Four helmets in 2019 Reviewed

In this article, we will discuss 4 different helmets: Scorpion EXO-ST1400 Carbon, Shoei GT-Air II, Klim Krios Pro, and Nolan N70-2 X. We believe these are the four helmets in 2019 to keep an eye on.

When looking for a helmet, there are certain things most people pay attention to. First is the shell, how hard it is, how stiff it is, will it crack after the first fall or it will be able to keep your head safe? 

The second thing is the weight of the helmet. Is it light enough for you to be able to keep your balance in that helmet? And the third is if you’ll be able to breathe when you wear a helmet. Is there an appropriate ventilation system or the helmets are just so loose that your safety is compromised?

And last but not least, how large is the visor?  Let’s agree that if the rest is fine, but you are not able to see what’s in front of you that helmet is of no use.

I believe these are only the basics. But not many people are satisfied with just the basics. After all, the fun is in the rest of the features.

Scorpion EXO-ST1400 

Scorpion EXO-ST1400 comes in 3 shells to cover 5 different sizes. The first shell covers sizes XS to M, size L has its own shell, and another one is for sizes XL to 2XL. The shell itself is very solid, and it doesn’t creak when trying to flex it.  

Scorpion EXO-ST1400 has a high gloss finish which prevents insects and all types of road grime from sticking to the shell when riding.  The helmet is definitely in the lightweight category. It weights up to 3ibs and 5.5oz depending on the size of your helmet. 

This helmet comes with a face shield with a pin lock and an internal sun visor. There is a little actuator on the left side of the helmet which helps bring out or hide the sun-visor easily, whenever you see fit. 

Details / Features

There are 3 ventilation points: 2 active and 1 passive in the back. The vents in the front and on the top of the helmet are adjustable, so you can open or close them. The airflow goes from front to back and pulls the heat as well as humidity up and out from the exhaust vent for a cool, dry ride. Some riders feel that a little more vent area would be better, but not everyone feels the same way.

On the inside of the Scorpion EXO-ST1400 helmet, you will find the speaker’s pockets to install your favorite one, whether it’s a Bluetooth speaker or any other small device. 

The helmet is equipped with removable cheek pads and a chin curtain. The cheek pads are very large and long, giving a nice and comfortable sense to your face. In addition, the Scorpion EXO-ST1400 helmet has the Scorpion AirFit system which allows you to fit the cheek pads specifically to your face using the inflatable air bladders underneath.

The helmet is both DOT and ECE approved. Overall, it is an amazing product to have.

Shoei GT-Air II

The Shoei GT-Air II Helmet is the second generation of the GT-Air helmets. Comparing to the Scorpion helmet discussed above, this one has a higher price point. This also differs from the first edition of the GT-Air helmet.

Comparing to the Scorpion helmet, this one is much lighter, weighting 2ibs 11oz the L size. Shoei GT-Air II also comes in 3 shells for all the sizes. The shell itself is matte and not glossy like the Scorpion helmet. All the internal parts, including cheek pads, chin curtain, and the inner liner are all easily removable for cleaning, replacing, or any other purposes.

The shell itself is made of the AIM + material, which is both elastic and with the help of the inner liner spreads the impact energy over the largest possible area. 

Details / Features

Shoei GT-Air II helmet has 5 vent points. The lower one and the vent point on the top of the helmet are active, which means you can open and close them whenever you want. These 2 can also be easily regulated with your gloves on. The other two on the back are exhaust vents, and you won’t be able to close them. 

This helmet also has a protective shield and an internal sun-visor. The helmet comes with a pin lock ready to install on the shield if you need it. 

Shoei GT-Air II helmet has comms units from both sides where you may install the piece of tech. There are also speaker pockets inside the helmet and some space under the liner and the cheek-pads for additional wires if you need to make adjustments to the speaker system positioning.  When you are done with all of your adjustments, you can just put the liner and the cheek-pads back into their places, and the wires won’t be touching your head or face at all. 

The helmet is DOT approved.

