Full Face Helmets

[mfoga]

With the stories of people bashing their face and actaully having a friend just do this too I was thinking its time to get a full Face Helmet. I am not a DH racer or even some hardcore rider(Hopefully sometime not yet). I want something thats not going to be super hot or really heavy. I am mostly looking to protect my face. A lot of the ones I have seen have almost no ventilation at all.

I have seem maybe 3 or 4 that seem to have at least decent ventilation.

Bell Drop- Pros light 422g Cons Less Ventilation 7 vents

Bell Bellistic Pros 15 vents Cons 907 g

Giro Remedy Pros 14 vents Cons 1050g

Specialized Deviant Pros 21 vents Cons 903+g

Those are the ones I have seen that seem to have decent amount of ventilation. If there are others people have used I would love to hear about those too.

So my question what have people used and what did they like and not like about it.

I would like to stay away from the Carbon Fiber ones, a little to expensive for what I might get out of it.

[S51]

I actually use a 661 Pro Bravo. From what I hear, the Specialized Deviant and the Giro Remedy are the most popular and keep your noggin the coolest.

You really ought to go to you LBS and try them out. Not all helmets fit the same.

[Rockinthecasbah]

Your forgetting all the TLD stuff I have loved al my TLD helmets,,
sorry shameless plugg, but seriously I DO

[mfoga]

Originally Posted by Rockinthecasbah

Your forgetting all the TLD stuff I have loved al my TLD helmets,,
sorry shameless plugg, but seriously I DO

Didn't forget I looked at a few sites and those were the ones that you could tell had lots of ventilation. Looking at then they look to almost none only a few small ones in the rear and few in front from what the pics show.

Plus they are way more then I would like to spend at this time. I think they would be overkill at this point.

[Happy_Gilmore]

Specialized Deviant, excellent AM, Light-duty DH helmet 20+ vents (very good venation)
Pryme AL very good AM, Light-duty DH helmet 20+ vents (very good ventilation)

Both are good choice budget wise - both are one head impact helmets

[Kaboom]

Originally Posted by Rockinthecasbah

Your forgetting all the TLD stuff I have loved al my TLD helmets,,
sorry shameless plugg, but seriously I DO

Can't go wrong with the Troy Lee Designs product. It's great downhill/protective gear.

[mullarks]

I have a Bell Balastic and it is ok, but it still gets freaking hot. I basically got it cause of it vents and because it was cheap. If I have to do it over again I would get a Giro Remedy its more comfortable than the Balastic and for what it is worth i have a buddy with a Deviant and Remedy and he has stated numerous times that the Remedy is a better all around helmet.

[Locnrock]

Oneal/Azonic Fury 89.99 White w/ nice graphics or a flat black w/ graphics.

I ride DH with the 907 Series Moto helmet Carbon Fiber/Kevlar, but it's $$$.

RideOn

[2wheel_lee]

Honestly, before you get hung up on brand, vent holes, etc., spend some time trying them on. You may find that only one of them fits you really well. Make sure you have someone with you who knows how to fit a full-faced helmet. It may take going to several shops to find what works best - take your time.

I've been shopping for a full-faced helmet for my girlfriend. We've been having a very hard time finding one that fits well - she knows she has an odd-shaped head. In one brand, she's an XL, but in another brand a M is too small, and an L is too big. She's tried on a lot of helmets. We had the same problem finding her an XC helmet, but since the Specialized XC helmet fits her, we're hoping the Specialized Deviant fits.

I too like my TLD helmets - I've had a couple of them. However, I understand they're not in your intended budget. It initially wasn't in mine either, but the TLD helmet fits my head far better than any other. The downside to the TLD helmet is that ventilation is very poor...excuse me...non-existent. The mouth piece is also a bit close to my mouth also limiting breathing. But did I say that it fits me so damn well?

[DirtymikeTDB]

Dont forget the Vigor Vamoose2. Great helemt, fits very well, lightweight, lots of vents Seatbelt style buckle. I love mine, here is a pic, but it no longer looks like a vigor




Linky to website
http://www.vigorhelmets.com/vamoose.html

[mfoga]

Thanks for some of the input.

On the the single impact helmet thing, I thought all helmets were basically single use helmets. I was always told that even with motorcycle helmets a drop of even just 4 feet can damage the helmet. You may not see this damage but it damages the foam that is designed to absorb the impact.
Are you saying that some of these other higher end helmets aren't single use helmets?

[Bryguy17]

I really like my remedy. It works as well as i can expect a helmet to, does not restrict breathing at all, has decent ventilation, and comes in lots of sweet colors

I have heard good things about the bell's but no personal experience.

