There are a lot of great helmets available to choose from at the moment, but the Kask Rex makes a lot of extremely compelling arguments as to why it should be on your short list of helmets to consider. Light for its class, the Rex provides the additional head coverage found in the majority of contemporary MTB helmets with a two position visor and removable goggle retaining clip and optional light and POV camera mount.
Add substantial venting for air flow and details like a leather cover on the chin strap and you’re just getting started when it comes to the features packed into the Rex.
Features (via Kask)
- Listed weight: 310g / 10.93oz (size medium)
- 20 vents for airflow
- Eco-leather chin strap
- Integrated camera mount
- Visor and goggle clip
- Alloy visor screws
- Octo fit tech
- In moulding
- MIT Technology
- Sanitized treated fabric (antibacterial and antimicrobial (aids in odor reduction)
- Light for its class
- Extensive head coverage
On the Trail
The Kask Rex and I got along extremely well on the trail. A number of the details instilled in the Rex by the folks at Kask add up to a helmet that stands out from my current array of helmet choices. Between the dialed fit — thanks to the shape of the mold, padding and the fit tensioning system which snugged the helmet evenly — and the leather chin strap, it is possibly the best fitting helmet I’ve worn.
Fit is of course going to vary from rider to rider, but fit and comfort should be the number one considerations in which helmet to chose.
While I’m a fan of the two position visor and goggle retaining clip, it’s the leather strap that makes this helmet stand out. It not only feels great but shows a lot of thought and care went into this detail. The chin strap works very well and paired with the helmet retaining system and minimal heft generally found in an XC helmet, this is a helmet you won’t mind wearing on a long all day marathon session of riding.
The weight feels substantially lighter than my other helmets, which translates to less fatigue after a long day of riding up and down mountains. Add the goggle clip in the rear for long descents, and you get a helmet that is extremely versatile.
Others have commented on the two position visor as being less than ideal in terms of where it stops. I found it to be spot on for me personally.
In terms of aesthetics, I’m a fan of the blue and black color; Bermstyle blue is always good for me, making it easy to coordinate with the rest of my kit.
Camera / Light mount
The test model supplied for this review didn’t include much in terms of packaging; it arrived in a box shipping box with some packing material and a tag on it labeled “sample”, so I can’t speak on how it works with a light or camera mounted. I generally don’t like riding with stuff mounted to my helmets as it makes the helmet move around but with the Rex being such as dialed fit for my head, I’m a bit disappointed to lack this opportunity.
Sizing
I straight up love the fit of the Kask helmet. My head measures about 23″ around and while I generally fit a medium, I have a rounder shaped head (I’m an Arai head when it comes to motorcycle helmets, and what a number of helmet reps have called an Asian shaped head) that can be hit or miss with many helmet molds. (I’m forced into a large or XL in many Giro models for example.) The medium Kask is a dialed fit after a few twists of the Octo Fit knob.
As always, we recommend trying before you buy when it comes to wearables, but we’ve also found that products that fit and feel good in the showroom don’t feel as good a few hours in. The Kask is easily one of the most comfortable helmets I’ve worn to date. That’s not saying the other helmets currently in my rotation don’t work well for me, but the Kask feels like a spot-on fit for my head without a single hotspot.
There is one downside to the Kask; at $199 it’s on the high side of options to choose from — though certainly not the most expensive. That said, there is something to having a helmet that isn’t being worn by everyone else in your group.
Learn more at www.kask.com
