Thanks for tuning in today we're going to be
reviewing the Lazer Strada KinetiCore cycling helmet.
The Strada KinetiCore is an affordably priced road cycling helmet that was developed for everything
from leisurely weekend rides to high intensity club rides. It's part of Lazer's new lineup of
KinetiCore equipped helmets which is their new built-in rotational protection impact system.
In terms of packaging you can see very simple you have the KinetiCore branding here with this light
green nice environmentally friendly cardboard box with a simple slide out design. We have the
medium version in the light blue sunset. I'm going gonna take out this box and go over these specs.
So retail price on this is $109.99 so quite affordable considering helmets these days.
It has a five-star Virginia tech rating which is an independent third-party crash
rating system so really nice to see. It has integrated KinetiCore
which again is the controlled crumple zone design so it's a little EPS foam raised sections and it's
built directly into the shell unlike a MIPS liner which would be added on after the fact.
It has their ScrollSys belt system so you'll notice there's no dial on the bottom that you
traditionally see for the adjustments instead of top mounted up here it's actually a belt
so really cool and a lot easier to use than their previous dial so you can simply grab a nice large
touch target and quite thin compared to a dial. It has 21 vents so designed to keep you cool
you can see the large vents in the front all along the sides and the back to really get the air out.
This is Aeroshell compatible so there's an optional shell that'll actually cover these up
if you want something more aerodynamic or just for wet weather riding and don't want to get soaked.
It also is tail light compatible so you can see that little port here that's for
their optional led tail light. In terms of what comes with the helmet obviously get the helmet
some basic tags that describe the technology and how to use it. It has this clever little
compartment on the inside of the box which has some additional safety information the
crash replacement policy and a little QR code to find out more about it. Now take
a look at the weight of the helmet again we have the medium north america version.
So on our scale comes in at 290 grams which is quite light
really anything under 300 grams is easy to forget you're wearing as it's that light.
The Strada KinetiCore is Lazer's mid-level road cycling helmet that's designed to
satisfy everything from high-end cyclists to more beginner cyclists just looking for a weekend ride.
It's offered in seven different color variations so you can really choose the one that works for
you we have the light blue sunset which is really cool. So you can see it almost looks like color
shifting but it's actually just a static graphic with this fade between the blue and this light
red makes it look like a sunset it looks really cool as it's strategically placed along the vents.
It's also offered in six other colors everything from a solid black to dual
variations that change depending on the top and bottom such as red green or gray
it's a good looking helmet overall with a lot of venting. You have 21 vents so quite a few
of them you can see large rectangular vents on the front top little scoop on the back
and then even the rear section you have all these exhaust vents that really help funnel the air out.
It is a fairly restrained style so unlike some of the italian helmets which have these more
aggressive scoops it's more just flat rectangular simple edge and creases along the edges
so much more simple and definitely great if you're looking for something that's not in your face.
You have integrated pads as well for the eye storage so you can see these little pads here and
that helps protect the shell and it's a little bit of non-slip material so you see that both sides.
It has a distinctive ellipse style shape so if you look from the top down you can see it
really tapers on the rear that's not something most helmets have. They're usually flatter
so distinctive to Lazer and you can see even on the back it really tapers down so good
looking helmet and with a fully complete shell around it. So two piece design you have the main
top section and then this ring that goes around and this alternating color for our
color scheme so fully finished around the edges so you don't have exposed foam which makes it
look a lot more premium and that's nice to see especially at this about $100 price point. Inside
you have no dial which is really cool so you have a retention system which is a standard design
and you can see very wide and open here something you don't typically see it's just a shell
typically you have a big dial here large padding here it's soft and flexible with this thin little
ring wire that goes on the front and this lets it adjust very easily and keeps the weight down.
What's cool about this helmet is its top mounted adjustment system so the dial instead of having
dial here you have a belt. What I really like about the belt it's very easy to use unlike their
previous dial on the top that was hard to use with gloves with this it's such a large touch point
that it's very easy to do while you're riding you don't have to worry just grab it it has a nice
texture to it as well as you can see so you can feel it even with gloves on and makes it really
simple. It's also lower profile as it's quite thin so supposedly it's supposed to be more aerodynamic
the other thing with this helmet is. Obviously the KinetiCore feature
so this is their MIPS alternative and rather than having a secondary liner that's attached after
the fact. This one is actually built into the eps foam so they're controlled crumple zones
and that's what these little bumps are all along the helmet so they're strategically
placed and designed to crumple in the case of an accident and absorbs on that rotational impact.
