‘Clever self-tinting visor’
Tested by Emma Franklin for four months/2000 miles
This plastic-shelled ECE 22.05 lid from US brand Bell is seriously impressive for a helmet at this price point. For starters, it comes with a super-trick ProTint visor, which reacts to the conditions to become darker on brighter days and clear again at night or in low-light. It works pretty seamlessly too, with the only time it struggles to react quickly enough being when you enter a tunnel. This type of visor, when purchased for other makes of helmet, is usually insanely expensive, so it’s impressive that Bell have included one on this mid-range model. There’s a NutraFog II coating on the visor, too, which provides antifog/scratch and UV benefits, however I have discovered that you need to keep the inside surface really clean or else it will start misting up. There’s a special mention for the DLX’s visor release mechanism too, as it has to be one of the easiest and quickest I’ve used – not that you’ll be removing the visor much, thanks to that cool ProTint function.
In terms of fit and comfort, again it’s another impressive performance. The removable lining has a suede effect so feels very soft and plush on your skin, meanwhile the removable chin curtain plays a bit part in keeping the noise levels low – as in my opinion, the Qualifier DLX is a quiet lid (I always wear earplugs). The vents on the chin, brow and top of the lid are very easy to toggle, being either fully open or fully closed, and do an OK job.
The internal fit feels similar to an Arai, meaning it’s rounded at the forehead with quite a close fit at the front of the face, and I believe it’ll suit a wide range of head shapes. On that note, the DLX is available in three different shell sizes, so those of us with smaller heads won’t end up looking like Big Ed when wearing it. There’s also a double-D ring chin strap and ACU Gold sticker, meaning that it is suitable for use on trackdays, too.
The only slight disappointment is that, despite it featuring a Mips slip-plane between the EPS and internal comfort lining to help protect against rotational brain injuries, it only scores three stars out of five on the DfT’s SHARP safety tests as it provides average impact protection on the sides and forehead. If this factor bothers you, then Bell’s fibreglass shelled SRT has a four-star SHARP rating and is slightly cheaper at £169.99, but has a little less spec. If you shop around a bit and don’t mind some of the colour schemes on offer, it’s possible to pick up a DLX for the same price, so the choice is yours.
Quality ★★★★★Value ★★★★★ www.bellhelmets.com