100% Altis gravel helmet – MTB levels of protection for drop bar riders

BikePerfect has reviewed the 100% Altis gravel helmet. Here is what they had to say:

An attractively priced gravel specific helmet that packs in a lot of features, a good level of airflow with tons of protection, but fit and looks may not suit all.

With the crossover between mountain biking and gravel riding kit sometimes blurred, it’s no surprise that the 100% Altis mountain bike helmet gets a gravel model. 100% is a cool brand and an early adopters of the whole oversize riding glasses frame thing, so this model appeals to me as a mountain biker who also rides gravel.

The Altis Gravel sits at a very attractive price point of $115 / £89.99 / €106, so if you’re in the market for a dedicated gravel bike helmet this may well appeal. But is this helmet anything other than a peak-less version of its mountain bike helmet, and if so how does it transition to use with gravel riding?

Design and specifications

The Altis Gravel looks pretty different. Most noticeable are the 14 large vents. Rather than adopting lots of smaller vents like other best gravel bike helmets, this lid opts for less but bigger – that’s the mountain bike DNA for you. There's also the extended rear, which adds a ton more protection than a regular XC or road lid – a mainstay of all good mountain bike trail helmets – so that extra coverage is great to see. The EPS liner is covered by a polycarbonate shell that swoops in shape to create an organic-looking profile which also covers the more vulnerable lower edges of the foam for increased durability.

It uses its own Smartshock Rotational Protective System rather than a Mips liner for increased protection. 11 flexible, blue, 2cm long rubber plugs are attached to the eps liner on the inside and the helmet's padding to create a suspension system with a gap that, in the event of a crash, works to absorb some of the energy by compressing. It also provides 360 degrees of movement to help with rotational forces to your head. The padding is a lot thicker than regular road helmets to add more protection and deeper levels of comfort and gets an anti-microbial treatment.

Performance

So is it just a peak-less version of its mountain bike helmet? Yes and no.

Weighing in at 326 grams, the Altis is quite heavy for a gravel helmet and 45 grams lighter than its mountain bike counterpart, so some weight may have been shaved somewhere, but it could just be the removal of the peak.

It seemed to sit a little high on my head, which could be in part due to the Smartshock system, but comfort levels are hard to ignore. The thick padding is a welcome change to the thin padding of road helmets and the Smartshock plugs seem to add another layer of comfort.

Verdict

I like the Altis, it’s an affordable model that utilises some features that make a great mountain bike trail helmet. With a great fit, high levels of protection and comfort. It isn’t the lightest or most breezy on the market and the design won’t appeal to all, but I think I’ll be using it a lot and come winter it could be a game changer for a bit of added warmth.

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