Early Editor’s Choice: Lazer Jackal Helmet With KinetiCore [Review]

Lazer did nearly everything right with this most recent Jackal helmet. It’s fairly lightweight, well ventilated, protects your head with their new KinetiCore technology instead of a noisy hunk of yellow plastic, has a Fidlock buckle, the colorways won’t offend the forest, and a pair of goggles will easily stow below the visor. If you don’t have time to read on and you’ve got the $219 price tag covered just go buy it. The Lazer Jackal is really well designed.

Deep channels and valleys crisscross between 19 vents inside the Jackal, making for exemplary ventilation that will keep your whole damn head cool and won’t get caught on your hair. Openings at the brow lead into the larger system of tunnels and caverns, with a broad gap between the padding and shell just above the rider’s eyes that cuts forehead sweat in a uniquely simple way. Those grooves are part of the Jackal’s KinetiCore rotational impact system that does something similar to MIPS, without the noisy and sometimes irritating yellow plastic layer. Virginia Tech tested the Jackal in their lab, giving the helmet their top 5-star rating for protection. We’re stoked to see more companies taking rotational impact safety into their own hands.

At 383g for a size large Lazer didn’t overfeed the Jackal, and the weight feels good out on the trail. The low-heft is well balanced, and the shell stays put on my head without being overly tight. The helmet comes with a gear mount for your headlamp or camera, and there’s a sweet red Rechargeable LED Light that integrates at the rear for the pedal home. What didn’t they think of? Oh right, there’s no perfect place for the temples of sunglasses to slide into the shell while climbing. We can live with that small oversight.

Cinching the Jackal to your dome is as simple as any other, with an internal plastic band that ratchets to hold tight. The angle of that ring can be adjusted between a boatload of positions for optimal fit. Anchor straps on either side are well placed to land comfortably below the ears, and the Fidlock buckle below makes this a good option for cold hands and gloved rides. The fit and fee of the Jackal couldn’t be better, and I will be strapping this thing on regularly over the summer.

Broad sunblocking space is one of the features the Jackal visor provides. It also clicks up between three stops for a cool-kid tilt and a higher spot to stow goggles. A bit of traction across the back of the shell will keep your goggle strap intact. What’s left to want from a helmet?

So is the Lazer Jackal a good lid?

It’s really good. I don’t get to review much gear that’s this well thought out. I’d recommend the Jackal to any of my friends and buy one for my daughter. The price is a little higher than some, and it reflects the time and attention put into R&D at Lazer. Nice work folks!