18The latest mountain bike helmet from Troy Lee Designs has landed in the form of the all-new open face A3. The brand emphasize this half-lid helmet is so comfortable that you’ll never take it off. But, the most interesting thing about the A3 is that independent helmet tester Virgina Tech awarded it their highest safety rating; 5 Stars. Here’s more.
Troy Lee Designs A3 Helmet
The new Troy Lee A3 helmet, like the vast majority of high-end mountain bike helmets, gets a rotational impact protection system in the form of B-Series MIPS. Coverage from this 3-piece shell is fairly comprehensive as far as open face helmets go. An extended rear protects the back of your skull. We see it wraps around the sides slightly at the back, too.
The A3 gets the same high and low-speed impact energy absorption tech we see on the Troy Lee A2; that’s EPP and EPS co-molded. At $220, the A3 is the significantly more expensive option, even though the A2 was also awarded 5 Stars from Virginia Tech. So, if it’s just as safe, what else are you getting for your money?
Troy Lee Proprietary Sweat Management
The Troy Lee A3 is their first mountain bike helmet to feature the Sweat Glide system, said to direct sweat away from the rider’s eyes and googles or sunglasses. This is EVA sweat-wicking foam that sits behind the comfort liner located at the forehead region. It is replaceable, with spares are supplied in the box.
What else?
Troy Lee have partnered with FIDLOCK to create a custom magnetic chin strap closure. It allows one-hand fastening and, on all the FIDLOCK-rocking helmets I’ve tested, is a durable mechanism. That replaces the standard plastic buckle seen on the A2 and other Troy Lee open face helmets.
The 3-Way Magnajust visor is said to move up sufficiently to allow the stowage of googles underneath. No fewer than 16 vents channel air over your head to keep you cool on hot summer’s day climbs.
In addition to the Sweat Glide spares, Troy Lee provide a spare comfort liner (anti-microbial treated), two spare visor screws, a sticker kit and a helmet carrying bag.
Pricing & Availability
The all-new Troy Lee A3 helmet retails at $220 and is available in sizes XS-XXL, covering head circumferences from 53cm to 63cm.
