Lumos Nyxel helmet

The Lumos Nyxel is a smart, connected helmet designed primarily for city commuters and casual riders who prioritize visibility and safety tech. Featuring integrated front and rear lighting, optional Mips, and Quin crash detection, it’s a high-tech “complete safety system” for urban riding.

The standout feature of the Nyxel is its 360-degree visibility. It features 28 white LEDs at the front and 28 red LEDs at the rear, which are impressively bright and genuinely help you stay seen in heavy traffic or low-light conditions.

You get three standard light modes (solid and two flashing patterns). These are fully adjustable through the app, though I found the app experience isn’t the smoothest. Interestingly, there are different apps for different versions of the helmet, which can be hard to get your head around initially.

For example, this test helmet, which has Quin built in, needs the Quin Within app, but if you don’t have Quin, you’ll instead need the Lumos app.

The helmet comes with a paired remote that mounts to your handlebars. This allows you to use sequential turn signals – similar to an Audi indicator – to let drivers know exactly where you’re heading without taking your hands off the bars.

The remote also allows for an automatic brake light, which is quite sensitive.

Lumos offers the Nyxel in three tiers: Basic, Mips, and Mips + Quin.

Mips (multi-directional impact protection system) comprises a liner that is designed to reduce rotational impact during a crash, while Quin adds a crash detection sensor that connects to your phone.

The Quin system is a great piece of peace-of-mind tech, but it isn’t perfect. I experienced some false crash alerts, which can be annoying as they require you to cancel the alert on your phone, or the helmet, before it automatically notifies your emergency contacts. However, the safety benefit of having an automatic SOS trigger is hard to ignore for solo commuters.

While the helmet is adjustable and feels secure once dialed in, there are some trade-offs with regards to comfort.

It lacks significant airflow at the front. If you tend to run hot, this helmet gets very warm, very quickly. It’s definitely more suited to casual paced city riding than strenuous efforts.

I also didn’t find it the most comfortable helmet for long durations. Cycling glasses don’t sit particularly well with the helmet’s shape either. I think both of these are because it comes down quite far around your ears.

Furthermore, the helmet is pretty heavy at 438g, and this can fatigue your neck quicker than a lighter helmet would.

Charging is straightforward via a USB-C port located next to the power button. A nice touch is the battery indicator. Tapping the power button while the helmet is off shows the charge level before it turns on, and it does the same when you power it down. You can’t check the battery whilst the helmet is on though.

Lumos claims a battery life of 3-16hrs depending on the mode you use. In reality, I found that on the solid light output I got 2:40hrs, so definitely a bit less than claimed. The recharge time is four hours.

One nice positive for the Nyxel is the replaceable internal battery. In an industry where electronics usually mean a disposable product, being able to swap the battery if it eventually dies is a huge win for the environment and the helmet’s lifespan. That said, there isn’t currently an option to buy a battery on the Lumos website.

For the Quin and Mips option tested here, the helmet comes in at £190, with free shipping. The standard option is £110, and the Mips option is £140.

In my mind, the Mips option is the best as I’m not convinced that having the Quin is worth it.

Another helmet I’ve reviewed in the same kind of commuter sphere is the Giro Ethos Mips. This is £254.99, but can currently be had for £189. Either way, it doesn’t really offer anything more than the Lumos. I personally think it looks better, and it has better cooling, but nothing groundbreaking.

A more ‘stylish’ option is the POC Omne Beacon helmet which Paul thought was really good, albeit another expensive option at £220. It has better ventilation, and seems to be more aimed at advanced cyclists.

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Conclusion

The Lumos Nyxel is a good option for the city commuter who wants maximum visibility and the latest safety sensors. The lighting is really bright, and the inclusion of turn signals makes urban navigating much safer.

However, it’s hard to recommend for more “serious” or high-intensity cyclists due to the lack of ventilation and the weight/comfort trade-offs. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the aesthetics, but as a piece of safety equipment, it’s a very capable tool.