S-Works Prevail 3 helmet

The S-Works Prevail 3 gives a great balance of aerodynamics and venting, combined with an excellent fit and plenty of adjustability. The MIPS technology is a decent addition to the amount of protection the Prevail gives too, although the overall price is high.

As you can probably guess from its name, this is the third version of S-Works' Prevail. You could describe it as Specialized's semi-aero lid, with more vents than the Evade but, thanks to the closed side sections, it still retains sleek looks.

Sitting alongside the standard Prevail 2 model there was a Prevail 2 Vent edition, but that doesn't seem to have happened with this latest version.

Venting

That said, the Prevail 3 does allow a lot of air through it thanks to the vents that are there. There's always a trade-off to a helmet's structural integrity when you're removing material to allow airflow, which is why many helmets use 'ribs' of EPS – expanded polystyrene – or carbon fibre sections to bridge the gaps between vents, in order to increase strength.

The Prevail uses woven aramid 'cables' that cross the helmet in five places, and which are anchored either side to the carbon fibre sections. Specialized calls this the AirCage, and its design is said to work like a suspension bridge under impact, distributing localised forces throughout the helmet.

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The aramid sections are mere millimetres thick, which means the three main vents are barely unbroken from front to back. This gives you a consistently good airflow, even on long, hot climbs.

Specialized says this design increases the surface area of ventilation by 24.5% compared with the Prevail 2 Vent. You also get four decent-sized rear vents and two more either side of the front's main vents.

Safety features

The Prevail also features MIPS Air Node technology. MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection and is a rotational management system designed to reduce rotational energies in the event of an impact, energies that would otherwise be transferred to your head.

MIPS has been appearing in some helmets for years, and now features in hundreds of lids, but this latest design is much smaller and less noticeable.

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Adding to its safety credentials, the Prevail 3 is also compatible with Specialized's ANGi Crash Sensor (£45). This sensor, which fits to the rear of the cradle, detects a crash and notifies a contact through an app.

I like the overall look of the Prevail too. It's available in seven colours, and while I approve of this white version, its matt finish does mark easily from fingerprints and road spray, and I didn't always find it easy to wipe clean either.

Keep it clean though, and it looks every inch the high-end helmet it is, bolstered by its aluminium finishing strips.

There is no exposed EPS around the bottom face of the helmet either, with all of it enclosed underneath the tough polycarbonate cover. It not only looks smart, it also protects the helmet from knocks and drops on the floor.

Fit and adjustability

Helmet fit is necessarily very personal – but I found the Prevail's fit one of the best I've ever known. The cradle runs all the way around the helmet, rather than just the rear half, which is the case on some cheaper helmets. This means you can dial-in the fit to the shape of your head without creating any pressure points.

A single rear wheel makes the Prevail simple to adjust, and you can also tweak the angle of how the helmet sits on your head, which helps to avoid clashes with glasses.

I had the Prevail sitting quite low on my head, which is how I like it, with barely a gap between the bottom of the helmet and the top of my glasses – so no wind could get through.

For a £275 helmet the Prevail is light, and while not the lightest we've tested, I never felt any neck-strain from its 273g weight.

Rivals and conclusion

Jamie loved the Met Trenta 3K Carbon Mips when he tested it. This weighs just 223g and at £280 it costs just a fiver more.

Shaun was equally positive about the Kask Protone Icon helmet, which also weighed in at 223g. It's a fair amount cheaper at £245, but it doesn't come with MIPS, which may or may not be a deal-breaker for you.

The Prevail 3 is pricey and not the lightest, but the comfort and fit certainly make up for that. The airflow is very impressive too

Verdict

Great airflow, comfort and aesthetics although it's not cheap