INTRODUCING THE KRU HELMET

July 24, 2026

Kali Protectives introduces the Kru, the World’s first full-face trail helmet built with a 360° titanium chin-bar to end the tradeoff between downhill-level protection and lightweight, breathable comfort. As mountain bikes have grown more capable, riders have pushed farther and faster on trails, but protective gear has become stagnant, forcing a choice between a lighter half-shell and a heavier, hotter full-face lid.

The Kru closes that gap, delivering true full-face protection with the ventilation and visibility riders need to climb comfortably and descend with confidence, all in the same ride.

“Our bikes allow us to ride harder and more aggressively than ever before. Our helmets need to keep up.” said Brad Waldron, Founder & Lead Engineer, Kali Protectives.

For Kali, that challenge wasn’t solved by simply making another full-face helmet.

It meant rethinking what a full-face helmet could look and feel like.

YEARS IN THE MAKING

The idea behind the Kru began over 10 years ago in an unexpected place. While watching his children play hockey, Waldron found himself studying the players’ titanium face masks.

“It looked non-intrusive,” he recalls. “I couldn’t help but wonder why don’t we build a full-face bike helmet like that.”

Rather than attaching a chin bar after the helmet was molded, Kali Protectives engineered a continuous titanium structure integrated into the helmet itself, preserving the strength of a true 360-degree design without relying on bolts or mechanical joints.

Achieving that required extensive engineering, development, and manufacturing refinement. The titanium tolerances had to be exceptionally precise to work within the molding process, but the result was worth the effort.

In the meantime, Kali went on to introduce the Invader Family (DH Invader, Invader 2.0 and OF Invader), helping establish breathable full-face helmets as a category. As riders embraced that style of helmet and trail riding continued to evolve, the timing for the Kru finally arrived.

PROTECTION YOU FORGET IS THERE

The first thing riders notice about the Kru is its distinctive titanium chin bar.

The second thing they notice is how quickly they stop thinking about it.

“The titanium chin bar almost disappears when you’re riding.” said Waldron. “Even climbing, the airflow is incredible. You forget it’s there, and that lets you focus on the ride.”

That philosophy became the guiding principle throughout development: not simply lighter, not simply stronger, but protection that allows riders to stay immersed in the trail ahead.

ENGINEERED BEYOND THE STANDARD

The Kru meets ASTM downhill certification requirements, but Kali’s engineering team didn’t stop there. The Kru underwent additional internal impact testing beyond required certification protocols, evaluating impacts from multiple directions and conditions that better reflect real-world riding.

For Kali, standards establish the baseline. Our engineering pushes beyond it.

BUILT FOR THE FUTURE OF TRAIL RIDING

Enduro riding has always been central to Kali Protectives. It’s the terrain the team rides, the challenges they design for and the reason products like the Kru exist. As mountain biking continues to evolve, Kali Protectives believes protection should evolve with it.

The Kru represents that next step.

• Downhill confidence.
• Trail bike comfort.
• Protection you’ll forget is there, so you can focus on the ride.

Kali Protectives is proud to launch the Kru in partnership with Oxford Products. As our UK distribution partner, Oxford has played an important role in bringing Kali products to riders, making ARD Rock the perfect stage to introduce our latest innovation together.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

• 360° Degree Titanium Chin bar
• Composite Fusion
• ERT Low Density Layer
• Extra Pads for Your Perfect Fit
• Frequency Fit System
• Available Sizes: S/M, L/XL
• Weight: 650 g (Size S/M), 680g (Size L/XL)
• Certifications: CPSC, EN 1078. ASTM F1952
• Available Colors: Solid Black, Solid White

For more information, visit kaliprotectives.com.