Fox Crossframe Pro Helmet review

The Fox Crossframe Pro is the brand’s first no-peak cycling helmet, targeted at XC, gravel and cyclocross and gravitating away from Fox's roots.

The helmet blends a fairly deep drop shell, more akin to a trail helmet, with huge vents designed to gulp in plenty of fresh air when you’re grinding round a steep XC course.

The price is high, but the features list is long, making this a premium mountain bike helmet.

On the trail, I’ve been impressed by how breezy the Crossframe Pro feels, and the fit of the shell. However, there’s one feature that compromises the overall comfort and thus knocks the helmet's score down.

Fox Crossframe Pro details and specifications

Fox employs a fully in-moulded shell, whereby the harder plastic surrounds the EPS foam, including under the brim.

This shields the more fragile, protective material from innocuous knocks and dings.

The shell incorporates 23 vents, including a trio above the brow to help prevent MTB glasses fogging, and six exhaust ports at the rear.

Inside, the channelling is shallow, though the added MIPS liner leaves some space for air to flow over your scalp.

The MIPS liner is there to help reduce the impact of rotational forces. MIPS is a well-regarded system that’s integrated into a wide range of helmets.

The EPS foam – which crushes on impact to provide protection – is dual-density, which Fox claims helps spread impact forces over a wider area.

The helmet is secured with a Boa dial at the back and Boa strings that encircle the whole head, laced towards the temple through an inner plastic guide.

Padding is focused towards the front of the helmet and has antimicrobial properties.

The straps are fixed in front and behind the ear, and the strap divider is adjustable. These link into a magnetic Fidlock clasp.

Two of the vents above the temple have a soft rubbery TPU finish, there to help grip the arms of sunglasses when they're not on your face.

My Medium-size helmet weighed in at 371g.

Fox Crossframe Pro performance

With large vents placed right at the front of the helmet and the three smaller ones under the brow, it’s noticeable how much air the Crossframe Pro sucks in.

Having ridden numerous XC-style helmets, I've been struck by how well-ventilated this helmet is, even with the MIPS liner and limited internal channelling.

As a result, it has become a go-to lid on warmer days and for hard efforts. In fact, there have been times on colder days when I've steered clear of it.

When you sweat inside the Crossframe, the padding soaks up a reasonable amount of perspiration. However, the pads aren’t that thick, so sweat will start to run down your face.

Unlike some helmets, though, the padding doesn’t deposit drips directly onto the lens of your glasses.

I like the straps. The divider is effective in controlling how they sit and I prefer straps that are fixed in place at the shell because it gives a more consistent feel every time you put the helmet on.

The Fidlock buckle is easy to use, even with one hand. Thus far, it has remained grit-free, though be wary of putting the helmet on the ground in fine gravelly areas, because the Fidlock magnets can attract grit.

One of my favourite features is the TPU-rimmed vents. Glasses are held securely and the vents are well placed – it’s easy to stow glasses as you go.

Although there’s no peak, the front of the helmet sticks out a touch more than most go-fast lids, offering a hint more rain protection for your eyes.

So, what’s this score-deducting feature that I’m not keen on?

The Boa system gives fine control of the cradle and a snug and secure fit. In fact, the fit overall is good. It's moderately neutral and less divisive among friends than previous Fox helmets – I couldn’t get on with the original Speedframe, which was too narrow at the temple for me.

However, on long rides, the Boa’s sting cuts into the top of my ears, making it noticeably less comfortable than competitor lids.

On shorter rides of up to three hours, I didn’t find it an issue; but on longer days out, I ended up continuously adjusting the helmet, or shoving the arms of my glasses under the Boa string to keep the irritation at bay.

Fox Crossframe Pro bottom line

In many respects, I really like the Crossframe Pro – I put it in my 2023 Gear of the Year and I stand by that. Since its launch, it has been the only peakless helmet I’ve worn, whether on XC or gravel jaunts, and I foresee that continuing.

However, the issue with the Boa string has to be confronted and taken into account when it comes to scoring the helmet, as does the high price.

On long rides, it’s an irritation that shouldn’t be there. Come summer, when I head out for an epic, it’ll be a different helmet I pick, even if the Crossframe Pro is still the coolest lid in my closet.