Limar Ultralight+ Road Helmet

As the name suggests, the Limar Ultralight+ is a superlight helmet that's also super-comfortable and keeps you very cool.

Limar claims it's the lightest bike helmet in the world, with this medium size weighing in at a tiny 175g and the large 210g. This low weight plus the 22 air vents would have been appreciated by the Astana Pro team on the climbs of the Tour de France recently, including fifth-placed finisher Fabio Aru.

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The helmet comes with a removable visor (Limar also says it's suitable for mountain bikers) and a little rear light that attaches to the retention dial, pushing the weight for our medium up to a still-impressive 206g. The light isn't a replacement for your rear light, but it's good enough to use as a day-light or just extra visibility.

George recently reviewed the Ultralight's slightly heavier cousin, the Superlight, and commented that he would prefer it if the bug net mesh could be removed. Here, a mesh bug net covers the front seven vents, and personally I didn't find it a problem, practically or aesthetically; it did the job on my rural training rides, so I will disagree with George and say I'm pro bug net!

I found the general shape and fit of the inner to my liking, although it does feel a bit high on your head when you first put it on. As soon as you're away you hardly feel like you're wearing a helmet at all, and the padding both inside and on the chinstrap kept me comfortable on test rides of up to four hours.

The dial can be adjusted easily on the fly, and it's a good size which makes this a breeze. Speaking of breeze, you get plenty through the 22 air vents in the Ultralight+, which is great for climbing and hot days. The antibacterial pads inside do a great job of draining sweat, and I never found the helmet held much moisture when using it the day after a hard evening ride.

The only actual issue I had was that the Ultralight+ has scuffed quite easily in the month or so of testing, so handle with care. Otherwise, it's a thoroughly lovely helmet to ride in, that looks good and is easy to adjust on the go.

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best high performance cycling helmets

Some might have concerns with the helmet's ability to protect, with that ultra-light weight; it has, of course, passed European safety standards tests, and so should provide as good a good level of protection in the event of a fall as any other helmet passing the tests – in fact Limar says it's one of the few brands whose products conform to all three international safety standards, CE EN 1078, AS/NZS 2063: 2008 and CPSC 16 CFR 1203. It's worth pointing out that the latter two – the Australian and US standards – are some way tougher than CE EN 1078 certification mandatory for helmets sold in the European Union. Of course, for some the whole subject of current helmet standards and how useful they really are is up for debate, but that's something with implications for nearly all performance cycling helmets.

Verdict

Very light and airy lid that will be appreciated on the climbs – ours scuffed easily though