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review

Kask Utopia Y helmet

8
£245.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Great fit and good airflow for an aero helmet – if you don't mind the price
Good airflow for an aero helmet
Light
Comfortable
Pricey
Weight: 
261g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Kask's Utopia Y is an aero helmet which still creates a decent airflow, while keeping the weight low. It's comfortable and has plenty of neat little design features, but then it needs them when you consider the £245 price tag.

The Utopia Y is primarily an aero style helmet with few vents, although the ones it does have work very well. The three front vents create a refreshing breeze over your head, while the 'scoops' let air flow around the sides. Warm air is ported out of the back.

If you're looking to buy an aero helmet, it's a good idea to check out our Best Aero Helmets of 2023 feature too.

As you've probably noticed the date at the top of the review, it won't surprise you to hear that the test period, being early spring, wasn't exactly hot. The chill winds did highlight the flow of the air through the helmet, mind, though I can't see it being too much of an issue during the summer unless you're spending days in the mountains.

The Utopia Y uses OCTOFIT+ (which is the main upgrade over the original Utopia) and it gives a good range of adjustment both up and down for the cradle. A wheel tweaks the diameter.

2023 Kask Utopia helmet - tension system.jpg

Unlike some helmets the adjustment doesn't travel right the way around the front, instead stopping at the temples. Personally, I didn't have any issues with fit, but helmets with full adjustment can do better on certain head shapes.

2023 Kask Utopia helmet - inside.jpg

There are three sizes available, covering head sizes of 50cm to 62cm.

2023 Kask Utopia helmet - back detail 1.jpg

The padding is relatively thick around the front, but comfortable, and it does a good job of soaking up sweat. There are a couple of pieces of padding running front to back which also work well and are easily removed for washing.

At £245 the Utopia Y isn't cheap, but it does have some defining features that go some way to justifying that.

The strap is faux leather and soft against the skin, while the outer shell covers the expanded polystyrene inner right around the base. This looks neater and frankly more expensive, and protects it from drops and damage.

2023 Kask Utopia helmet - clip.jpg

Speaking of protection, the Utopia Y meets CE EN 1078, CPSC 1203 and AS/NZS 2063 standards. It is also tested to Kask's WG11 protocols.

As for competition, the Bolle Avio MIPS helmet which I recently reviewed has a similar amount of vents, and is within a few grams for weight.

I prefer the fit of the Kask as it seems less bulky, but the Bolle does have the MIPS safety system, if that is something you are after.

Specialized's S-Works Evade 3 is very much an aero helmet and I loved the fit, plus it has impressive airflow too. It's even more expensive though at £275.

Overall

Like many top end helmets the Kask isn't cheap, but against the competition it looks to be in the right ballpark. Its performance is impressive, I really like the fit and the overall quality is very good indeed.

Verdict

Great fit and good airflow for an aero helmet – if you don't mind the price

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Kask Utopia Y helmet

Size tested: 52-58

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Kask says, "The original Utopia helmet raised the bar for optimized aerodynamics and ventilation, which remain central to the Utopia Y. The updated edition has introduced the OCTOFIT+ adjustment system, which guarantees improved fit and stability. The Utopia Y also delivers enhanced comfort thanks to its Resistex Carbon padding – a breathable material that promotes moisture dissipation to the outer shell. The Utopia Y's aesthetic is complete with the addition of reflective graphics to ensure greater visibility; the KASK logo on the shell's lateral exterior replicates the helmets currently used by KASK's professional teams and athletes."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Resistex carbon front padding

Octofit + Fit Adjustment and Retention system

Faux leather chinstrap

Reflective rear inserts

Seamless colour exterior

Passes WG11 International Safety Test protocols

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It balances aero with airflow well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Great fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

It's pricey, though that's true of any top end helmet.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's similarly priced to other high-end helmets, like those mentioned in the review.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Utopia Y is a well made helmet with good performance and comfort. It has a high price, but it is in keeping with other helmets of this weight and fit.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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1 comments

Avatar
bob_c | 11 months ago
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Would it be possible to fit the front brow pad from this helmet into the Utopia (i.e. the previous model)? 

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