Testing the flame-resistant Armourlite jeans in Japan 【Videos】
A.K.A. how many seconds can you stand the heat of a flame on your butt?
Our motorcycle-riding Japanese-language reporter Haruka Takagi was browsing the Internet recently, looking for new gear and clothes to wear on her joyrides, when she stumbled upon a video that she describes as “ridiculous”.
▼ That moment when the algorithm surprises you with a video that’s equal parts crazy but totally up your alley at the same time.
▼ The thumbnail for the “ridiculous” video showed a man with a blowtorch roasting another man’s jean-covered butt with flames.
▼ “Why would I be interested in that?!” Scoffed Haruka, before furtively glancing from side to side and clicking on the video.
The video was titled, [Burning With Fire Verification!!] Flame-resistant and Highly Durable Denim Test <Oxford Armourlite Jeans>. And while the the thumbnail made it look like the two men in the clip were a couple of irresponsible YouTubers pulling a prank for views, it was actually filmed by the people behind Young Machine, a long-established motorcycle magazine that was first published in 1972.
The flaming-butt video was demonstrating the true strength of these jeans, which have been made with a fabric called Armourlite. Purported to be flame-resistant and highly durable, this video really put the fabric to the test, and after the jeans were burned with a blowtorch for 10 seconds, the results were in — this guy’s butt was safe and sound, and the jeans withstood the flames without any marks at the end of it.
After that, they tested the durability of the fabric by dragging the man in his jeans across 10 metres (32.8 feet) of asphalt, and again the material delivered on its promise, showing only a few scratches.
Haruka couldn’t believe what she was seeing, so she decided to purchase the jeans and conduct the same experiments herself to find out if the denim really was as strong as it seemed.
A few days later, Haruka’s Oxford Armourlite jeans arrived and she tore open the package to see what they were like.
Surprisingly, they looked like ordinary stretch jeans, although the fabric felt a little thicker than usual. The breathability seemed good, and Haruka thought these would be ideal for the slightly cooler autumn and spring months.
Included with her purchase were two hip protectors and two knee protectors, which slot into the inside of the jeans. The protectors had a nice feel to them and looked sure to absorb shocks and prevent injuries in the event of an accident.
Haruka decided to head out to the riverside for her denim test, and as she rode there in her new jeans, she was impressed by their look and feel.
They were incredibly comfortable yet stylish as well, and Haruka had already taken a liking to them, which made her a little concerned about what she was about to do to them.
▼ One last selfie with the jeans, just in case they get burnt and torn to shreds.
Haruka set up her experiment site right by the water’s edge, just in case something were to go wrong. Within jumping distance to the water, Haruka felt a little safer about the ridiculous act she was about to take part in, and she wants to strongly advise against trying this on your own.
Haruka had a friend with her, to assist with the photo-taking and to help out if plans went awry, but she was determined to do everything else herself so her friend wouldn’t have to feel responsible for any possible mistakes.
She lit the fire, as if she were having a barbecue by the river, as people often do in Japan during summer. However, the only thing Haruka would be barbecuing today was…her behind.
Haruka began to sweat from the heat, and the fear, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it made her so uncomfortable that she now wanted to just get the whole thing over and done with.
Putting sensible logic to one side, Haruka lowered her butt until she was squatting over the flames of the fire, making sure to keep the camera on herself the whole time.
▼ However…
It was hot! The Armourlite jeans may be flame-resistant but they have no insulating properties whatsoever, which means the heat of the flame goes right through to the butt. She kept jumping up involuntarily, and no matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t squat above the flames for any longer than a few seconds.
About five seconds was her absolute limit, which made her think back to that video, where that guy’s butt was blowtorched for ten seconds. He must’ve had a truly hot arse.
Still, Haruka’s three-to-five second exposures amounted to around 20 seconds in the flames all-up, and when she looked at the butt of the jeans, they were perfectly intact. On closer inspection, the material wasn’t even scorched, proving that these definitely were flame resistant.
▼ These jeans will provide you with ease of mind not only when riding a motorbike, but when camping or sitting around a bonfire as well.
Having tested the flame-resistant properties of the jeans, it was now time to test their durability with the asphalt test. However, with her friend behind the camera, Haruka had nobody to drag her so she dragged herself along the ground for 10 metres.
▼ And the result? No damage at all!
At this point, Haruka wondered if she’d ever be able to scratch the death-defying denim, so she got down on the ground again and this time she lifted her feet in order to really put a lot of stress on her thighs.
This time, there was a tear in the material! This was after 20 metres of intense crawling, though, so Haruka was satisfied that the jeans would withstand ordinary wear and tear, and offer quite a bit of protection if she were to come off her bike mid-ride.
After conducting her own experiments, Haruka felt a little bad about mistrusting the original video she saw online. The men from Young Machine certainly weren’t lying about the strength of the jeans, and you can take a look at their experiments below.
▼ Haruka is pleased to report that her jeans have since been mended and they’re now a firm staple in her riding wardrobe.
The Armourlite jeans can be purchased online in Japan from retailers like Amazon, where they’re priced at 17,218-18,115 yen (US$156.72-$164.88). While they’re definitely pricier than most jeans on the market, Haruka says you can’t put a price on safety, especially when you ride to far-flung secret destinations in Japan.
Screenshots: YouTube/YoungMachineヤングマシン
Photos © SoraNews24
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