LS2 Bagger Review

by Alex Meyer

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The LS2 Bagger is a low-fi helmet that is all about letting the wind in your face and hitting the road. From the first look at it, you know that this is going to be the ½ shell helmet you put on for cruising on a casual weekend ride, or an easy ride where you have no place to be, anytime soon.

The LS2 Bagger only comes in a few different colors, which make it ideal for the minimalist rider that isn’t looking for anything too complicated or fancy. If you aren’t a rider that wants or needs a lot of bells, whistles, or features and you want to be able to feel and hear as much as you can while you are on the open road, the LS2 bagger just might be the helmet for you.

Looks-wise, this very much gives you the feel of those old school hog rider or traditional big motorcycle rider helmets. It’s something that you might expect to see on a lone wolf riding a big hog bike, or someone who was in a biker gang back in the 70s or 80s. If you are looking for something simple and enjoyable to cruise in that happens to have some nice touches in terms of fun and functionality, there’s a good chance that you’re going to like the LS2 Bagger. Don’t be fooled though. There is more to this ½ helmet than meets the eye.

LS2 Helmets Unisex-Adult Half-Size-Helmet-Style Bagger Helmet (Gloss Black, Large)

Ratings

Comfort:

94%
Comfort

Visibility:

93%
Visibility

Ventilation:

99%
Ventilation

Quietness:

70%
Quietness

Specifications

Outer shell material : HPFC (High-Performance Fiberglass Composite) shell

Shell size : 2 shell sizes (XS-MD and LG-2XL)

Liner : Removable and Washable
Breathable
Hypoallergenic
Laser-Cut Foam

Weight : 2.09 kl

Pinlock : No

Strap System : Shorter removable 3-snap peak

Safety Ratings

DOT : Yes

ECE : Yes

SNELL : Yes

SHARP : Not tested


Shape and materials

The Bagger is suited for an intermediate oval head shape. The outer shell of the helmet is made from an HPFC (High-Performance Fiberglass Composite) which makes it both lightweight and durable. The inner liner is made of hypoallergenic, removable, breathable, laser-cut foam that makes it comfortable, durable, and easy to clean.


Overall comfort

The quick-lock technology on the underside strap of the helmet adds another layer of security and comfort to the helmet. The quick-lock is a nice change from the D-ring in that it is a little quicker to attach, detach, or adjust. We just don’t recommend tampering around with it while you are riding. The other downside of D-ring locking mechanisms is that they can be hard to find and use with gloves. The quick latch and lock on the Bagger make it much quicker and easier to adjust, lock, and unlock the strap.

You probably noticed right off the bat that this helmet has some large ear flaps. This is actually the neck skirt for this helmet. It fits snugly and securely around your ears and your neck. With the lack of a front and face shield, this is a really nice touch for keeping your ears and neck warm on sunset or early morning rides, when temperatures may be a little cooler.

Sounds great, right? The neck skirt gets even better and has more to offer. This doesn’t have to be a permanent installment on your helmet. In fact, it is really easy to use the built-in zipper on it to zip it on or off. This is another small feature that goes a long way in totally changing the look and comfort of this helmet. Our idea is that LS2 added this to the design as a way of making it more versatile for riding year-round, in all types of weather. This also makes it really easy to unzip the neck curtain so that you can clean it and freshen it up anytime. The liner is very comfortable, breathable, removable, and washable as well.

To take it a step further, the ear flaps even have built-in pockets for your MP3 player or Bluetooth speakers. With a lo-fi half helmet design, this is something that takes a lot of riders by pleasant surprise. You even have a sleeve around the backside interior of the flaps and neck curtain that you can tuck your wiring for your speakers or your music player.

Things I liked

  • Quick-lock strap that makes it easy to adjust with gloves on
  • Added ventilation to the top and front of the helmet
  • Easy to add neck curtain and ear flaps for cooler-weather riding
  • Room for Bluetooth speakers or MP3 capable ear flaps
  • Sun visor for added visibility and protection. Easy to snap on or off.
  • Great for cruising

Things I don’t like

  • Lots of noise
  • Not ideal for offroad or sport riding

Visibility

A huge plus to the half-helmet design is that you are going to be getting a lot of visibility. Whether you like taking a slow, scenic ride down a curvy mountain or seaside road or you are riding through gorgeous green valleys or the vast desert in the early morning or sunset, the wide-open face of the Bagger is going to give you the maximum amount of visibility. This helmet is in no-way going to limit your ability to see and enjoy the beautiful scenery around you.

Another huge perk to the LS2 bagger is the sun visor. It can be quickly snapped on or off which makes it great for those sunrise rides, or when you know that you are going to be riding directly into the sunset. It’s also a nice touch for customizing the look of the helmet, regardless of the lighting that you are riding in. Some riders prefer the look of this helmet with the visor on, and some with it off. In either case, LS2 has made it really easy to be able to snap the visor on or off.


Quietness

If you are looking for something that is a quiet cruiser, the Bagger might not be the best choice for you. With an open ½ shell design and excellent ventilation, even with the neck curtain on and the ear flaps down, this helmet is going to let in quite a bit of outside noise. Keep in mind that the intent of the design is not for loud, high speed, or offroad riding, ergo noise suppression is not as much of a priority.


Ventilation

Since this is a half helmet, you are going to be getting a ton of ventilation through the fully open face of this helmet. That makes the LS2 bagger ideal for hot weather riding. As long as you have a great pair of protective goggles, you are good to go.

Even though this helmet may look simple from the outside, they do have some surprises that riders might not expect. One of those is that there’s extra ventilation on the front of the helmet to keep you extra cool while riding. The vents on the front filter right into the interior lining of the helmet to keep you extra cool while riding.


Safety

The quick-lock strap on the underside of the helmet keeps the shell nice and tightly secured to your head while you are riding. As you can see above, the Bagger is DOT, ECE, and SNELL rated so that you have all of your bases for safety covered with this classic, biker-style helmet.

Conclusion

½ shell helmets are without a doubt catered toward a specific type of riding audience. Riders that like having their face open and exposed to the elements while enjoying a nice cruise. If that’s what you are looking for, you are not going to be disappointed with the LS2 Bagger.

It really is a comfortable helmet that is perfect for taking those easy rides. The half-shell makes it perfect for riding in the summer. On the other end of the seasonal spectrum, the ear flaps and the neck curtain make it great for cooler rides in the morning or evening and provide enough insulation and warmth that you can take it out for some late fall and early spring riding. The ventilation and the interior lining in the helmet are nice touches for keeping your face and entire head cool for riding in hot weather. We really like the quick-lock strap that makes it easy to adjust, even with gloves on.

To sum it up, we really like this helmet because it looks simple but has some great features that make the Bagger far more than meets the eye.

Where to buy this helmet :