Given the five star rating from Virginia tech obviously they work and they're a lot sleeker
so you don't have a big mips liner that slides around all the vents are nice and unobstructed
so you get better air flow and less plastics they don't have a secondary plastic liner.
Now lets take a look at the helmet on the road. It's a pretty attractive helmet
although it does have an understated design the blue sunset effect is pretty interesting it almost
looks like color shifting. You can see it pairs well with a variety of kits we have the Ale color
shifting jacket which always looks really cool as well as the chameleon bike which actually
does change color. As far as the helmet itself though it has a narrow profile and you can see
a very pointy rear portion which makes it look quite distinctive really like the ScrollSys belt
design it's a lot easier to adjust than the previous dial and as you can see this helmet
has a lot of vents so it's quite cool. You can even see my hair popping out of some of
the vents which we didn't realize until after but it is well ventilated although it's not the most
ventilated helmet we've used. Something like the Smith Trace a little bit better but overall really
comfortable helmet and whether you're doing long rides or just leisurely rides it does work well.
Now it's a little comparison between the Lazer Strada and other helmets on the market.
We have the previous Lazer sphere helmet, you can see very similar design with that shape
and the top mounted system here. They have the top mounted dial and this is what I didn't like
about this helmet it's a very small touch point so when you're trying to adjust it while you're
riding you're kind of reaching around and it's easy to miss. With the belt you can see just
how much larger it is it's triple the size so really easy to feel and nicely textured.
The other thing is with the KinetiCore construction. You don't have the MIPS liner so
you can see this plastic MIPS liner in here versus the built-in eps foam so you don't have
any blockage of any of the vents it's a lot simpler design. Other helmets on the market
as well this is more of a mid-level helmet which is why it's more affordably priced
and might not have some of the higher end features such as the magnetic buckles. We have the smith
trace here more expensive but a lot brighter and in your face with this get wild color scheme
it's also available in quite a few other colors. It has their Koroyd technology so a little bit
different of approach you can see the zonal design it looks like a little plastic straw
these are actually designed to crumple in the case of an accident and eliminates the need
for the eps foam in these sections so a really cool design and it almost replaced that whole
section to keep the weight down while keeping you protected. What I like about the Smith Trace is it
has the open vents down the middle versus all the smaller ones so it keeps you cool despite
having the Koroyd blockage on the other one. On the inside you can see it has a MIPS liner though
so it's pretty well integrated with all the cutouts but it does block some of the vents
obviously because it has to have some structure to it. There is a normal dial versus the really open
setup of the Lazer which is really cool to see so if you have ponytail or longer hair or just
want better ventilation then the laser's top design is pretty nice and innovative
also the strata isn't quite as arrow some other as some other helmets on the market. We have the
POC Ventral spin here and POC is really known for their bright color this is a nice mint green
so you can see it looks more premium just because of the color scheme
but less venting to keep it more aero. You can see that rear profile
so with aero helmets it usually extends the rear it has these sharper cut offs
versus the more road cycling design and smoother finish that you have with the laser helmet.
Now let's go over the pros and cons for the Lazer Strada KinetiCore helmet. What we like about it
is that it's a very affordable price it's great to see a hundred dollar helmet especially with
everything being two or three hundred dollars these days. You have a variety of graphics and
solid color schemes to choose from as well which is always nice to see instead of just the plain
white and black colors. The KinetiCore does reduce the amount of plastic in the helmet. It's directly
built in so it's a nice innovative design that reduces the amount of waste. Some of the cons
for the helmet is the fact that it does have an understated design. Honestly it's a nice way to
say it's a little bit bland to look at but that is a good thing if you don't want it to really
stand out. As with a lot of other Lazer helmets the plastic buckle just requires a lot of force
to open they really have to push down compared to other helmets we've used. Taking everything into
account we give the helmet an 8.9 out of a 10. It's a nice affordable and innovative helmet that
features the new KinetiCore technology. Thanks for watching this review don't forget to like and
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