Bike Perfect Verdict
Excellent fit and protection levels make the Lazer Jackel a superb alternative to the conventional choices
Pros
- +
Excellent protection
- +
Faff-free fit
- +
Great goggle features
- +
Excellent GoPro mount
- +
Decent ventilation
Cons
- -
Slightly heavy
- -
Radiation rather than through-flow cooling
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The Jackal comes in as the new flagship Lazer helmet for aggressive riders continuing their move towards more conventional-looking lids and it’s fully loaded with neat features. Fit, ventilation and safety are all on point too making it a very strong contender for the best mountain bike helmets from this sometimes unfairly overlooked Belgian brand.
Specification and performance
While a lot of Enduro/All Mountain styled helmets don’t have much obvious ventilation, the Jackal has 19 various sized vents with extra-large exhaust ports for plenty of input and output. The extensive MIPS liner and limited internal channeling mean that it’s more of a low/medium speed ‘radiator’ rather than a roadie lid level of icy blast like the old Lazer Revolution. It’s still definitely a cooler helmet than most high protection lids we’ve tested recently though and while only MIPS versions are available in the UK, other countries have a non-MIPS option. The whole helmet is protected with hardshell and gets a 5 out of 5 star-rating from the independent Virginia Tech testing labs as well as exceeding all regional safety standards. That does make it slightly heavier than some competitors but even at nearly 30g heavier than claimed, our 408g medium MIPS still wasn’t a neck breaker.
The more geometric shell shape is matched by a squarer internal fit but the minimalist ‘Advanced Turnfit system' still secures well on narrower heads when you tighten the small, textured rear dial. It’s adjustable for height too with a really secure ratchet that stays put rather than sliding about when you put it on. The straps use a lightweight magnetic buckle for really easy securing and removing even in winter gloves so fit faff is at a minimum.
In terms of other features, there’s a ‘V’ of diamond pattern gripper material around the top exhaust port and fibrous strips around the lower one to hold goggle straps securely and plenty of room under the flip-up peak itself for the goggles themselves. The vents are designed for easy and secure storage of conventional eyewear too and cut-outs in the front edge of the shell help reduce lens steaming.
The totally comprehensive practical detailing even extends to the GoPro style accessory mount. It’s not only supplied ‘free’ but it sits really neatly into the central ‘blow hole’ vent and then secures with two wrap-around Velcro straps. That means no distracting wobble with your helmet light or rattle with your camera audio. You can add a purpose-built ‘ATS’ fit LED to the rear cradle too.
Price is fair for the level of design detail and there’s a 50% crash replacement policy that lasts for 3 years too.
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Verdict
Lazer’s new aggro lid mixes excellent protection with better-than-average ventilation and a ton of really neat fit and performance features to make a really strong challenge to the best in class. Especially if you don’t want to follow the herd and/or you want a massive range of colors to choose from.
Tech spec: Lazer Jackal helmet
- Sizes: S, M, L
- Rotational protection: MIPS
- Colors: Matte Black, Matte Blue, Matte Dark Green Flash Yellow, Matte Dark Grey, Matte Red Black, Matte Red Rainforest, White Black
- Weight: 408g (M, MIPS)
- Price: Standard €159.95 $159.95, MIPS £149.95 €179.95 $179.95
