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Bluegrass Brave Helmet Review

Reviewed by: Essex Herts MTB - March 2013

A feature rich full face from Bluegrass who are the helmet & armour Brand From MET. How does it cope with some Essex Herts MTB, riding and uplift abuse?

What Bluegrass say

• V.I.D. composite construction. Bluegrass have their own IT software called Virtual Impact Data which enables them to test our helmets virtually even before building a 3D model.
• EPS Intelligent Fusion™ shell with integrated air channels. Thanks to the Intelligent Fusion™ process, Bluegrass uses different densities of material depending on the characteristics of each model to improve the weight/volume ratio while optimising the shock absorption capacity
• Removable and washable lining.
• MX-style visor with S.O.R.™ system. The Brave is fitted with their central Snap-Off-Release™ system which is a safety feature. In head-on impacts, the visor unclips from its central attachment preventing it from knocking the head backwards
• Easy to use with goggles. Moulded ribs on the shell help keep the goggle strap in place.
• Chin guard with integrated Airflow_2_Chin™ air inflow vents.
• No hearing loss. the helmet is shaped & cut to give you space for your ears.
• Compatible with neck brace use
• Double-D buckle. By simply sliding the strap along you can either take off the helmet or just wear it loosely without having to undo the buckle.
• Weight: XS/S 860gr, M 900gr, L/XL 940gr
• Available in: XS, S, M, L, XL
• RRP is £134.99

Design & Features

• The Bluegrass Brave Helmet has enough external sculpting to allow for venting & goggle stability, but not so much that finding a flat space for a helmet cam is hard. In addition, ridges & grooves might look good on a lid, but when I place those sort of helmets on the floor the ridges always seemed to get chipped. The Brave gets the balance of looks & functionality just right.
• The Double-D buckle has a unique quick release system, which is so easy to use, I'm not sure why I haven't seen it before. For those of us who push up to get our DH fix this is a godsend. No more messing about with D rings to get the helmet half undone for a 2 min push up. Just pull the red tab & the strap loosens, allowing easy removal of the helmet. Getting it done up again is easy enough but does require some practice. All the old school security of a D Ring with nu school convenience. Genius.
• The weights published are a little below what we measured. Bluegrass quotes 940g. On our scales it came in at 1034g. That's still light however! A few grams lighter than a D3 Carbon, POC Cortex Flow, or a T.H.E Carbon. Remember the Bluegrass Brave costs a lot less than all of those.
• The Bluegrass Brave has a world cup victory under its belt. Tracy Hannah won the 2012 Pietermaritzburg World cup in one.

• The Double-D buckle system isn't explicitly explained anywhere. You can figure out how it works, but a diagram or an online video would be helpful.
• With the Double-D buckle system I needed a slightly longer strap. With my puffer fish cheeks there was just enough room to pull the lid off.

Venting visibility & comfort

• There is lots of venting in both the chin guard & forehead areas. There are even vents in the visor to help channel the air. There are 5 exhaust ports & 2 on either side. The high number of vents, their positioning & the shape of the internal skull cap, means air is whisked over the top of your head taking moisture away. It's a cool lid to ride in.
• The Bluegrass Brave liner is well made & offers good support. It wicks well & dry's fast, to stop that wet liner feeling we all hate.
• The helmet has ear cut-outs which are a neat feature. It did improve hearing & added some comfort.
• The visor is thick & strong. It seems to have been made to a fine tolerance to ensure it feels like an integral part of the lid. With a head-on impact, the visor unclips from its central attachment preventing it from knocking the head backward. You can then just clip it back in. Bluegrass call this their S.O.R system. Neat! The visor adjusters & screws are metal & have a premium feel to them
• The visor has a wide range of adjustability. I'd have liked it to go 10-20mm higher to get it right out of view, but I quickly didn’t notice it when riding.
• Goggles fitted the Bluegrass Brave Helmet well. We tried Oakley's & Scott & both had room to be positioned as we liked. The strap was kept in place by the molded ribs & didn’t obscure any of the venting.
• The Braves shape offered good visibility. POC helmets lead the way in terms of offering the largest field of view, but the Brave came close.
• There are 5 sizes. The XL (60-62cm) fitted me well. Sizing is consistent. I'm an XL in other helmet ranges & it matched the measured size of my head (61cm).

• The liner although well-padded & soft, was a little rough when pulling the helmet on & off. I am a delicate flower ;) with sensitive skin & fat cheeks, so it could just be me. It has improved with washing.

Durability & looks

• The quality of the paint finish is good. The paint is thick & glossy & has a nice luster to it.
• The helmet seems resistant to wear & should keep looking new for a while. It's taken some head to dirt impacts & abuse in uplifts wagons with no real markings.
• It has the feeling of a well-crafted product that will last. The edges are finished in durable rubber & the fixings are strong & burley. It's has features & a finish of a much more expensive product.
• The helmet liner is easily removed & washed. It comes out of the machine smelling feeling like new after a 40 degree standard wash.
• You get a bag with it which is useful. It offers scuff, but not impact protection.

• The graphics designs could be more varied. We tested the Mega Avalanche limited edition which looked great but we wish the other designs where as interesting. I actually think the Bluegrass Explicit with its solid colour way is a better looking lid than the Brave. The Brave & the Explicit are the same apart from the paint finish & price.

Test Info

• Type of riding done during testing - Local Downhill (sand, clay, trees, mud and snow) and Welsh Uplifts (slate and rock)
• Tested on - Downhill bike
• Tester head size & shape - Disturbingly big and not a lot of hair!
• Tested When - Winter, Spring
• Other similar products ridden by tester- Giro Remedy, THE Carbon, POC Cortex, Troy Lee D2.