Review: Hedon Hedonist Helmet

RRP: From £309.00 // Sizes: XS – 2XL // Colours: A range of colours and designs

Tested by: Chris Knight

The first time I ever went on a motorcycle was in 1976 I was almost 9 years old. Our neighbours consisted of a family of 3 brothers and 2 sisters plus Mum and Dad obviously, who had relocated from Newcastle to Lincolnshire. The brothers were bikers, the oldest, Bret, was 19 and owned an R65 BMW among other bikes. I pestered him for months to take me on the back and he always said no, of course I didn’t realise that it was my Mother who was actually saying no and not him. When I finally twigged I pestered my Mum and eventually she relented and agreed, to say I was excited was a total understatement. This was a seminal moment for me, it was not a long ride, maybe 10 miles and it was not the most comfortable ride as I didn’t have any goggles or glasses but is was the most important ride of my life because it was the moment I became a biker.

 So what has this got to do with Hedon helmets and why are you telling me this story?

The ride on the back of Bret’s BMW was the first time I ever wore a helmet, it was an old open face, white I recall, very heavy and obviously too big for me, so noisy and I remember distinctly that it had a particular smell, a mixture of sweat and Brut. When I think of open face helmets this is always what I think of, until now.  The beautifully made Hedon helmet has set a new standard for me. It is a superb mixture of function and form. The attention to detail is impressive from the alcantara-like lining to the perfect paint finish with leather edging to the chin strap with a leather tab. But what impresses me most about this helmet is it’s functionality, light weight, comfortable and the way that it reduces wind noise, which for an open face helmet with such a narrow profile is unusual and rare. Of course, it is a very cool lid, it’s retro, harking back to the 1970’s but with contemporary technology. I can see why it is so popular in mainland Europe, I believe its biggest market currently is France. I can just imagine all the cool French dudes on their scooter and naked’s wearing them.

There are a lot of open face helmets on the market and maybe this one isn’t for everyone but, if you’re looking to buy a new open face helmet my advice would be to try the Hedon Hedonist, you really won’t be disappointed.

For more information on the full range of Hedon Helmets, click HERE.