Lazer Strada KinetiCore helmet

While the Lazer Strada KinetiCore helmet is largely unremarkable to use, that's arguably to its credit – you put it on and forget it's there, and really that's just what you want. For looks, comfort and cooling, it's uniformly just fine.

Not that the Strada doesn't try to be different. The cradle adjuster is particularly unusual, as Lazer ignores the common (and frankly very effective) clickwheel at the back of the skull, and even its own 'RollSys' roller-wheel design, for a kind of conveyor belt embedded in the rear. It's called ScrollSys.

It's broad and has raised hatching for grip, and you drag it up or down to adjust the tension of the cradle, click by click. It works okay, but the resistance is a little high and the grip a little low, plus, frankly, it's hard to see what problem it's even solving. It's less easy to manipulate than RollSys and considerably more clunky and complicated than a typical clickwheel, while presumably adding potential failure points, cost and weight. And all for a thing most riders will adjust once and then pretty much never touch again.

Still, as I said, it works, and perhaps its sheer difference from the norm will attract some people. Personally I'd take a 'normal' system if it meant a reduction to the 294g weight, though to be fair 300-ish grams is not unusual around this price. The way the outer hard shell wraps right under the thick lower edge probably doesn't help here – it's a fair bit of extra material – but those who tend to bundle their lids around carelessly will appreciate the protection for the inner foam.

The shaping is pretty good, with a middling drop for rear protection and good clearance even for quite large sports glasses. It's quite a stylish lid (at least in my eyes), and the two-tone colouring helps reduce the sense of bulk. There are brighter options than this matt green if you prefer.

The cooling is also decent. As the KinetiCore rotational impact damping system doesn't involve any layers to separate the cradle from the outer shell, there's nothing to obstruct the vents or internal channelling. KinetiCore is the name for the shaping of the crushable EPS foam; it's divided into blocks on the inside, instead of the usual smooth beams. The idea is these blocks can squash or break under sideways loads as well as head-on impacts, slowing the transmission to your head of any sudden twisting forces if the helmet digs in during a crash.

The broad padding is also good, and as it sticks in with hook and loop it's easily removed for washing.

The substantial webbing straps close with a regular plastic buckle and get nice simple adjusters under your ears, so it's easy to find a comfortable fit. The overall sizing seems accurate, to the point where if you're at the top of a range you should size up. The 55-59cm shell is pretty much 59cm on its own, for instance. Happily there are four sizes, from S to XL.

Finally, the overall finish is just fine – a little scruffy at the seams in some places, but nothing you'll see from a couple of feet and perfectly acceptable at the price. More importantly, the construction feels solid and trustworthy.

Value

We don't tend to review many helmets below this price, and the majority are way above it. But the Strada KinetiCore is offering what it should for £89.99: decent adjustment, quality, and comfort, plus Mips or an equivalent safety system.

It's not really losing anything to the Met Idolo Mips helmet, for instance, which weighs 292g and (you guessed it) features Mips. It was £84.99 when we reviewed it in May, but Met lists it as €75 now, so closer to £65.

> Buyer’s Guide: Best cycling helmets

For a considerably lighter helmet, try the £90 Kask Sintesi. It features Kask's rotational impact system WG11 and weighs an impressive 237g. Our reviewer Laura said it was 'hard to find fault with'.

In case you think I'm being anti-Lazer with all this faint praise, I recommend tracking down the Lazer Sphere MIPS, which weighs 280g and features – yes – Mips. And RollSys. I reviewed the Sphere in early 2021 and, despite testing a slew of newer lids since, it remains the go-to helmet for me. Technically it's £124.99 now, but as it's an older model it's easy to find for around £80; even the official importer is selling it for £89.99.

Overall

This is a good helmet at a reasonable price that offers decent performance and appropriate safety features. The one thing that makes it stand out – the adjustment – seems entirely superfluous, but it doesn't particularly detract either. Buy it, wear it, forget about it.

Verdict

Rather gimmicky adjuster but a perfectly competent lid overall