Leatt MTB 1.0 DH v21 Full Face Helmet Review: Value Oriented Protection
In late January 2021, Leatt unveiled in their lineup a new entry level downhill helmet, the MTB 1.0 DH. It comes in 5 different colors, and MSRPs at exactly $100. I was in the market for a full face helmet to supplement my regular half shell, and after looking at a few options, I decided on this one for its price and certifications. This helmet was purchased late February, 2021.
TLDR
Pros:
- ASTM F1952-10 Downhill Certified, a rarity at this price point
- Amazing price for protection
Cons:
- Comparably heavy, poor ventilation
- Decent construction, although some corners cut in build and functionality
Should You Buy It?
If you're looking for an affordable downhill full face helmet, this is the helmet to get. However, temper your expectations on weight and ventilation, as it's still only a $100 helmet when most DH helmets are $200+, and compromises had to be made somewhere.
Stats
I picked up the XL model (61-62cm) in Steel Gray, so these specs are based off that size.
Certifications: AS/NZS 2063:2008, ASTM F1952–10, EN1078, CPSC 1203
Vents: 3 Chinbar, 2 Front, 2 Top, 2 Rear
Weight: 1100g (2lb 6.8oz)
Cost: $99.99
Fixed Position, Removable Visor
Double D-Ring Buckle
Leatt 360 Turbine Technology
The 360 Turbine technology is Leatt's version of rotational impact and concussion reduction system, which is starting to become more popular in helmets. Other examples of similar systems include MIPS, Poc Spin, WavCel, and Kali LDL, to name a few. While I'll leave it to experts to determine whether or not they actually work, it is integrated into this helmet.
It's also worth noting that unlike the other helmets offered by Leatt, the 1.0 is not enduro rated, so it should not be used with motorbikes.
Unboxing
Inside the box, there is the helmet in a plastic bag, and that's it. There's no extra pads for sizing customization or anything, just the helmet with the instructions looped onto the helmet buckle. That's to be expected at this price point, but it would be nice to throw in a sticker or two.
Speaking of the instructions, they replaced most of the text with pictures, and that's both good and bad. On one hand, it saves a lot of paper as they don't need to print out the instructions in every language, but it lacks some detail and is sometimes hard to follow. Luckily, most of it is self explanatory, although coming from regular half shells, it wasn't obvious from the diagrams that the pads were actually buckled in, not just Velcroed in like half shells. If you're familiar with full faces already, it's probably not much of a surprise.
Weirdly, the only visible mention of the helmet's certifications on the helmet are on a giant tag stuck onto the liner. The tag is ridiculously long, and will be cut off whenever I get a chance. However, cutting it off makes it impossible to determine what certifications the helmet has without looking it up online or in the manual, which seems like a strange decision. Luckily, it can be tucked underneath the liner.
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| Long tag. You can also see one of the Turbines in the center |
Fitment
Initial fitment is quite snug, although I expect it to loosen over time. I have a pretty round head, which made it somewhat difficult to get in, and the XL was a tight fit for my ~59cm head, and could not fit my brother's 60cm head, even though we're well under the 61-62cm listed for XL. Similarly, taking the helmet on and off can be a little painful, as the opening is somewhat narrow, and you really need to tug on the straps to spread it to clear the ears. If you also have a round head or normally look for Asian fit helmets and glasses, I would recommend going at least a size up.
The buckle is a bog standard double D-ring with a snap button to secure the excess, and small pull tab to make loosening it easier. There is enough extra length for you to loosen it and slide it forward and clear your head without undoing it, which makes putting the helmet on and taking it off much quicker.
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| Buckle detail |
Construction
The helmet itself is fairly well designed and constructed, about as you'd expect from its price point. The outer shell and visor are made out of what feels like ABS, and has a matte finish. It will absolutely pick up scratches, but that's to be expected. The lining feels like a decent material, and the pads are supportive yet soft. However, the cheek pads only have one buckle on them, and use four tiny pieces of Velcro on each of them to keep it from rotating inside the helmet. The adhesive on them failed the first time I took off the pads, and all of the Velcro strips came off with both of the pads. The adhesive is very weak, and I highly doubt they'll stay intact after a few uses. I could see the pads starting to rotate by themselves around the buckle over time, because the Velcro simply can't do its job.
The cheekpad. The shiny stuff is the adhesive side of the Velcro that's supposed to be stuck to the shell
The rest of the pads sit on a mesh liner that slides into the shell through the edges, and form a harness to maintain some space between the foam and your head. This leaves space for airflow, and also hides some of the Turbine pieces.
The visor is fairly thick, and is clipped onto the helmet through three points: one on each corner, and one on the top. You pry up on each point, and the visor comes off. The visor is nonadjustable, so there's no way to lift it up to hold goggles during a run. One nitpick I have is that the paint is not continued underneath the visor, so if you run the helmet without the visor, it says "LEA" on one side and "ATT" on the other.
Helmet, visor off
The cheekpad. The shiny stuff is the adhesive side of the Velcro that's supposed to be stuck to the shell
Ventilation
The one thing that isn't so great about the helmet is ventilation. To achieve this level of protection at this price point, some corners had to be cut, and in this case, it's definitely in the number of vents in the shell. There's only 6 vents on the entire helmet not including the ones on the chinbar, and all that extra foam adds to the mass as well, making it a relatively heavy helmet. You start to feel the stuffiness after just a few minutes of standing still. The vents also have plastic mesh over them to help protect against intrusions, but it also reduces airflow slightly. Also odd, the cheekpads actually cover part of the vents on the chinbar.
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| Vent detail |
Ride Observations
The helmet was tested on a 55 degree sunny but windy day and a 68 degree sunny day, which isn't that great of a test of ventilation compared to a hot summer day, but still good for other factors like comfort and noise.
My first impression having the helmet on is that it doesn't feel particularly heavy once it's on your head. It's easier than I expected to look backwards.
Wind noise is well controlled taking it up to 25mph since there are no ear holes in the helmet, especially compared to a half shell. The lack of ear holes makes everything a little quieter, but I'm still able to hear everything in my surroundings. One issue I did get from the wind was the buffeting in strong wind gusts. The wind gets caught below the visor, and tilts the helmet upwards. There are vents in the visor to help mitigate this, but the gusts were particularly powerful and was able to overcome them. Goggles may also help a bit with this as it would streamline the shell somewhat.
Ventilation feels adequate in the weather, as while it didn't feel stuffy, I also didn't really feel any breeze up there, even at higher speeds. The white color probably helped keep it cool as well, as it doesn't absorb heat as well as a black helmet. Once stopped, you can definitely feel the lack of airflow. When I put on the helmet indoors while preparing for a ride, it got hot very quickly and I could feel the sweat starting to form after only a few minutes of light exertion.
Conclusion
It definitely feels like a huge step up in safety compared to my regular half shell, and is a great choice for those new to full face helmets thanks to its price and safety certifications. However, there are tradeoffs, and as such set your expectations accordingly. Leatt has managed to bring a DH helmet to market well under the average price of most current DH helmets, which is commendable. None of the corners cut in quality affect the performance of the helmet, and can be easily ameliorated. However, ventilation is definitely not a strong suit compared to other more expensive helmets. For those looking for a safe downhill helmet without breaking the bank, there's nothing that really comes close to this at the moment.
Some Comparable Helmets
Bell Sanction
- Around $80-100
- Not downhill certified, CPSC Bicycle only
- $50-120, depending on brand
- Possibly the same helmet as each other? Not DH certified
- Around $250, occasionally on sale under $170
- Much lighter and well ventilated
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