LEATT GRAVITY 6.0 CARBON DH HELMET REVIEW

NEW FAVORITE DH LID?

Words by Drew Rohde  |  Photos by Max Rhulen

Our Leatt Gravity 6.0 Carbon helmet review began during Crankworx Whistler 2023, when we stepped into the Leatt Pop-Up store in Whistler Village. Rob Salcedo, Leatt’s marketing honcho, invited us behind the curtain to see some new stuff. Since Rob wasn’t a stranger, I ignored my father’s advice about following strange men into dark places and was pleasantly surprised at the sight of three beautiful new carbon fiber DH helmets. Available in three colors, the impressively lightweight helmets instantly drew me in. But, we’ve been in the bike industry long enough to know that looks aren’t everything, so did the performance and feel of the Gravity 6.0 Helmet live up to the look and love-at-first-sight feeling? Let’s find out.

THE LAB

Touted as a “super ventilated full face,” the Leatt 6.0 Gravity has a lot of ingredients mixed together to make it a worthwhile consideration for bike park and enduro users alike. The shell is built with M-Forge carbon with a composite chinbar. The M-Forge carbon claims to offer a more flexible and less brittle carbon through engineering and reduces rebound forces while also decelerating impact forces. That not only means the helmet is about 100 grams lighter than the last gen Gravity 6.0 helmet but should also have a longer lifespan and increased protection.

Leatt has given the Gravity 6.0 helmet 22 vents to help air flow. A moto-style liner does not block any vents but helps keep the rider comfortable and airy while on the move.

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Packing an ASTM DH certification, Leatt’s Gravity 6.0 helmet should be enough for most bike park, downhill, freeride and eMTB riders out there, but they do make an 8.0 helmet, which carries an ECE motorbike safety certification. It’s also about 300 grams heavier, but if you want one helmet for your moto and downhill needs, that could be a consideration. As a rider with arthritis-riddled vertebrae from a neck and back break several years ago, I much prefer a lighter helmet.

Inside the helmet you’ll find Leatt’s 360-Degree Turbine Technology. We’ve covered this tech in detail before, which you can see here, but we’ll briefly touch on it once again. Leatt’s blue turbines sit inside the helmet shell in strategic points and act like dampers or bumpers, depending on the impact. They have the ability to move in, you guessed it, 360 degrees. This movement is designed to mitigate and slow-down peak brain acceleration during glancing blows where the skull and helmet hit at an angle and cause the brain to spin inside the skull. The turbines also compress when loaded axially, so traditional impacts also yield some “squish” when an impact occurs.

Leatt’s testing and claims show the 360 Turbines can reduce peak brain rotational acceleration by up to 40% and peak brain acceleration at low speed by up to 30%.

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One of our favorite parts about the Leatt Gravity 6.0 helmet is the comfort and fit. We believe a large reason this helmet is so comfortable is the moto-style liner. Moto liners are one-piece and offer a really uniform and cushy feel. They also do a great job wrapping around the rider’s head, making the helmet feel secure and snug around all parts of the head. Leatt’s liner uses Dri-Lex technology, to help with moisture and funk management.

The 6.0 helmet uses a double D-ring closure system, and has removable cheek pads for washing. It also sports a removable mouthpiece for riders who want to maximize airflow, perfect for eBike and enduro riders who may take the 6.0 out for missions involving sustained pedaling.

The Leatt Gravity 6.0 Carbon helmet is available in a choice of four sizes from S-XL, spanning a claimed 55-62cm head range, although our tests suggest it may come up a little on the small side. The carbon shell is available in the Stealth color reviewed here; an eye-popping Gold color, or a more neutral White option, with a retail price of $379.99 / £299.99.

THE DIRT

FIT | I have a 56.5/57cm head and traditionally wear a medium in almost all helmets. I am wearing a size large in the Gravity 6.0 and have opted to use the 40mm thick cheek pads. With this setup I am 100% satisfied with the security, comfort and fit. Slipping the helmet on is easy and pain-free. Once inside, the field of view is full and open. We tried it with a number of goggles, none of which had interference with the frame.

PERFORMANCE | Thankfully both Sean and I have kept our heads off the ground since we got the 6.0, or…at least we kept them off the ground while wearing this helmet. Although we can’t attest to the Gravity 6.0’s ability to take a hit, we can certainly talk about wearability, air flow, and quality. Both of the helmets we have were subjected to lots of bike park days in everything from torrential downpours to dry, dusty days on the blown-out volcano that is Mt. Bachelor. All the materials, paint, buckles and straps have held up perfectly.

When it comes to ventilation and weight, the Leatt 6.0 stands out. With a weight of 972 grams, the Gravity 6.0 is a fair bit lighter than our TLD D4 Composite, Fox Rampage Pro Carbon, and Bell Full 10 test helmets.  Along with being lighter, we’d argue that it’s also got better airflow than those other helmets. Inside the helmet, the rider is protected from wind noise and able to focus as it’s a quiet lid with no chirping or squeaking. However, we could still hear bike and tire sounds as well as what was going on around, or behind us.

We normally don’t like fixed visors as our west-facing trails tend to point us directly at the setting sun, however we learned to deal with it on this helmet. Leatt includes a visor extender, which can be used for sun protection and mud/debris protection should the conditions warrant a bit more bill.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Both Sean and I give this helmet a 9 or 9.25 out of 10 stars, making it one of, if not our highest-ranking downhill helmet at the moment. This helmet is a standout performer all around. It’s more affordable than many competitors, weighs less, breathes better and is extremely comfortable to wear. If you’re in the market for a downhill helmet, want a full-face eMTB helmet for going hard and want something that will offer a DH certification with some breathability, we’d suggest you put the Leatt Gravity 6.0 very high on your list of helmets to try on.

Price: $379.99
Weight: 972 grams (actual, large)
Website: Leatt.com