Lazer O2 road helmet review

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The O2 from Belgian helmet manufacturer Lazer brings a lot of technology seen on its top of the range lids, but carries a much smaller price tag.

A one-size-fits all helmet, the O2 fits heads as small as 53cm all the way up to 61cm – though it's worth pointing out that the shell may not be ideal for those with wide, round noggins.

Because of the massive size range, our testers who usually wear medium sized helmets found the Lazer sat quite low on their head. This means more of the forehead and temples are protected, but the brow of the helmet fell into our field of vision when riding in the drops.

The O2 has 24 vents to bring air into the helmet

Using the proven Rollsys retention system, the O2 features a metal wire which is connected to the nylon browband surrounding the user's head and is adjusted by a thumbwheel situated on the top of the helmet. While this system combined with Lazer’s adjustable head basket is comfortable, it’s quite heavy. The Rollsys retention system does a very good job at keeping the wearers head securely stuck in the helmet; however, the space at the back was easily big enough for a finger or two.

The one-size-fits all approach also comes with a weight penalty – at 310 grams the O2 isn’t light. With all the extra material at the back, we felt as though the heft at the back of the helmet was weighing our head down, putting extra stress on the neck when compared with a lighter lid. This was hardly noticeable at first, but after a six-hour ride we were definitely feeling it.

Because the O2 is unisize there is a lot of space at the back to accommodate larger heads

Providing for plenty of ventilation are 24 generous vents, which suck air into internal channels. Cost cutting measures combined with the lack of internal reinforcements limit the size of internal channels, but they still move air through the helmet quite well.

Given that the O2 sits near the bottom of the market, it's a pleasant surprise to see optional extras for it. A compatible aeroshell is available, as well as an integrated light that attaches to the Rollsys thumbwheel.

In conclusion, despite it’s weight it’s tough to fault the O2. For the price it is a solid helmet, which outperforms many of its more expensive competitors.

via BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/W2EzAf