Lazer launched their KinetiCore designs within the spring of 2022 as a lighter-weight different to MIPS and different rotational influence security applied sciences. Now, it makes its strategy to their top-tier Z1 street bike helmet to present it a claimed weight of simply 220g in dimension medium.
That’s not the one spectacular declare. In addition they say it has best-in-class air flow and it’s aerodynamic. So, protected, quick, cool, and lightweight… let’s see how they do it:
The within of the shell has a waffle-like grid within the foam, creating crumple zones that may smoosh and smash from numerous angles. Lazer says this mimics the discount in rotational influence forces that different techniques present however has the additional benefit of being lighter and permitting extra airflow. In reality, they are saying it has 3% extra air flow cooling than in case you wore no helmet in any respect.
It has a ponytail-friendly, height-adjustable rear cradle, which is linked to the…
…RollSys adjustment dial on the highest of the helmet for simple fitment. Simply roll it by hook or by crook to regulate tightness and it pulls evenly all the best way round your head so there are not any hotspots or stress factors.
It’s additionally appropriate with their elective Common Lazer LED taillight, which snaps into the again of the helmet’s shell.
The light-weight straps at the moment are stitched collectively the place they meet below the ears, eliminating a plastic divider (and any adjustment). That, plus recycled (and antimicrobial) strap materials assist hold make it a bit greener.
Tons of vents transfer air by means of all these inner slots and channels, making it an amazing summer time helmet. Add their elective AeroShell cowl and it’s an amazing winter or wet day helmet, too.
Built-in eyewear docks (with out grippers) hold your sun shades safe when not wanted. All in all it’s a really feature-rich premium street and gravel bike helmet with a relatively first rate worth at $279. It will get a 5-Star ranking from Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab, and is out there in six colours (White, Matte Black, Cosmic Blue, Harbor Gray, Metallic Pink, Flash Orange) and three sizes (S/M/L).
Precise weights & first impressions
Zach and I each acquired Z1 KinetiCore helmets to check, each dimension Medium. Zach’s weighed 233g (proven), mine was 235g. That’s barely greater than the 220g declare, which may very well be resulting from them being CPSC fashions for US distribution. CE-approved fashions are generally barely lighter.
I wore mine with a winter biking cap beneath, then took it off mid-ride as soon as I warmed up, and it match nicely in each instances due to its wide selection of adjustability. The RollSys is straightforward to make use of, I solely needed to tighten the chin strap barely to take up a number of the slack. It’s a snug helmet and matches like their prior Z1, so in case you’re a fan, you’ll most likely like this one even higher.
The one caveat to that might come from the straps. Whereas I had no points with the positioning of the straps and ear cradles, Zach had a special expereice. Zach says he sometimes has to regulate the ear cradles ahead on most helmets with adjustable straps, and for the reason that new Z1 shouldn’t be adjustable, the straps sit too far again on his head. The ensuing match causes the chinstrap to dig into his neck, and the entrance elements of the ‘V’ strap bow out when he strikes his head.
In the event you sometimes don’t have to mess with the ear cradle adjustment in your helmets, you most likely gained’t discover. However for these with the same match to Zach, or those that simply favor adjustable ear cradles, this may not be the one.
