Troy Lee Design’s flagship mountain bike helmet, the A3, is their third generation trail helmet come with a price tag to match.
Pete has spent the summer finding out how the Troy Lee Designs A3 MIPS helmet stacks up in a very competitive field.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- B-Series MIPS
- 3-piece shell
- 3-Way Magnajust® visor
- TLD Sweat Glide System – EVA wicking foam
- 3D Fidlock® magnetic buckle
- XS/S, M/L and XL/XXL sizes
- £219.99 RRP
- TroyLeeDesigns.co.uk
Whilst it certainly isn’t cheap, we’re not sure if Troy Lee Designs kit ever has been, there’s plenty going for the A3 MIPS helmet in terms of features. The A3 is the latest iteration of open face helmets that started with the A1, with the A2 following on some six or so years ago.
What you get with the A3 is a three EPS/EPP layer shell that sports the MIPS M32 inner that has a fully integrated retention system. This means that the helmet tightens around your entire head, rather than around a narrow band like most helmets. The A3, like it’s predecessors comes with a five star Virginia Tech rating.
A Fidlock buckle, breakaway visor and Troy Lee’s Sweat Glide system all aim to make a helmet that is fit and forget. As this is the first Troy Lee helmet I have worn, I can’t comment on fit compared to their previous efforts, but the XL/XXL does fit my large, square head rather well. I stuck with the stock position of the three cradle positions from the get-go and have felt no need to change it
Coverage of the head is excellent, with the peak adjustable from definitely in the way to not quite full air brake. This helmet has done The Ex Enduro and the Stone King Rally week without skipping a beat. I didn’t get a sore head, or sweat in my eyes throughout, it simply was a fit and forget helmet for me.
What do we think?
It might not be the cheapest or the lightest helmet around but my days its comfy, almost on a par with my de facto baseline helmet, the Fox Speedframe Pro. It’ll keen your head cool enough and when it does start to leak, the pads will get the sweat going somewhere else other than your eyes.
We love:
- So comfy you could sleep in it
- What sweat in the eyes?
- Doesn’t make you look like a stormtrooper
Could do better:
- Pricey
- Not the lightest
