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review

Giant Rev Comp Road Helmet

8
£49.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Entry-level helmet offering really good performance throughout and plenty of comfort
Weight: 
275g

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The Giant Rev Comp is a very good entry-level helmet offering a comfortable fit, decent ventilation and plenty of adjustment for a very reasonable price.

  • Pros: Vent position promotes good airflow, comfortable padding
  • Cons: Looks a little cheap with so much exposed polystyrene

Some people just want a basic helmet that does the job while meeting the relevant safety standards – a simple click and go type of lid – and that is exactly what the Rev Comp is. There are no gimmicks or space age technology, just a polycarbonate cover bonded to an EPS (expanded polystyrene) shell.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Its design, though, has been pretty thorough when it comes to the vent position, often one of the failing points of many helmets below the 60 quid mark. You get 16 of them dotted all around, and I was surprised with how well they work – especially when you think that most pro-level helmets use well over 20.

Giant Rev Comp Road Helmet - front.jpg

Whether travelling at speed or hauling up a steep climb, I could still feel a cool breeze blowing through the helmet. The big plus part of this was that I never became massively hot, which kept down the levels of sweat running into my eyes as the pads don't get overwhelmed.

Giant Rev Comp Road Helmet - side.jpg

Those pads are not massively thick but they are comfortable against the skin. They are made from TransTextura Plus fabric which has anti-microbial properties to stop bacteria growth and associated smells from sweat.

Giant Rev Comp Road Helmet - inside.jpg

Adjustment of the cradle is basic and simple, by way of a thumb wheel design that you can tweak on-the-fly to get the fit right. The Rev Comp comes in two sizes with a fair amount of overlap: small/medium (49-57cm) and medium/large (53-61cm).

Giant Rev Comp Road Helmet - back.jpg

Making it commuter friendly, you can remove that rear Giant-branded cover to expose the magnetic mount for Giant's Numen+ Link TL light (£24.99, sold separately), which is nicely positioned for getting you noticed amongst the urban traffic.

Giant_Rev_Comp_Helmet_Light_Attached.jpg

The Rev Comp feels decent quality, but with a lot of helmets now running their polycarbonate shell right under the lip of the bottom of the helmet, the Rev looks a little cheap with so much of the EPS exposed – especially on the white or yellow models. It can get damaged easily as well, when dropped or in storage.

It is just £49.99, though, which is a good price for this type of helmet. At 275g it weighs virtually the same as the Lem Volata and costs a tenner less. Ventilation is better too.

> Buyer's Guide: 9 of the best cheap cycling helmets

There are plenty of options out there, though, like the very good Specialized Align, which performed well with only its weight being a slight issue at 338g. It is only £30, mind.

On the whole, the Giant Rev Comp is a very good helmet for the money, covering all of the bases with ease.

Verdict

Entry-level helmet offering really good performance throughout and plenty of comfort

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Giant Rev Comp Road Helmet

Size tested: M/L

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Giant says, "Designed for everyday road riding performance, the all-new Rev Comp follows in the footsteps of the pro-level Rev, a favorite among WorldTour riders including Giro d'Italia champion Tom Dumoulin. This all-rounder introduces some new features to optimize its comfort, protection and versatility. It has 16 vents to maximize airflow, a Cinch Pro fit system for quick and comfortable fit adjustment. Other features include integrated magnetic light mounts for riding in low-light conditions or at night."

It's a decent helmet for the money, doing everything it needs to well.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Giant lists:

Sizes: S/M (49-57cm), M/L (53-61cm)

AirFlow 16-vent cooling system is enhanced by three large center vents pull air through the helmet and over the rider's head to keep them cool

In-mold Polycarbonate (PC) shell with lightweight EPS foam provides maximum protection without compromising comfort

Lightweight, comfortable LiteForm™ webbing wraps around the head for a secure and comfortable fit. It's also hydrophobic so it won't absorb sweat or stretch out

Locking cam buckles keep the LiteForm™ webbing anchored securely

TransTextura Plus™ anti-microbial padding helps fight bacteria growth by pulling sweat from a rider's head and transferring it through the AirFlow vents. The natural property of the fabric inhibits microbes that cause odors

Cinch Pro™ fit system offers optimal coverage by cradling the occipital bone for full protection, support and comfort

Numen+ Link TL magnetic mount integration

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Really good for the price.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

All good so far, but exposed eps could be susceptible to damage.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

If you aren't bothered about having an all-singing flash lid then this offers very good performance on a budget.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Good ventilation.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Amount of exposed EPS.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It stacks up well against other helmets in this sort of price range, with very few compromises.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Very comfortable, good ventilation, decent weight – it's a really good helmet for the money.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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