Leatt DBX 2.0 Trail Helmet - Review

Details

There are 20 ample sized vents in the helmet to keep air moving. The visor is fixed, as opposed to the adjustable one found on the higher end DBX 3.0. There's a large ratcheting dial at the rear of the helmet that can be rotated to fine tune the fit.

The safety and technology that has been incorporated into the helmet is substantial for the price. There are 10 viscoelastic discs are individually mounted into the harder EPS foam of the helmet and rotate independently of each other. In the event of a crash, the turbines are designed to compress and rotate, absorbing energy and also allowing the helmet liner to move slightly, a similar concept to what occurs with a slip-plane system like MIPS.

Those blue turbines are said to reduce up to 30% of the energy transmitted to the head from a concussion-strength hit. Leatt's tests also show that they reduce up to 40% of the rotational acceleration that comes with almost anything other than a straight on impact to the head. Leatt is one of the few companies that makes some of their research and test data public, which can be viewed here.




In Action

Just like with saddles, helmet fit is going to be a matter of personal preference, but for reference, I typically wear a size medium with helmets from other major manufacturers, and the DBX 2.0 was no exception. The helmet doesn't feel as if it offers quite as much coverage at the back of the head compared to a Specialized Ambush or POC Tectal, but it still extends further than a traditional XC lid. I somewhat expected to notice the turbines pressing on my head, but that wasn't the case at all. The padding is very comfortable, moisture-wicking, and washable. The dial in the back for adjusting tension, which Leatt calls their "Quattro Force Control" is easy to adjust. There's an indexed vertical adjustment to help better adapt the retention system to the back of your cranium and keep everything in place when you're bounding down the trail, of which it does an excellent job.

Glasses are nearly as important for preventing eye damage as a helmet is for the brain, so the two nicely fitting together is imperative. I have been wearing the DBX 2.0 with both Smith's PivLock Overdrive and POC's Crave glasses, they both mesh nicely with the helmet. Some helmets will annoyingly bump against the top of the glasses' frames while riding, especially with the larger sized POC frames, but the Leatt has a comfortable amount of room. There's ample clearance above the ear, and it doesn't push the frames down onto my ears, thus avoiding any headache inducing pressure.

The visor on the DBX 2.0 is fixed in place. It does sit a little lower and come into my field of vision more than I typically prefer, but within a couple of minutes I was used to it, and it has been a nonissue since. Where I live in Brevard, NC, many days can have temperatures in the 70s and 80s with nearly 100% humidity, conditions that can make it feel like you're in a Southern Appalachian sweat lodge - complete with dehydration and trail side hallucinations. For that reason, air and climate control with any helmet is a top priority for me. A recent humid day where temps hovered near 85 F (29 C) gave me a chance to see how the DBX 2.0 handled summer-like conditions. I was very happy with how relatively cool my head stayed with the helmet; it does a better job than several of the much more expensive helmets out there at heat management. The pads did a decent job of absorbing sweat, and the helmet kept air flowing, even at slower speeds. I really didn't think about the helmet a lot while suffering uphill, something that I would deem a compliment on any hot day.






Pinkbike's Take

---

---

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews Helmets LEATT