Kali DH Invader Full Face Helmet Review

Words by Travis Reill  |  Photos by xxx

For years, Kali Protectives has set out to make high-quality mountain bike protective gear that they believe is the best, regardless of industry trends. Their beliefs are backed by tests and data, demonstrating their trust in their proprietary technology and the technological innovators they partner with. The result is a complete set of cycling helmets—from road to downhill—that are lighter than most yet exceed the current required safety standards.

Kali’s Invader helmet line has been a go-to for aggressive trail riders looking to get rowdy. They made a splash with the Invader 2.0, a lightweight and breathable full-face trail helmet on which we spent some time. Kali took many quality aspects of the Invader 2.0 but beefed it up for the DH Invader to meet CPSC, EN 1078, and ASTM downhill certification. They were also kind enough to send one our way, so let us share our thoughts on Kali’s new lightweight DH helmet.

ABOUT THE KALI DH INVADER HELMET

With a nod to their ever-popular aggressive trail helmet – the Invader 2.0 – Kali set out to create a downhill-certified helmet with many of the same qualities and style as the Invader 2.0. The result is the new DH Invader helmet, which looks very much like a beefed-up big brother to the Invader 2.0.

Kali finds the origins of all of their helmets in their proprietary safety technology: Composite Fusion. This process allows Kali to bond the helmet’s shell and foam during construction, allowing them to use a thinner shell. Despite having a thinner shell, Kali’s Composite Fusion creates a stronger helmet, which they also believe is safer due to less mass attached to your head thanks to its reduced weight.

Protecting against rotational forces during a crash has been on helmet companies’ radars for some time now. For added protection – not only against rotational but also for low-g impacts – Kali partners with Rheon, incorporating a Low Density Layer (LDL). Kali claims that data shows that the majority of the impact damage from crashes is due to low-g impacts. This means that the material near your head needs to be softer to absorb these types of impacts, but strong enough for the less common but harsher impacts too. And while we may think low-g impacts are insignificant, they makeup 80% of crashes, and can result in significant concussions.

The Rheon LDL reduces the force from low-g impacts by up to 30% and rotational impacts by up to 25%. The cone-shaped EPS foam in Kali’s helmets collapses in such a way that the impact forces are directed away from the head, taking care of the rider in the event of a more significant impact.

The DH Invader comes in two shell sizes. The smaller size encompasses extra-small through medium, fitting a head size of up to 57cm. Large through double-extra-large – the size I tested – starts at 58cm and goes up to 63cm. With only two different sizes, the DH Invader adjusts with a dial-fit system in the back and three different sizes of cheek pads with varying levels of thickness. The cheek pads adjust in 10mm increments, starting with the narrowest pads being 25mm thick and the thickest pads at 45mm.

The overall design resembles the Kali Invader 2.0, but with a slightly larger profile and fewer ventilation holes. These changes bulk the helmet up, allowing the DH Invader to receive its downhill certification. The DH Invader has an adjustable moto-inspired visor and a Fidlock buckle, and comes with Kali’s Lifetime Crash Replacement warranty.

THE DIRT

First and foremost, it is important to reiterate that the Kali DH Invader helmet is intended for downhill, as its name suggests. Kali markets this helmet for enduro and DH racing alike, as well as for park and shuttle rats. Kali did a fantastic job in creating a helmet so similar to the Invader 2.0, but with a little extra meat in places to get that DH certification. However, that doesn’t mean the DH Invader will perform exactly like the Invader 2.0. Let me explain.

Many praised the Kali Invader 2.0 for having the lightweight breathability of a half shell while offering the protection of a full face. While few reviews have been published on the DH Invader yet, its similar look to the Invader 2.0 makes it easy to assume it will perform similarly or breathe like a half-shell helmet. And while the DH Invader does breathe pretty well for a DH-rated full-face helmet, it is still a helmet with a chin bar. It certainly doesn’t feel like riding with a half-shell. This isn’t to say that the Kali DH Invader didn’t perform well, but I believe it is vital to distinguish that this is a downhill-rated, full-face helmet. All that to say, it isn’t necessarily a helmet I would choose to wear if I have a big pedaling day ahead of me, but of course that isn’t what Kali designed it for.

Kali designed the DH Invader to provide maximum protection during the gnarliest rides, and it did well. While I never took a big spill or bounced my head off anything, the DH Invader definitely instilled high levels of confidence while I rode, and I took comfort knowing it is DH certified. At around 750 grams, it is the lightest DH-certified helmet I’ve used, and one of the lighter DH helmets on the market. Besides being very lightweight, the DH Invader also allowed for better peripheral vision than some other full-face helmets I’ve worn, and didn’t muffle sound. I felt like I could hear others I was riding with and easily converse, which is much appreciated.

However, I did have some instances of wind sounds coming through the helmet’s ventilation holes. This happened on a rather exposed dirt road climb, and while it didn’t annoy me, it sounded like another rider was coming up behind me. Not a dealbreaker for most, but worth mentioning all the same.

I like the ease of having a Fidlock buckle for the chin strap. However, the strap on the DH Invader helmet was positioned too close to my throat. While it didn’t choke me, it gave me that uncomfortable feeling of anything being too close to my throat, as if I was on the cusp of being choked. This could be a sizing issue, which is the main problem I ran into with the Kali DH Invader.

Having a full-face helmet adjusted by cheek pads isn’t new, but I was surprised to see only two helmet shells covering a range of six sizes. Like all helmets, some brands will work for your head, and others will not. The Kali DH Invader may just be a helmet that doesn’t work for my head.

My melon is a solid 59cm, so I am usually in size “medium” or sometimes “large” in most helmet brands. With the Kali DH Invader only having two size options, I opted to go with the bigger size due to the fact that it started at 58cm. Don’t get me wrong; the L-XXL DH Invader does fit me, but it’s not the greatest. When I have the medium-thickness cheek pads in – most comfortable for my head – it doesn’t feel as if I can get the dial tightened enough for the helmet to feel secure. The helmet feels more secure with the thickest cheek pads, but it puts a lot of pressure on my jaw.

I didn’t try the XS-M size, but I have to assume it would be too tight. I used the medium pads and cranked the dial all the way for the most secure fit I could get to test the helmet. However, I wonder if having a more specific size range might help different riders dial in the exact fit they need.

As with all helmets, fit is the most important factor and so you should absolutely try to check the fit of a helmet before you buy. It’s possible the DH Invader is simply not made for my head, but otherwise it feels to be a solid performer.

THE WOLF’S LAST WORD

There are many things I liked about the Kali DH Invader helmet—it’s incredibly light, doesn’t give me tunnel vision, I can hear well, and is DH-rated. The fit, however, didn’t work for my head, and I would like to see more sizes from Kali. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend this helmet—I absolutely would—but I would recommend trying on both sizes with the different cheek pads to find the fit that works for you.

Price: $260
Website: Kaliprotectives.com