and snaps, adding insulation. The jacket also has a genuine lamb shearling collar for warmth, while the body of the jacket is made from lambskin leather.
Banana Republic Leather Bomber Jacket
Part of the BR Archives collection, this throwback bomber jacket would look great over a knit polo, turtleneck or crew-neck sweater, and it’s a versatile pick for the fall and winter season. While it’s pricey, it’s also the type of premium men’s leather jacket that will last for decades to come if you treat it right.
Dehen 1920 Leather and Wool-Blend Varsity Bomber Jacket
Being one of the best brands doesn’t necessarily mean being the most well known, and that’s the case with Dehen 1920 founded in — you guessed it — 1920. The brand’s wares have been made in Portland, Oregon for a century, and they specialized early on in collegiate sweaters for student athletes.
The varsity tradition lives on in this jacket, and the brand’s commitment to quality hasn’t waned. The body of the jacket is made from 100% Pendleton wool and the sleeves are 100% leather. Even though this jacket is arguably more of a wool jacket than a leather one, it’s still one of the best leather jackets for men.
Levi’s Water Resistant Faux Leather Racer Jacket
You know what sucks about bad weather? You can’t wear a cool-looking jacket. Luckily for us, Levi’s has stepped up and created a line of water-resistant faux leather jackets. Now, you’ll always look good no matter how crappy it is out. This faux leather racer jacket has its classic denim jacket-styled snap-button chest pockets, with the brand’s red tab on the side. The textured faux leather jacket has two zippered side pockets to stuff keys etc., in them. If you’re looking for more affordable Levi’s jackets, then you can also check out this Levi’s Faux Leather Moto Jacket.
Michael Kors Perforated Leather Moto Jacket, Created for Macy’s
The Café Racer jacket is a European-style moto jacket. The style includes a slim silhouette, banded collar and two chest pockets. Michael Kors adds visual interest and a touch of luxury by using perforated leather at the yoke. It creates a nice contrast to the smooth leather of the jacket’s body.
Overland Memphis Lambskin Leather Bomber Moto Jacket
Lambskin leather is silky, supple, and very durable. Overland takes lambskin leather and hand-waxes it for shine and added strength. This jacket combines the best of the bomber and moto jacket styles into one handsome jacket. It has a high neck with a strap and buckle closure to protect you against brisk winds and diagonal snow, sleet and rain. It has more pockets than you may not know what to do with: three interior pockets, two zippered chest pockets, and two hand pockets.
This jacket’s lining has been divided into an upper polyester and a lower wool section. With that lining and the removable knit collar and bib, you’re warm and protected from the elements. It also comes in other colors.