Klim Krios Pro 

Klim Krios Pro helmet comes in 2 shells for the sizes S to M and L to 3XL. The helmet is right over 3ibs and due to the carbon fiber in the shell, it does feel extra light for an adventure ride helmet. 

The ventilation system of the helmet includes the fully adjustable chin and forehead vents. You can open and close them anytime you need. There are also 2 big exhaust vents on the back of the helmet to help to keep you cool and dry while riding. 

Details / Features

The peak of the helmet has big cut-outs to help get as much airflow as possible. It also has some adjustability so you can change its position, moving it a little up and down. This will be helpful for blocking the sun, or if you are riding off-road, you can use it to block some roost or anything else you are riding through. 

The face shield of Klim Krios Pro comes in different colors, and you can choose from the variety. Additionally, the helmet comes with the transition photochromic lens in the package. This means that, when installed, the lens will automatically darken when it’s bright outside and will transition to a clear version again for the nighttime rides. 

Moving to the inside of the helmet. For the chin shut here, we have the Fid-lock® strap closure system which is extremely easy to use. The built-in magnet helps lock the strap in a second even with your gloves on. When it’s time to unlock it, all you have to do is to pull the tab down. 

Inside the helmet

Cheek pads, the neck roll and rest of the comfort liner inside are removable, in case you need to wash them and put back in, or if there is a need for replacing those. It’s worth mentioning that there are no speaker cut-outs inside. This might seem a little uncomfortable for some people, but there are others who feel just fine placing their speakers inside the helmet without the speaker pockets. 

On top of the helmet, you can find the choroid system from the inside. It looks like small green tubes brought together. It has 2 different functions. One is helping the air go through the front to exhaust vents for better airflow.

The other, more important function of those little tubes is impact absorption. These tubes can absorb up to 40% more impact than the traditional EPS liner. In the case of a fall, the more an EPS liner compresses, the more it hardens, but the choroid doesn’t do that and is able to absorb more impact. The helmet is DOT, and ECE rated.

Nolan N70-2 X 

Nolan N70-2X is an adventure style off-road crossover helmet. It is noteworthy that the helmet transforms into different shapes and can be worn both for on and off-road rides. It comes in 2 shell sizes; one for XS – M and the other for L – 3XL.

Details / Features

The peak of the Nolan N70-2X helmet is both adjustable and removable. It can help you block the sun, but you won’t always need to have it on when riding. The shield of Nolan N70-2X has the pin lock in the lower middle part of it and has 3 different hold positions when lifting it up.

So if you want to have some more air coming inside and you don’t really want to lift the shield up until the end, you can just leave it on the half-way.

Apart from lifting the shield, you can remove it completely and wear your goggles, making it an open face helmet. These will not only give you some protection for your eyes but will also protect the inner sun-visor, that’s hidden inside the helmet layers, from getting dirty. 

Bonus feature: Removable chin guard

When comparing to all the above examples, this is the only helmet that has a removable chin guard. So, there are several ways of using this helmet. The full face will give you the most protection, and if there are times when you would prefer to take off the chin guard, the choice is yours.

Removing the chin guard is extremely easy. All you have to do is to push a button and pull it out of the helmet. You can even remove it for just a second when you stop for a moment to have a bigger air intake area. 

Although the chin guard is removable, the helmet is mostly designed to be worn full-face, so there is also a complete ventilation system on it. The largest one is the chin bar vent intake, there’s another one on top of the helmet and 2 others on the sides. All 4 vents are adjustable so you will be able to keep them open or closed. At the backside of this helmet, you will find 3 exhaust points that you won’t be able to adjust.

The cheek pads and the liner of Nolan N70-2X are also removable and washable. 

The helmet is approved in the P/J double configuration. The chin guard has passed the homologation tests required by UN/ECE regulations for full-face helmets.

Best of the four helmets in 2019?

These are the main specifications of each of these helmets. Hope this will help you make a more informed decision while choosing your helmet. All of these are great choices at the prices they are offered. All you need to do is to see which is the best one for you.