[quaestionis]

MBA did an article a few months ago called the "Full Face Shootout"

It compared the Giro Remedy, Fox Rampage, The One Carbon Fiber, Specialized Deviant Carbon, Six Six One Pro Carbon, and Troy Lee Designs D2 Carbon.

the punchline for those who dont want to go to the link is this:

AND, THE WINNER IS: GIRO REMEDY
The winner: The Giro Remedy was the top of the class in nearly all areas, scoring first or second place points in almost every category. A consistently solid fit, removable padding that can be precisely reinstalled in the same location, and being second in weight only to the Specialized and TLD,[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]set the Remedy apart.

Second place: The Specialized Deviant scored a perplexing result, coming in second. Some riders found it poor in categories where others found it to excel. The Deviant clearly had the best opening to fit goggles and was tied as the lightest of the bunch. Testers either loved or hated the rear vertical adjustable Pro Fit 2 retention system, resembling a traditional cross-country helmet.

Third place: The Troy Lee Designs D2 swept the first place votes in the aesthetics category, but had the least amount of room for goggles. For $375, the TLD D2 carbon has more flair than the rest, with accents like titanium visor screws and a high-end TLD SE helmet bag.

Fourth place: The top three helmets easily set themselves apart by standing out in more than one area. Determining the bottom half was not nearly as easy. We really liked the THE One helmet, but did it best any of the top three in one category? No. It ranked last in removing and cleaning the padding. Most of the Velcro pieces intended to hold the ear pads and lining in place either came off completely or shifted, making it tough to return the helmet to original fit once the pads were removed.

Fifth place: The SixSixOne Pro Bravo Carbon is a good-looking helmet, and we were stoked about how easily it accepted our Oakley goggles and how the padding was easily removed, but the fit and comfort (where we put the most importance) ranked last. The Bravo routinely slid backward on riders’ heads.

Sixth place: We’d been anxious to get our hands on the Fox Rampage helmet after becoming big fans of their open face Flux helmet. The Rampage resembles a scaled down version of their popular V3 motocross helmet and certainly has carried the torch with its motocross feel. It was the heaviest helmet of the bunch, but on a positive note, it’s less than one-third of the price of the Troy Lee Designs D2 and beat over half of the field in how serviceable the padding and lining were.

[kanga]

I have the One composite. Gotta say it feels solid and secure, but is pretty warm. I also use it for snowboarding in the winter, so I know it's warm! I really like it for DH and trust it more than I would a carbon helmet, but the few times I've climbed with it on I've regretted it.

[2wheel_lee]

Originally Posted by quaestionis

MBA did an article a few months ago called the "Full Face Shootout"

Third place: The Troy Lee Designs D2 swept the first place votes in the aesthetics category, but had the least amount of room for goggles. For $375, the TLD D2 carbon has more flair than the rest, with accents like titanium visor screws and a high-end TLD SE helmet bag.

MBA has no credibility whatsoever in my opinion.

The least amount of room for goggles? How many pair of goggles do you need to wear? I've never had a problem wearing goggles with a TLD helmet, nor have I ever heard that complain.

And how can you declare one a winner as having a consistently solid fit? That's the one where a M was too small for my gf and an L was too large. If my gf were to have done the review, the Remedy would have been DFL, based on their criteria that fit and comfort were the most important points in the comparison. By the way, the Remedy fits me only OK. As a result, for my own safety, I wouldn't wear one.

Also, they said that the Remedy was "second in weight only to the Specialized and TLD." Wouldn't that make it third?

I'll stop...I could go on with this forever. Most all of their articles are full of holes, although usually much worse than these.

[SheDevil]

Schweeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!

[kanga]

Originally Posted by SheDevil

Schweeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!

Mine is slightly more understated... the soft-touch finish in gray:

[SheDevil]

I still have a pinched nerve from the last time I donned one of these....but I do love the zebra

[Solo]

Full face helmets are hot, get used to it. The good thing is that you're not typically wearing it for that long. Same for weight, I don't think your neck will know the difference between a few grams.
Most importantly, buy something that fits really well. A poorly fitting $300 helmet is really no better than a $10 one.

I really like my Remedy.

[DirtymikeTDB]

Originally Posted by mfoga

Thanks for some of the input.

On the the single impact helmet thing, I thought all helmets were basically single use helmets. I was always told that even with motorcycle helmets a drop of even just 4 feet can damage the helmet. You may not see this damage but it damages the foam that is designed to absorb the impact.
Are you saying that some of these other higher end helmets aren't single use helmets?

That is absolutly true with all helmets.