Review: Hedon Hedonist helmet

The idea of paying out a significant amount more than normal for a helmet would normally be something you do for an improvement in some kind of tangible quality. It could be for more safety, it could be for a lighter material, you could have finally had that bespoke leopard-print flame motif you always wanted wrapped onto the outside. But Hedon believe that there’s more to a helmet than just its safety. It can be a piece of fashion too, something you both enjoy wearing and are happy to have on your shelf at home. Perhaps it could even be perceived as art?

Founded in 2011 Hedon is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a play on “hedonism”, with particular note paid to the pun in the first syllable. The idea was to move away from the staid, ordinary designs that festoon the market, identikit black or white kit with the odd over-designed fluorescent number or replica Valentino Rossi design. Hedon helmets set out to create something that looked different, without compromising the safety element that, at its very basic form, is a helmet’s only point.

One simple look at the company’s Instagram account will tell you what aesthetic Hedon is going for; this is high fashion, an almost limitless canvas for the more discerning biker to paint on. Helmets can be matte or gloss, but most are understated, relying on the base design to set them apart.

That base design, in our case in “Hedonist” form, is almost simplicity itself. We opted for a simple matte grey, which is finished with light brown leather around the edges. This is an open-faced helmet – Hedon do offer closed-face too – so a trio of poppers are positioned above the brow in order to clip on any visor you may wish to use.

As you might expect this kind of fashion-meets-safety is anything but cheap. The Hedonist will set you back £329 without any kind of custom design or visor (visors are an extra £40-plus). But there’s no denying that you will stand out, although perhaps the instant drawback is that you need to think more about what you wear on the rest of your body – we wore the Hedonist with simple black riding kit and it created a slightly jarring contrast, it might even jar with your bike.

On the head the Hedonist is snug. You’ll find you need to move to the biggest size your head fits into on the handy size guide or you might be removing a lobe. That said, once on it sits firmly in place without feeling constrictive. The padding is comfortable as is the strap, albeit with a fiddly popper to retain what’s left over.

The Hedonist is perhaps perfect for summer riding with sunglasses, but there are a range of visors to choose from. We were provided with a pair, one a standard visor in yellow tint and another Hedon’s signature bubble visor in a darkened hue. Both clip easily to the three poppers, sitting low enough as not to obscure the “Hedon” logo in the middle of your forehead.

While your choice of tint will always be down to personal preference and time of day – yellow is invaluable on an overcast evening, but don’t think of moving away from dark on a sunny day – it is perhaps a little easier to judge which style is better.

Neither visor reached down quite far enough to avoid a dreaded case of cold chin, there’s an expectation when wearing a visor that some air will find its way under the lower side, but sitting your chin right out into the breeze can be less than pleasant, especially on a cold day. A second issue with both visors is the way they taper at the base. For stylistic reasons both curve upwards and around long before meeting the base of the helmet. This means air has very little resistance to getting underneath. This is especially so with the flat visor, and crosswinds pulling your head across and up should be expected when riding with it on.

While the style of the bubble visor will not to be to everyone’s taste, the space you feel inside will be pleasing for any rider – it allows for a less claustrophobic wear and is quite good for reducing steaming when stationary, given how far is sits from your nose and mouth.

Overall the helmets are definitely style driven. But it isn’t just style over substance. The Hedonist is incredibly comfortable, as long as you ensure you’ve sized it correctly, and feels secure on the head without being restrictive. The bubble visor was a revelation, but it remains a preference to ride without any, meaning this should perhaps remain a summer option. The question is whether you really want to lay out £320-plus on a helmet you only use in summer and then have to buy something for the winter times.

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