Ridden & Rated: 8 Mid-Range Downhill Helmets

There's a wide range of quality downhill full-face helmets on the market packed with features at a good price. There is also a lot of new technology aimed at reducing the effect of oblique (rotational) impacts being developed in order to keep us safer. As more is becoming known about the dangers of repeated concussions, this is most welcome. There are a plethora of different tests, safety standards, and theories that are still evolving, so we don't go in-depth on that topic in this article. Instead, this is an observation of fit, feeling, and features – we suggest you visit each brand's site to find more about their types of technology and how they could improve safety.

With so many newcomers, are the reliable favorites being surpassed? We've been testing a range of mid-level options from the main players as this is a reflection of the helmets most popular with consumers. The main difference with most products in this test compared to their more expensive brethren is they all forego the carbon shells of their top of the line counterparts for a small increase in weight, but most retain the same styling, technology and safety features.

Regardless of features, styling, and price, the number one most important factor with a helmet is fit. I must have a fairly 'normal' head shape as every helmet (except one) in medium size fitted really well. Head to your local bike shop to test for size and fit, and remember that the removable foam interior will compress slightly with use. Buying from your local shop can also make things easier if you choose a helmet with a crash replacement policy; sometimes you can go back to the shop and they will be able to hand over a new one, but if you buy online there could be a long process of posting the helmet back and forth.

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The Coron Air Spin was developed with input from POC's enduro and slopestyle athletes and is designed for the most demanding riding (and crashing). With that in mind, protection and comfort both had to be great to keep everybody happy. They've used EPP (expanded polypropylene), rather than traditional EPS (expanded polystyrene) because it recovers from impacts, which is good for protection from multiple impacts in one crash. POC have also developed their own SPIN (Shearing Pad INside) which uses silicone pads between the shell and EPP foam liner to support their ‘whole helmet approach’ to protect riders from all types of impacts and reduce peak force – all other systems create a slip-plane between the pilot's head and the helmet. The 20 carefully placed vents should provide sufficient ventilation.





The previous Coron helmet was one of my favorites, and I spent the majority of 2016 wearing one. It is great to see that the EPP foam is now available in the lower price point, and while there is no evidence yet if this is more or less safe than traditional EPS, it is a great way to have a helmet that can take a number of hits – all manufacturers recommend replacing an EPS lid after an impact, so even if you drop in on the floor it might be time for a new one – but that's not the case here.

The Coron Air has improved venting over the Coron, which helps with air flow and vents are covered with a firm wire mesh to prevent any branches or mud getting through. The interior has generous cutouts around the ears for comfort as well as a handful of extra sticky-backed foam that can be placed at strategic points under on the EPP foam to adjust the fit. The interior is also combined with plastic tabs to help it slot back into the same spot every time. The breakaway visor has plenty of adjustment and should flip upwards if you catch it on a low hanging branch, and come off completely in a bigger crash. This matte finished green and orange colorway stayed clean and stain-free. It probably won't match any of your other kit, but POC also sells matching gloves and goggles to keep in tone.

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The Fiberlite brings the D3's racing-derived features – like wind tunnel tested aerodynamics and ventilation – to a lower price point thanks to its fiberglass shell. It also benefits from TLD's signature styling and attention-grabbing 'Factory' colorway, which won't be to everyone's tastes, but the 'Mono' stealth black option is available if you prefer to fly under the radar.





The D3 is the most iconic and arguably best-looking helmet in this group and will win many followers simply for this reason. But, it also fits really well and has a decent amount of ventilation for a DH helmet. Using a stainless steel double-D buckle for that secure and easily adjustable feel, and two density's of softer rubber on the back of the chin guard for a little extra protection in you choose to faceplant.

Like the POC Coron, the D3 uses firm wire mesh covered vents to keep the unwanted out, but does not have a breakaway visor. The main portion of the interior liner clips into the helmet, but the emergency-release cheek-pads use velcro so you need to be careful when fitting them back in to get the same feel and fit each time. Troy Lee do offer MIPS protection but only in the more expensive carbon version.

