Kask Moebius helmet

The Kask Moebius is a great-looking commuter helmet available in no fewer than 10 colours. It comes with a detachable peak, features an anti-scratch shell and you can fit Kask's Limelight LED to the rear, though this is an extra you have to pay for. The Moebius also conforms to European, American and Australian safety standards as well as Kask's own WG11 Impact Test. But while I found the helmet comfortable and the retention system excellent, it is heavy, ventilation is limited and I found that the anti-scratch shell didn't live up to its name.

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While opinions are necessarily subjective, I really appreciated the Moebius's simple, understated looks. And with a choice of colours from more muted shades including Ash, Navy and Alpine (a very dark green) to brighter hues taking in Red, Lime and the Light Blue lid I tested, you should be able to find one to coordinate with your commuting kit.

Kask lists the scratch-resistant shell as one of the Moebius's primary characteristics, and as helmets inevitably get scratched and marked in normal daily use, I was looking forward to seeing how effective this surface protection was. Unfortunately, I have to say I was disappointed.

Within a week's use it was starting to show signs of marking and while you shouldn't put a helmet down on its shell (you should ideally hang it up when not in use), in practice many of us just plonk the lid down as soon as we reach our destination. Do that with the Kask and it will scratch all too easily, losing its factory-fresh looks quicker than you'd like.

Ventilation

Another area where I don't feel the Moebius excels is in its ventilation. While you're not necessarily working as hard commuting as you might be on a mountain stage of the Tour de France, you can still be working up a sweat and might not be dressed in lighter, more cycling-specific clothing. And I do feel that this could have done with a little more venting.

This helmet has two rear exhaust vents in addition to the primary front vent, and this didn't provide enough cooling for a 30-minute commute. There was sweat running down my forehead when I arrived at my destination, and it wasn't even that warm, as we were barely in spring let alone summer.

While I appreciate that the helmet's design does provide successful protection from rain, I'd really have appreciated a more cooling experience.

Fit

Okay, I may have been more critical of the helmet's weight and (lack of) cooling, but I became a big fan of Kask's 'Ergo Fit' retention system during testing. Kask has updated the rear retention wheel to provide better grip when you're adjusting it. It is micro-adjustable and the resulting fit feels snug and secure without ever feeling restrictive.

And the Kask's chinstrap is another winner. Rather than an artificial-feeling strap Kask has plumped for polycotton, which makes a pleasant change and has a soft, almost leathery feeling against your skin.

It's also easy to adjust the strap from the buckles to your ears, and overall, I can't fault the whole strap system.

The pads are removable and washable and should they reach the end of their life at any point you can buy a replacement set.

Peak

I found the Moebius's detachable peak a very handy addition to the helmet. Not only does it look very neat – at least I think so – it actually has a couple of practical purposes.

I found the size and the positioning of the peak ideal. It's not obtrusive but when you're riding into the sun but prevents you from being blinded without obstructing your visibility. And when it starts to rain the waterproof peak keeps the rain from reaching your eyes and greatly reduces the amount of rain reaching your face, which has the advantage of keeping you warmer too.

Weight

One of the helmet's major drawbacks is the weight – at 447g this is one of the heaviest helmets we tested.

You can feel the extra weight, at least to some degree, when you're riding and turning your head does require a little more effort. But in practice this didn't affect me as much as I thought it would, but of you do move your head a lot when you're riding you may be more aware of the extra mass.

Optional extras

The rear of the helmet features a reflective strip for extra night-time safety, though you can also purchase Kask's dedicated 'Limelight' USB-C-rechargeable rear LED that clips into Kask's urban helmets.

This offers five modes, flashing and constant, and is bright enough to use as a standalone rear light. And as it's mounted high up, it's very effective – but it will cost an extra £49.99 and add a little more weight to an already-weighty lid.

Another extra is the Kask Wool Winter Cap, which is designed to sit under your helmet 'to keep you warm even in freezing weather'. Though given how warm the helmet is, anyway, I'm not sure how many takers there will be for this £49.99 cap.

Value

The Moebius's £89 price reflects its construction quality but does make it more expensive than a lot of commuter helmets.

Liv's Relay Mips take on a slightly more budget-focused lid is impressive, coming in at just £44.99 – while still managing to include Mips and impressive ventilation. And while Emma unsurprisingly rated it very highly, I don't think it looks anywhere near as sleek as the Moebius.

Lara liked the Proviz Reflect 360, which as the name suggests scores well for its reflectivity and also includes a rear LED while only costing £69.99. But while comfortable it's a little heavy and Lara wasn't so impressed with the straps.

Lara also reviewed the Abus Hud-Y, another well-designed urban-specific lid with a built-in LED. But while she found it comfortable, she wasn't quite so wowed with the £129.99 price.

Conclusion

Kask's Moebius helmet has good looks, an effective removable peak, a well-thought-out retention mechanism and a very comfortable, premium-feeling chinstrap. But it's weighty, the ventilation is limited and I found the anti-scratch shell didn't live up to its name. Which is a shame, as there's so much to like about this lid.

Verdict

A sleek, comfortable and generally well-designed helmet but easily marked and the ventilation is limited