Leatt MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono Suit

The Leatt MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono suit is purpose-built for riding in truly harsh conditions. Its burly construction delivers reliable, all-day protection from wind and rain, though that same robustness means it can feel quite warm. The fabric is impressively hard-wearing, and the reinforced panels inspire confidence in its longevity, even if they do have a tendency to gather mud. Fit is dialled, but riders with longer legs may want to try it on first to be sure. Ultimately, this is a suit that shines when the weather is at its worst, making it a niche option that’s best saved for those relentlessly wet and miserable days.

Leatt MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono suit – Technical Details

The one-piece mono suit is Leatt’s solution to keeping the winter wet and filth out indefinitely. The suit is built out of HydraDri Max 3-layer fabric which is rated to 30,000mm waterproofness and 30,000g/24h/m2 breathability and utilises fully taped seams throughout. It’s a tough and heavy-duty material designed to fend off some truly horrible weather for prolonged periods. This fabric is finished with a dirt/water repellent (DWR) coating which is environmentally conscious PFAS-free. YKK waterproof zips are used, keeping out the wet and they utilise large pull-tabs for ease of use even with gloved hands.

Aside from the fabric, Leatt has thrown an awful lot of features at the mono suit to make it user-friendly and mountain bike ready. Starting from the top, the Ride Adaptive Hood features a built-in magnet to keep the hood in place – either fixed to the helmet or to your back. Internal, removable suspender braces loop over the shoulders to keep the lower half of the suit up and in place, which allows the upper half to be unzipped and rolled up if things start to get too hot. These braces are adjustable, allowing you to get the perfect fit. Fit can also be adjusted on the arm cuffs with the use of hook-and-loop straps, helping to keep the weather out, whilst the legs have expander zips to ease entry. The waist also features hook-and-loop adjustment and an elasticated waistband.

Whilst the HydraDri fabric is already tough, Leatt has added reinforcement panels on high-wear areas such as the knees, elbows and seat area for extra wear-resistance.

Storage is ample with two good-sized zipped thigh pockets and a chest pocket which features neoprene protection for your phone. With all this heavy-duty material, the chance of overheating is high, so Leatt has added plenty of ventilation with meshed zip vents on the thighs and larger open zipped vents in the pits to dump that hot air.

As a final touch, the neck collar features a soft micro-fibre inner lining, and the high collar has breathing holes for improved ventilation. Always good to see is a little tab partway down the chest, which keeps the jacket together even when unzipped.

The MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono suit is available in 5 sizes ranging from S-XXL and a single black colourway.

Leatt MTB 5.0 Hydradri Mono suit – Performance

Starting with the fit, the size large on test proved to be well sized and fitted as expected. The fit is a story of two halves, with the bottom being more snug and the top falling on the more relaxed side. Both have plenty of room to move whilst descending and aren’t restrictive whilst seated and pedalling. Leg length is perhaps a little on the short side for my 32” inseam; I’d like to see this a little longer to help cover the cuff of a waterproof riding shoe. The fit around the legs is quite hugging, however, there is plenty of room for knee pads. Arm length is more generous, which works great when hunched over in the riding position; an inner cuff adds to the comfort and keeps the draught out.

The material is on the heavy side, with the suit weighing in at 1,186g; it’s clearly built for horrible conditions and does a great job of keeping the wet and cold out. Whilst breathability is good for material this thick, it does, of course, run warm. For e-bikes and cold winter riding, I found a jersey was the only underlayer needed, but even in very cold temperatures, pedalling on an analogue bike still built up quite a bit of heat. The ventilation on offer does alleviate the excess warmth to some extent, but in persistent rain there is a balancing act between keeping the weather out and letting the heat out.

The pay-off is excellent waterproofing. The mono-suit has kept some truly awful conditions at bay for prolonged periods, although I did find the wet slowly travelling up the arm cuffs, which is not uncommon.

The large thigh pockets offer comfortable and non-intrusive storage, and the chest pocket fits a phone in it with no issues. The chest pocket features a neoprene sleeve, which I presume is there to protect your phone, however, it does add some bulk and extra faff in that area.

The big chunky zips are easy to use even when wearing gloves and, at least for the men, the front zip can be opened from the bottom, acting as a fly which is super handy.

The reinforced areas around the knees, elbows, and seat area do have a little quirk of holding on to the mud. Their woven lattice-like construction gives the mud something to hold on to, which is a little annoying. It’s a double-edged sword, as this material does provide some grip when seated but also holds on to the mud, which then removes any aforementioned grip.

Leatt MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono suit – Verdict

At £420, the Leatt MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono suit certainly is an investment. I’d argue that if you ride in truly awful conditions regularly, this could be the answer; however, being in the south of the UK, I haven’t needed it often enough to justify the cost. It’s worth mentioning Leatt does another suit, the HydraDri 3.0, which is a little lighter and perhaps more applicable to our usual warm and wet winters.

Dirtlej is arguably the pioneer of mountain bike onesies, so its Dirtsuit is worth looking into. It’s built tough and designed to be durable but does come in heavier than the Leatt suit. On the other hand, it is significantly cheaper than the Leatt suit, so it’s worth considering.

The Leatt MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono suit is built for the most awful riding conditions. Its heavy-weight construction offers all-day protection from the elements but comes at the cost of running warm. The material feels tough, and with the reinforced wear panels, I have no concerns about durability, although these panels do hold onto the mud. The fit is excellent, although those with long legs may need to try before they buy. Overall, the MTB 5.0 HydraDri Mono suit excels in the worst conditions even if those are few and far between, making it a highly specialised piece best reserved for truly grim weather.