MTB

Reviewed: Bluegrass Eagle Golden Eyes MTB Helmet

A worthy and affordable competitor for MTB helmets

A good quality and well-fitting helmet is the bare minimum you need for a good mountain bike ride… aside from the bike, of course! So we’ve been testing and reviewing some of the latest lids to hit the shelves and this week, it’s the Bluegrass Eagle Golden Eyes MTB helmet.

11 MTB essentials for every trail ride

Bluegrass Eagle is a part of the larger and more well-known brand, MET Helmets. With MET’s sterling reputation for exceptional cycling protection, Bluegrass Eagle has a lot to live up to. Catering for the trail, enduro and all-around off-road rider, the Golden Eyes lid has quite a lot to offer…

Bluegrass Eagle Gold Eyes MTB Helmet

The Golden Eyes model has been constructed with a polycarbonate outer shell and a standard expanded polystyrene (EPS) liner using intelligent fusion technology. Fitting the helmet to your head involves the Safe T Advanced fit system which uses a micro dial in the back to make minor adjustments of 2mm per click in the horizontal and 4 steps in the vertical. The 360-degree retention ring inside the helmet ensures a snug and continuous contact fit evenly around the head.

Reviewed: Bluegrass Eagle Wapiti D30 knee pads

The visor not only protects your eyes from sun, mud and debris but the hallowed out vents improve airflow throughout the helmet. Made from a flexible injection material, the visor can absorb impact energy well enough to prevent further damage to your neck. Side screws can be adjusted for three set positions also.

Securing the helmet under your chin are adjustable and vented kevlar straps. They’re soft and flexible with small perforations to keep the air flowing.

At the back of the helmet, there’s a goggle strap clip which is integrated into the design, this allows you to keep your goggles in place, even when you get a little fast and loose on this mad descents! As an additional extra, you can get a nifty camera mount to see atop of the helmet too.

For more information on the Bluegrass Eagle Golden Eyes MTB helmet, head over to their website here.

Bluegrass Eagle Gold Eyes MTB Helmet: Verdict

Okay, first of all, I really need to comment on the look and overall aesthetic of this helmet… because I love it. I think the orange and blue colourway, along with the chunky bordered openings gives this lid a pretty cool sci-fi vibe. The big bored vents in the rear are like eyes which, I’m told, are quite rad to follow down a trail behind.

It’s comfortable, offers a great deal of coverage and for £70, I was really impressed with the performance and finish of this helmet. Of course, being at the lower end of the budget spectrum means that you do sacrifice things like MIPS technology, but that does reduce the weight slightly making this lid lighter and more affordable than the Giro Montara MIPS and the Troy Lee Designs A2 MIPS.

The only drawback of the Bluegrass Eagle Golden Eyes helmet I found was the micro dial in the rear of the helmet. Sure, the 2mm incremental adjustment was fab, but the smoothness of the dial made it feel unassuredly loose without the heavy click I’m more accustomed to. I found the dial even loosening off a click or two mid-ride as well, which didn’t envoke a great deal of confidence, despite never loosening off to a point where the helmet was at risk from wobbling dangerously on my head.

If you’re looking for an affordable helmet that looks great and you’re not super fussed on MIPS technology or carbon infused engineering, certainly give the Golden Eyes a great deal of consideration.

Weight: 360g (medium)
Sizes: Small (52 – 57cm) / Medium (56 – 59cm) / Large (58 – 63cm)
Colourways: 6 options available
Price: £70