The Kask Infinity (£220 / US$369 / AU$369) was Team Sky’s helmet of choice for much of 2013 and although some of their riders have moved onto the newer Kask Protone, the Infinity is still a top-end aero road lid in competition with the Specialized Evade and Giro Air Attack.
Unlike the Protone, Giro Synthe, Bell Star Pro or Smith Overtake, the Infinity isn’t a regular road helmet tuned for aerodynamics; it’s a smooth shell designed to cheat drag as much as possible, while still offering ventilation when needed.
From the top it's a smooth, aero shape that's very slightly elongated at the rear
The Infinity’s party trick is a sliding shield on the top of the helmet that allows you to customise your compromise between aerodynamics and airflow on the fly. The shield slides up and down easily with one hand, though the helmet does tug on your head a little, making it shift position on occasion. We also found that the frames of sunglasses sometimes bounced annoyingly against the brim of the helmet, though vision wasn't obscured in a tuck.
With the lid closed, the Infinity offers two small vents on either side of the brow and these, combined with eight larger exhausts on the rear actually offer pretty good cooling unless it’s hot or you’re climbing into the red zone.
With the three front vents visible to the wind, there’s plenty of airflow. It’s not on a par with a more traditional helmet, but definitely surpasses the likes of the Air Attack. The padding is also great at wicking away sweat. The ability to tailor your airflow is also perfect for early morning rides that begin cold and warm up throughout the day.
The helmet is secured by Kask’s Octo Fit retention system, which allows plenty of adjustment in the cradle for a good fit via a simple ratchet dial. The closure for the straps is located under one ear rather than in the centre, while the leatherette chin strap is very comfy. Although the straps that run either side of the ears are separate, joining in a Y-shape, there’s no adjustment clip for a snug under-the-lobe fit.
With the shield up, airflow is really impressive despite the aero leanings thanks to a bevy of exhuasts
Our size medium production model weighs 290g. It doesn’t feel like its weighing you down on the road, but it’s certainly not ultra light, especially for helmet of this cost, which costs around £60 to 70 more than the Air Attack or Evade. It's very hard to quantify the aero benefit offered by the Infinity. It's certainly quieter than an open lid, and closing the vents is sure to help reduce drag a little, but in all likelihood we're talking about very marginal gains for the expense.
So is the airflow factor worth the extra money compared to similar helmets? You're unlikely to swap this for your teardrop lid for time trials anyway, so the only consideration is to road racing and triathlon. Here the Infinity does make sense in a money-no-object kind of way, giving you extra air when aerodynamics don't matter. If you've already got an aero road helmet that you find too toasty, this could be the salvation you’ve been looking for – but if you’ve never longed for extra venting, then there are other, cheaper options out there.