LS2 Stream Review

Overall comfort

As we mentioned, this is a long, narrow, oval helmet that just isn’t going to fit round-headed riders. The upside is that for narrow, oval-shaped headed riders that this helmet is going to be very comfortable. In general, you have a decent amount of ventilation, a solid locking visor with a dropdown sun shield for added glare and sun protection. The liner is comfortable and provides a good deal of interior ventilation.

This is a lightweight, polycarbonate exterior that easy to ride with that doesn’t make it feel like you are lugging around a boulder on your head. The interior and the neck roll make this helmet pretty comfortable, though you are going to find yourself wrestling with the neck roll if you want to take it out of your helmet. The upside is that the exterior of the neck roll is made of high quality, synthetic leather.

You may think that the “synthetic” part of the neck roll makes it cheap or unappealing, but it’s surprisingly comfortable and smooth. The cheek pads are comfortable as well. There are inserts for Bluetooth speakers, but keep in mind that they are small. You are going to have to have some small or thin profile speakers to fit in the pockets.

A unique feature of this helmet is that they have a micrometric ratchet. This is a European feature that we don’t see on as many helmets in the states. The ratchet comes down to more of the preference of the individual rider, but for a beginner helmet, the uniqueness of having this ratchet on the helmet is one of the few qualities that really make it pop or stand out. The comfort liner isn’t thick or anything special, but they do have some large open areas for airflow to keep the interior temperature comfortable.

Visibility

Thanks to the internal sun visor, you don’t need that extra dark, smoke in the main shield which gives you more visibility when you are in lower-light riding conditions. The fog fighter on the shield is a nice touch for keeping your vision clear while riding, and for how narrow this helmet is you have a surprising amount of visibility out of the peripherals.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any detents on the shield that give you the ability to lock it in a variety of positions. This is always a nice touch for quick rides at low speeds around town, but the LS2  Stream only fully locks in the open or closed position.

Once again, this is another one of those drawbacks that you are just going to inevitably face with cheaper or entry-level helmets. Another note is that the locking mechanism on the shield needs a lot of force to get it to lock into place. The lack of suction when the shield is in the down position doesn’t appear to give it an airtight seal, so we can say that this shield is going to be able to keep out moisture, dust, and wind that well.

What is the visibility like with the sun shield in the down position?

The sun visor is fog and scratch-resistant, which keeps it nice and clear for the long haul. One aspect of the visibility that we really appreciate with the LS2 is that you actually have room for googles inside of the visor. Despite the helmet being narrow and long, you have enough room with the shield and sun visor up that you could easily throw on a pair of goggles and take this helmet off road.

Quietness

The volume or level of quietness on this helmet is just okay. The fact that the ventilation is just right down the middle in terms of not having too much or too little, so it does block out a good amount of sound. Since the locking mechanisms on the shield down pull or suck the shield back into the helmet, this is also going to leave some gaps between the helmet and the shield.

With gaps, we know that you are going to be subject to some excess wind and noise creeping through the slits that aren’t totally shut.

Ventilation

The helmet is okay, but you can tell that the ventilation is made cheaply. The venting on top of the helmet is particularly slick, which can make it difficult to grip and adjust while riding. You may find yourself having to fumble and thumb around for the front vent switches to get them open or closed. This is especially true if you are wearing gloves while riding.

The chin vent pops open and closed fairly easily, but doesn’t offer a lot in terms of features or ventilation that make it stand out from other models.

You can expect the same about the rear vent. There is a single vent on the back of the helmet that is nice for increasing the airflow through the interior of the helmet, but there isn’t anything truly exceptional about the way that it sits, opens, or closes. It’s enough to keep you cool, but don’t expect anything mind-blowing about the ventilation on this model.

Safety

There are no real knocks on the level of safety that the LS2 provides. DOT and ECE approved with 3 stars from Sharp. The polycarbonate shell gives the rider plenty of protection without adding a lot of weight to this helmet.

Conclusion

So what are our final thoughts on the LS2? Choosing to buy or to pass on this helmet is going to be a fairly easy decision. If you are a beginner rider with a long oval head shape and are looking for a helmet that won’t break the bank, this might bump the LS2 to close to the top of your list. If you are a beginner but have an intermediate oval or anything rounder than that, we recommend that you take a hard pass on this model.

The dropdown sun sunshield and well-ventilated inner liner are definitely our top highlights from this helmet. Having that dropdown sunshield adds a lot of visible and functional value to the LS2. That takes the pressure off of having to have a thick, fogged-out shield while giving you a nice option for bright riding conditions.

The LS2 can be pretty well summed up by saying that you are getting a lot of features for the low price point, but none of the options are going to wow you. The good news for beginner riders is that you can save some dough, while still getting yourself a versatile helmet that is fun to ride in.

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