Troy Lee Designs A1 MIPS £120
Launched back in 2013, the A1 has remained visually unchanged, although MIPS was added later. There are 16 vents in the inmoulded shell, the uppermost of which are linked by ventilation channels – not that these do much; the A1 is one of the hotter helmets on the market. That said, its general fit and easily-adjustable retention system, paired with voluptuous padding, make it one of the comfiest lids we’ve tried. Simultaneously snug and voluminous, it doesn’t wobble or bounce over rough terrain. That comfy padding does struggle to dry out though, and once saturated, all of our testers suffered from sweat dripping down their brows.
Glasses fit comfortably over the retention cradle at the rear and there’s enough space under the front of the lid for bigger specs. Small- and medium-size goggles worked well, but larger-framed ones fouled the underside of the helmet, either pushing the lid up or goggles down. Limited peak adjustment means you can’t park goggles on the front, but it didn’t encroach into any of our testers’ field of vision. Although the A1 is now a bit long in the tooth, it still looks great and scores highly in Virginia Tech’s respected safety ratings. If the lack of airflow is a problem, take a look at the TLD A2, which offers better ventilation and a dual-density liner for an extra £45, but doesn’t feel quite as plush. www.saddleback.co.uk
DESPITE THE A 1 NOT RECEIVING ANY MAJOR UPDATES SINCE ITS LAUNCH, IT’ S STILL OUR GOTO HELMET FOR ANY TRAIL OR END UR O RIDE THANKS TO ITS SUPREME COMFORT AND GREAT LOOKS