SixSixOne Reset Helmet Review

Words by Rob “The Rake” Dunnet

SixSixOne is a brand with a storied history. They were once one of the most respected helmet and padding companies in the industry and seemingly faded into the background for the last several years. Their reputation has suffered and their image has faded, but we are happy to see they are pushing hard to get back on track. The SixSixOne Reset helmet is one of the products that shows how serious they are about their new direction. The Reset is not an open mold helmet, it is a proprietary lid, built by SixSixOne for SixSixOne. It is part of the new line that SixSixOne hopes will help push the reset button on their brand’s image.

THE LAB
The SixSixOne Reset is built with a lightweight ABS shell that has three shell sizes. The three shell sizes are used to create seven individual sizes from XXS to XXL. SixSixOne’s sizing chart says the Reset will fit a head-sized from 49cm to 65cm.

The SixSixOne Reset is a budget-minded full-face helmet but doesn’t skimp when it comes to looks or safety. SixSixOne is one of the first brands to incorporate MIPS latest E2 Brain Protection System into its line up. MIPS’ E2 is a low friction layer intended to reduce rotational energy and help decelerate the brain in a more controlled manner. The claim is that this brake in materials helps reduce the chances of brain injury due to the brain sloshing/spinning inside the skull.

SixSixOne designed the Reset with some large angular vents to manage both the intake of cold air and the escape of hot air. The ABS shell also has a large eye port, which gives riders a great field of view and enhanced comfort with a variety of goggles.

The Reset is available in six colors, two with MIPS and four without. Whether you choose the MIPS option or not, we suggest you do, you’ll be left over with enough cash to buy a lift ticket to your favorite local bike park thanks to the competitive price point.

THE DIRT
SixSixOne’s Reset definitely has a unique look, our crew had mixed feelings at first. Some of us were really digging the aesthetics and others, like myself, didn’t love it. Over the course of my review, the look of the helmet has grown on me. We can see the polarizing look of the helmet is the reason that riders buy the helmet and the reason that they don’t.

When we first put on the helmet we noticed a bit of pressure on our cheek bones, this is pretty common with new full-face helmets and after the cheek pads pack in a little bit the pressure seems to go away. The cheek pads on the Reset are quite slim and they didn’t pack in as much as we would have liked. We would like to try on a Large helmet to see if it fits better than the Medium test helmet that was sent to us. We would recommend trying on the SixSixOne Reset before making a purchase as I typically wear a medium in most brands.

The helmet uses a standard D-Ring to tighten the chinstrap. It’s a trusty enclosure that we are fans of. The chinstrap also has a lot of extra padding, which is comfortable when it stays in place, but more often than not, we had to fish it down after tightening the helmet down. This could be a small place for improvement.

Once we started riding with the SixSixOne Reset our two early complaints were quickly forgotten. The cheek pad pressure didn’t seem to bother us and once the chinstrap padding is in place, it doesn’t move around. Something that took a bit longer to adjust to was the chin bar and mouthpiece. The mouthpiece seems to be a little bit closer to our face than with other helmets. It was never a problem but it was something that has been in the back of our head while using it. That being said, there is a lot of space between the chin bar and the top of the helmet opening vertically. This space gives a lot of room for goggles and does allow warm air to escape nicely.

While riding at speed, the multiple vents in the Reset worked well when moving air over our heads. When moving slow or while climbing the helmet heats up like most full faces do. For the vents to be effective air needs to be moving or the temperature needs to be cool. Once wet, the helmet doesn’t take long to dry and we haven’t noticed a foul smell yet. We are not sure how to remove the liner to wash it or if it is possible. We have tugged on it a little bit and it doesn’t seem to want to come out.

We didn’t have any crashes while wearing the SixSixOne Reset but we did run into a bunch of hanging tree branches. The helmet shows little signs of wear and the strikes didn’t affect us in any way. I count myself lucky to have not tested the helmet to its full potential but trust that my skull and brain will remain safe should I hit the deck.

The Wolf’s Last Word

With the Reset, SixSixOne created an inexpensive full-face helmet that is a great replacement for the SixSixOne Comp; a helmet that every park rat we know has crashed in at least once in the last decade. With a wide variety of color options, riders should be able to find one to match their kit or black t-shirt. The vents of the helmet do a great job of moving air through the helmet and neither the peak or the chin bar impedes vision. Everyone may not agree that the SixSixOne Reset looks sweet, but for $149 (MIPS) or $109 (Non-MIPS), it’s pretty hard to disagree that this lid is a great buy!

Price: $149.99
Website: Sixsixone.com