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The Rampage Comp pulls on many features of the Rampage Carbon but at a price to make it competitive on the market as well as the race course. A lightweight fiberglass shell is used in the same mold as its premium sibling to achieve this. It has been in Fox's range for a few years now, but has it stood the test of time?





In US dollars, the Rampage Comp is the second cheapest in this group at $200, and equal to the 100% Status in Euros, which is a good start. The price reflects the lack of features, as there is no rotational system - MIPS is only available in the more expensive carbon version, just like the TLD. Again, there are some mesh-covered vents and extra rubber padding on the back of the chin guards for added faceplant absorption. There is no breakaway peak, which was also just intruding the top of my vision at its highest setting.

The Rampage Comp fitted comfortably and has a stud-fit interior and pads to remove and replace it accurately each time, but the cheek-pads don't have a safety release system.

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The Status claims to redefine the standards of what a mid-level downhill helmet should be, but does it achieve this? It combines a fiberglass shell with some sharp styling and modern graphics options to suit all. The result is an impressively lightweight helmet that looks like it should cost more.





The Status looks fast, and also happens to be the least expensive and lightest helmet here. Like the similarly priced Fox, there are few features to shout about, which is reflected by the price. There isn't a rotational system or breakaway peak, but it does come with a double-D locking buckle, which I always prefer for downhill riding. The visor is a non-breakaway option and seemed to be the stiffest on test that also (like the Fox) uses a ledge on the top of the shell for the peak to butt up against limiting adjustment; the peak was in my vision slightly, but not as much as the Fox.

Helmet fit is always going to be a personal preference and nearly every medium sized helmet in the test fit comfortably, except the Status. I also had the same issue with the more expensive carbon Aircraft earlier this year – the fit is narrow and the padding did not fit around my ears pushing against them This gets irritating after a while and also made it hard to hear and maybe affected my balance – similar to putting hands over your ears, but less extreme. If you have a narrower head the fit should work for you. The non-emergency release cheek pads pop in with studs, but the rest of the liner is fitted with long plastic strips that are pushed between the inner and outer shells making it more difficult to get the same feeling each time you refit the liner.

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Kali Protectives is a company that continually strive for greater safety and the Shiva 2.0 puts everything they've learned into one product. It uses their proprietary technologies like Nano Fusion and LDL (Low-Density Layer) liner, to make it as protective as possible without being exorbitantly heavy. It is the only helmet in this line up to meet the DOT motorcycle safety standards, which is very impressive. Kali also offers a -25% discount crash replacement for DOT helmets.





The Shiva is the only helmet with a DOT rating, but this also means it is one of the heavier helmets, and the least ventilated offering similar warmth to the Bell Fusion. The upside is that this should be the most absorptive helmet here – the LDL helps with absorbing the initial part of the impact as well as managing rotational forces. Following this, the Nano Fusion uses two densities of EPS and Nano-foam molded together in two tessellating layers of pyramids that give progressive absorption as well as dissipation of energy. This also allows a smaller overall shell size for the same amount of protection, which reduces the leverage force on the head.

All of the above sounds great and it also has a breakaway visor. The visor will unclip if pushed downwards, but needed a hefty impact to push it back enough to snap back – this actually breaks part of the peak where it has the third height adjust limit screw, but it can still be used afterward. The Shiva has a secure feeling fit but is the tightest overall of all the medium sizes tested – as I mentioned in the introduction, get to your local shop to check the fit before buying.

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Leatt may have previously only been known for their neck braces, but for the past few years, they've been showing their hand in the helmet game. The DBX 5.0 is what they think a downhill helmet should be: incredibly protective without compromising on ventilation, even at low speeds. They've done this by using 360° Turbine technology, which is their chosen method of rotational impact protection, along with in-molded impact foam to reduce the overall size of the helmet, reducing the transfer of rotational forces to the head, neck, and brain. Other features include 'Eject System' compatibility, emergency release cheek pads and a breakaway visor.





