Giro have established a sound reputation and loyal following for their trail helmets, and the Xar is the updated replacement for the much-loved Xen. The sum of its parts really does add up to one multifunctioning whole.
An extended rear, but not too bulky profile, gives coverage without sacrificing your need for speed, it’s heavy enough to provide reassuring heft, but not so much that you notice, and the vents provide exceptional airflow, as well as somewhere to stick the helmet mount for your light.
The fit system is now a single-handed operation and, as you’d expect, you can also adjust the height to get the best position on the back of your head. The result is that there's no sensation of pressure inside the helmet.
Combined with the deep vents that extend under the visor, which channel air through and out, it creates a very high level of extended comfort. The X-Static (which keeps the lining from taking on that end-of-summer sweaty aroma) pads are removable for washing too.
An in-mould shell construction with Giro’s Roll Cage reinforcement gives a feeling of all-round security externally. Yes, there are other helmets that feature the individual elements, but none that brings them together in quite the same way, so it’s the all-round combination that earns the Xar four-and-a-half stars.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine.
