If there’s one essential piece of kit when it comes to riding DH it has to be a full face helmet, and thanks in no small part to the legendary Troy Lee D2 we’ve now got a better choice than ever. So which one do you go for? Well, number one priority has to be fit, and the only way you’ll discover which fits best is to go and try as many on as possible…

From Dirt Issue 115 – September 2011

Words and Photos by Ed Haythornthwaite.

Correct fit isn’t just about comfort either because a badly fitting helmet won’t offer the level of protection that it should. Realistically next on the list is probably price, and whilst in some cases spending more on a lid will result in higher levels of protection, that’s not always the case, so don’t worry if your budget is tight because included in our selection of favourites are a few cheaper lids that we feel still offer great protection.

The next thing you’ll probably want to decide is how much protection you want. That might sound like a stupid thing to say, but you do always have to make a trade off somewhere because in general the more protection you get the heavier and bigger the lid will be. Some of the fastest riders in the world even choose to go for an MX lid, but with helmets like the FOX V3R, POC Cortex DH and the Troy Lee D3 offering such high levels of protection that are tailored for DH use we’re not sure that there’s a need to go down that route.

Finally, you’ll want to think about the little details that can make a difference. Does it have good ventilation? Does it have a removable liner to help keep the stench down? What kind of buckle does it have (some of you seem to have strong feeling on that matter)…and of course does it look rad. Now onto our favourites…