Best Coverage and Safety Tech Open Face Helmet

The top helmets in our review were almost too close to call. That is particularly true for the 6D Helmets ATB-1T EVO. The ATB-1T EVO provides unmatched coverage, unmatched protection, and a fairly competitive price point. But as with all things, there must be some compromises somewhere.

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See Our Best Open Face Mountain Bike Helmet Review HERE!

Coverage, Weight, and Ventilation

No open face mountain bike helmet on the market can match the coverage of the 6D Helmets ATB-1T EVO. That amazing coverage is backed up by 6D Helmets’ own take on rotational impact safety in the form of ODS, or: Omni Directional Suspension. However, this coverage and protective system results in some added weight. At 484g, the ATB-1T is the heaviest open face helmet in our review by several ounces. It is also warmer than many helmets, although most of the lighter helmets will fall far short of the 6D Helmets ATB-1T EVO when it comes time to actually protect your head.

Safety Tech

6D Helmets is at the forefront of helmet safety innovation, and it shows in the ATB-1T EVO. For starters, 6D uses a thicker plastic shell to protect the eps foam, allowing it to remain undamaged from minor bumps.

But what really sets the ATB-1T EVO apart as our top safety pick for open face helmets is its ODS system. 6D Helmets sought to capture the idea of MIPS, and improve upon it greatly. Rather than a more dynamic liner, like POC, or a sheer away plastic insert between the liner and the helmet, like MIPS, 6D Helmets’ ODS system actually uses an inner helmet shell made of softer EPS foam and an outer helmet shell made of harder EPS foam.

The concept works very similar to MIPS, in that in the event of a hard, strike, the inner shell sheers away from the outer shell. However, with ODS, your head is still tightly cradled and protected by the inner helmet, while the outer helmet rotates.

I am no scientist, but along with the MIPS Spherical system found in the Bell Super DH, this seems to be the best method yet for dealing with the rotational impacts that MIPS first sought to make safer. Like POC’s spin system, it alleviates the problems that arise from putting a third party insert in an existing helmet design but raises the bar by literally using two helmets: one to cradle your head, and one to relieve the rotational impact of a crash.  Furthermore, the ODS system also lessens the severity of straight on impacts, by acting as something of a shock, as the rubber dampers that separate the two shells will, themselves, absorb some of the impact, unlike the plastic pegs of the MIPS system. And, for what it is worth, several unaffiliated engineers have weighed in with a similar opinion.

The downside of the amazing protective benefits of ODS is that it is what makes the 6D ATB-1T EVO mountain bike helmet heavier and warmer than many of its competitors. It also results in a helmet that is noticeably larger than most open face mountain bike helmets.

Other features

The 6D Helmets ATB-1T EVO features an easily adjustable visor and uses raised ridges on the back of the helmet to hold a goggle strap in place, rather than a strap. This makes taking your goggles on and off a bit easier and seems to keep the strap in place without issue.

6D Helmets opted for the German-made Fidlock, magnetic latch, rather than the traditional buckle for the chin strap. If you haven’t used this before, it might take a bit of getting used to but makes unbuckling your chinstrap one handed a breeze. Also, due to just how large the 6D ATB-1T EVO sits on your head, the straps are suspended comfortably away from your ears, and it features a soft cover to keep the straps from annoying your neck.

The Bottom Line

We love the 6D Helmets ATB-1T EVO. While the POC Tectal Race Spin definitely has it beat on weight and ventilation, the point of a helmet is to protect your head, and there is no open face mountain bike helmet that we have more faith in to do just that than the 6D Helmets ATB-1T EVO. Furthermore, at around $179 it is very competitively priced, for a top of the line all mountain bike helmet.

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