Both have snaps at the elbows to tighten up any slack arm material, and the waists both have Velcro adjusters for the same purpose. The wrist adjustment on the Joe Rocket Alter Ego 4.1 is Velcro around the wrist, compared to the 3.0’s zipper down the wrist and relying on the elastic of the wrist area for fit. The fit of both mesh jackets feels the same to me. Joe Rocket doesn’t offer a CE back protector for the jacket’s back protector pouch, so you’ll have to use a third-party protector insert, such as something from Forcefield Body Armor. Conversely, the CE-rated armor is in the shoulders and elbows of the mesh jacket.CE-rated back protection is an option-we think it should be standard, even though it’s not yet common. With the mesh jackets on, the fit of the outer feels the same as the fit of the 3.0 outer jacket.I am disappointed that the mesh jacket is solid black, as I want to be seen and don’t want to wear the Hi-Viz Neon overjacket all the time. Joe Rocket eliminated that for the Alter Ego 4.1 mesh jacket.There is less reflective piping on the 4.1 outer than the 3.0, though the 4.1 reflects very brightly. In comparison, the 3.0 only offered cooling on my chest.The 3.0 has a lower back foam pad in the mesh vest that I was always having to adjust when pushing against the back of my touring seat. The airflow through the Alter Ego 4.1 outer jacket with the zippers open is awesome. I opened the front and back zippers and took off at about 50 mph. I switched to the 3.0 for comparison and immediately felt the 3.0’s lack of airflow to my sides.I brought my Bilt Cooling Waterproof evaporative vest soaking in a baggie to test the airflow under the overjacket. I always wear a jacket when riding, and I have never felt so much air on my torso. I immediately felt like I was just wearing a wick away T-shirt.
In contrast, the Alter Ego 4.1 has a full front and back mesh and the mesh appears to be a more open weave to allow greater airflow.It took just one desert ride to feel the full effect of Alter Ego 4.1’s all-around mesh. Definitely, the Alter Ego 4.1 outer jacket has superior airflow characteristics.The Joe Rocket Alter Ego 4.1 mesh jacket has considerably more body mesh area than the 3.0, which only has mesh on the arms and some of the front. The 3.0’s rear vent is closed by a flap held in place with Velcro, so there is no way to keep the 3.0 flap open I never understood its ventilation system. However, it is in the closer look that the enhancements stand out.The Alter Ego 4.1 outer jacket has two tall vertical air vents-front and rear- compared to the 3.0, which has shorter vertical vents in the front and a horizontal vent in the rear. At first glance, the new Joe Rocket Alter Ego 4.1 is very similar to the 3.0 edition, which is still available.