ABUS AIRDROP MIPS HELMET REVIEW

A STANDOUT ENDURO FULL FACE

Words by Drew Rohde
Photos by Max Rhulen & Brian Niles

Months after our Tech Check and eMTB Destination Tour, in which we spent countless hours testing the ABUS AirDrop MIPS for this review, we’re ready to give you two honest opinions from Robert and Drew’s perspectives. Since receiving two ABUS AirDrop MIPS helmets last Spring, we’ve put them both to the test on everything from cold, wet shuttle days, through to eBike shred sessions in the Utah desert under a scorching sun. The helmet quickly impressed our testers in terms of comfort, weight and looks, so let’s get into what we liked about this helmet and who the ideal consumer may be.

THE LAB

The ABUS AirDrop MIPS helmet is the brand’s first full face mountain bike helmet, and was released following years of R&D and testing which delivered a product this 100-year old German brand was confident in. Years ago, full face helmets were almost exclusively designed for downhill mountain bikers or aggressive freeriders. Since then, enduro riders, bike park and shuttle riders have started riding in them too. Adding to the demand of this new pedal-friendly full face helmet market is the booming eMTB niche. eBikers are able to maintain higher average speeds and double the amount of descending most mountain bikers get, so full face helmets are a natural option for them.

The AirDrop MIPS is not fully DH-rated, meaning it’s not the helmet a World Cup downhill racer will likely choose as his go-to, but it should still give plenty of protection for everything but the gnarliest and fastest downhills. With a weight of 800g for the S/M, the ABUS AirDrop sits in the middle of this enduro full face spectrum, not too heavy and not Kali Invader light.

Built using an in-mold manufacturing process, the inner and outer shells boast a durable connection and utilize a shock-absorbing EPS material. Inside the shell is ABUS’ ActiCage reinforcement, which is essentially a skeleton inside the foam, adding structural integrity to the structure and allowing ABUS to give the AirDrop larger ventilation ports. Speaking of ventilation, the AirDrop has 11 air intake vents and six exhaust ports.

While the MIPS liner and a dial-to-fit retention system (Zoom-Ace) features are rather common among other brands, something unique about the ABUS is their EVA collarbone protection pads. Placed on the underside of the helmet along the side of the neck, the theory is that if your helmet contacts the collarbones in a crash, the EVA foam will reduce the likelihood of your collarbones breaking from impact. Interesting in theory, though we’re not sure how realistic that is. But it certainly won’t hurt (or should hurt less, at least), so why not?

ABUS ships the helmet with two thicknesses of cheek pads to customize the fit, which is a nice and useful bonus. The pads are easily removable and washable. Other features include the ability to use a QUIN sensor, which is an on-board impact sensor. It has a ton of features from ride tracking to SOS/emergency notification feature with GPS coordinates and more. Other safety features include a height-adjustable visor with camera mount and breakaway safety bolts. ABUS opted to use the tried-and-true D-ring closure system, which some may criticize for ease of use, but is something we’ve used and trusted for decades. It’s not the fastest, but it’s guaranteed to work.

THE DIRT

Donning the ABUS AirDrop is pretty easy compared to some enduro or pedal-friendly full-face helmets. It seems many of these style FF helmets are tricky due to a short chin bar or the ratcheting retention system folding and getting in the way. This helmet is open and allows easy entry. Once inside the helmet, it’s a spacious dome with a wide field of view and airy feel. It definitely fits and feels more like a trail helmet than a downhill helmet. The padding is thin, the fit and feel is thin and open rather than bulky, padded or insulated like most DH helmets, which makes sense since this is a pedal-friendly full face enduro or eBike helmet. Both Robert and I have heads right on 56cm, so the S/M shell size proved to offer a great fit with plenty of adjustment left in the ZoomAce fit system.

One thing to note on the comfort side is the little dial area of the ZoomAce system. Robert did not have any issues, but occasionally the rear center portion of the helmet felt like it protruded into the occipital bone when really snugged up. I can’t say why it was occasional, perhaps length of hair or tension in my neck had something to do with it. What I can say is, while it was something I noticed in the parking lot, once I started riding and got on the bike it quickly faded away and never caused a serious issue.

While climbing we found the helmet to be competitively breathable, better than some other crowd-favorites we’ve tested. I’d say the helmet is very close to the iXS Trigger FF and Fox ProFrame in many aspects of performance. Occasionally we would get a bit of creaking during some climbing or quick head-turning scenarios but found that enough sweat, an air hose or rinsing the helmet out would typically cure the issue. We think that certain types of dust, dirt and grit could cause some squeaking, but it wasn’t enough to really ruin our day.

While climbing we found the helmet to be competitively breathable, better than some other crowd-favorites we’ve tested. I’d say the helmet is very close to the iXS Trigger FF and Fox ProFrame in many aspects of performance. Occasionally we would get a bit of creaking during some climbing or quick head-turning scenarios but found that enough sweat, an air hose or rinsing the helmet out would typically cure the issue. We think that certain types of dust, dirt and grit could cause some squeaking, but it wasn’t enough to really ruin our day.

When it came time to goggle up and drop in, the AirDrop MIPS felt stable and secure. A few quick turns of the ZoomAce system and we could get the helmet feeling just snug enough, and things were especially secure once a goggle. The D-ring chin strap system makes for an extra-secure feeling, with the padding around the strap adding comfort at a slight expense of extra heat and some sweat retention. Practicality suffers compared with a Fidlock system, but the supreme security makes it worthwhile. The field of view and compatibility with goggles was awesome, and we really liked the size and placement of the chin bar. Some helmets in this category can look weird, feel like they leave your chin or nose overly exposed or just don’t seem all that practical. The ABUS AirDrop chinbar looks, covers and feels a lot like a downhill helmet, and we like that.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The adjustable visor, open feel, breathability and weight all put this helmet high on our list of recommended full-face helmets. Then combine that with a secure and safe feel on the descents, and we’re left with a really awesome new helmet that we plan to keep riding well into the future. For those in the market for an all around full face helmet that will let you shuttle, hit some light bike park days and be great for enduro shredding on the regular, the ABUS AirDrop MIPS is worth trying on. It’s not to be confused with a DH helmet as the fit and padding inside are more in-line with a trail lid than a downhill helmet. Of course, as with all helmets, fit is personal and while we know some folks won’t love the D-ring closure system, it’s not a big enough issue to prevent us from keeping this helmet in the van for regular use.

Price: $299
Weight: 800g
Website: ABUS.com