MET Allroad helmet review

MET is a well-known and highly regarded name in the helmet market and its new Allroad is the brand’s first gravel-specific lid. But what exactly, you may well be asking, makes a helmet ‘gravel’ specific?

• Best road bike helmets
• Best gravel bike shoess

Well, according to MET’s Allroad design you want a little more protection on the sides and at the rear, giving more cover to the occipital bone at the back, like you would get on a mountain bike helmet. However, you still want a breathable helmet and the light weight of a road lid, which is what the Allroad offers.

My large test model weighed in at 293.3g, which is impressively light for a £70 / €75 helmet. The rigid peak adds a bit of mountain-bike styling, but if you prefer your helmet more road style, it’s removable and it neatly fastens into the vents without any clips, so without the visor attached it looks like it never had one.

The helmet construction has a fully in-moulded outer shell, with the EPS core featuring deep internal channels that help to keep your temperature regulated.

The pads are generously sized, removable and hand-washable, and they combine well with the Safe-T E-Duo retention system. This fully wraps around your head and anchors at the temples.

The rear cradle has four different vertical adjustments and the design works with long hair, being ponytail compatible. The chunky rear dial is easy to operate, even in winter gloves, and features a built-in LED light (with solid and flash modes).

The 16 vents are all generously sized and the three rear exhaust ports have reflective details, which makes the Allroad a great choice for commuters too.

The Allroad is very comfortable in use and does a decent job of ventilating, just like a quality road helmet, even with the extra protection it offers for off-road duties. With all that in mind it does have a lot to recommend it.

Nevertheless, while the main helmet and retention system are great quality, the web straps do belie the Allroad’s mid-range price point somewhat.

The webbing itself is a little on the chunky side and, although soft to the touch, it’s still rather thick and the straps retain moisture.

However, the click-close anchor straps are fast to adjust and the click-fix buckle stays put with a sewn-in strap stop.

The Allroad is available in S (52 to 56cm), M (56 to 58cm) and L (58 to 61cm).