In a similar vein to the Kali Shiva, Leatt use an energy absorbing material that hardens on impact create low-speed absorption and rotational dissipation – '360º Turbine' discs, in this case, claim to reduce up to 40% of rotational acceleration to the head and brain as well as reducing up to 30% of head impact at concussion level. Another similarity to Kali is the dual density foam molded together with tesselating pyramids to give progressive absorption and dissipation of incoming forces.

The Leatt DBX is the only helmet without mesh-covered vents as standard, but these can be added later as well as a 'winter kit' that can block the vents for cold days. It also has a nifty 'Hidr8' system allowing you to thread a hydration tube through the helmet and to your mouth. Both features suggest that this helmet is verging towards the enduro side of the spectrum over pure downhill, and this is proven when riding as it is possibly the coolest of the bunch. It's also the only helmet here with a magnetic snap-on Fidlock buckle, which is the quickest and easiest type I have found to use, and also suggests it can be a good crossover lid for downhill and aggressive enduro – something like the Megavalanche, for example.

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The Disciple MIPS was designed from the ground up for modern downhill and enduro racing, without breaking the bank. It features clean lines, intelligently placed vents, such as over the brow, and some smart finishes to create an appealing helmet. As Giro have a partnership with MIPS, it should come as no surprise to find that their sliding liner has been employed to reduce oblique impacts. The POV camera mount and integrated speaker pockets could also come in handy, though I am personally yet to meet somebody who has put speakers inside their helmet. I'm sure I soon will in the comments though.





The two-tone gloss and matte black and simple lines was a winner straight out of the box. The second heaviest lid here and one of the warmest. To re-iterate the point about fit, the Disciple was the loosest fitting medium size in this test, and I would want to change to thicker cheek pads for a better fit – this could be the perfect fit for the David Coulthard and Gee Atherton lookalikes with strong jawlines.

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The Full 9 Fusion is built upon the same platform as the flagship Full-9 but without the carbon shell, speaker pockets and magnetic cheek pads. In their place is a fiberglass shell from the same mold and pop-in cheek pads, which aren't quite as quick and easy but more than acceptable. The MIPS system is employed here too, along with a breakaway POV camera mount and a weight 90g below the top end carbon model.





Putting the Fusion on for the first time is like pushing your head into a ball pit full of baby Labradors. The extra thick padding extends down the back of the neck more than any other helmet here, and combined with the 3D shaped cheek pads that cuddle the side of your neck and face the Fusion has the safest feeling of any of these helmets.

One of the warmer helmets on test, similar to the Kali, but, for bike park and downhill laps where you can take it off every run I prefer the added feeling of safety. One of the nicest features, but probably the least important, is that it comes with a real carry bag.

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What would my perfect helmet have? Lightweight, well ventilated and cheap, plus all the features like helmet camera mounts, emergency release pads, 'Eject System,' good padding, a double-D buckle and a real carry bag – not a single helmet has all of those, so you need to pick and choose to get the right features for you, your type of riding and budget.

Overall we are in a great place when it comes to helmet protection compared to 5, 10, or 15 years ago. Every helmet on test had fully removable pads for cleaning, an easy to clean exterior, wire mesh covered vents and then a selection of the various extra mentioned above.

My favorite was the Bell, it simply had the most secure feeling fit thanks to the shape of the padding on the back of the neck and around the jaw. Sometimes it is not clear exactly why one is your favorite, but it is the one I want to pick up every time I go riding as it feels the safest. My second favorite was the POC, as I think multi-use foam is a good idea for the longevity of a helmet or for careless owners. After that, the added safety features of the Kali and Leatt can't be a bad thing, of course, this comes at a higher price. If you are on a budget, the Fox Rampage and 100% Status are still great helmets - it comes down to finding the one that fits you best.