The LS2 Valiant is a helmet that strives to give you premium modular helmet features with a price that won’t break the bank. There are some really nice touches on this helmet that make it stand out from the pack such as
- The adjustable chin guard and twin shield system
- The metal and reflective accents on the exterior of the helmet
- The sturdy and expensive feel and look of the helmet
- A wide, open visor that gives you tons of visibility in your peripherals
This bucket is a neutral shape, which makes it wearable by riders of narrow and round heads alike. Though it lacks the internal ventilation that other models in its class may have, the adjustable chin guard provides plenty of ventilation to keep your face cool while riding. In terms of comfortability, you won’t be left wanting with the cushy, breathable, antimicrobial liner in this model. Let’s jump in and take a look at what the LS2 valiant has to offer.
Ratings
Comfort:
Visibility:
Ventilation:
Quietness:
Specifications
Outer shell material : Kinetic Polymer Alloy polycarbonate
Shell size : only made in two shell sizes XS-XXL
Liner : removable and washable liner padded with laser cut foam
Weight : 1.7Kg
Pinlock : Inc
Strap System : DD/Ratchet/Other
Safety Ratings
DOT : Yes
ECE : Yes
SNELL : No
SHARP : 3 stars
Shape and materials
What is the LS2 Valiant made out of that makes it such an impressive modular helmet?
The outer shell of the helmet is made of a durable kinetic polymer alloy, polycarbonate which gives you an ample amount of protection on the exterior of the helmet without making it too heavy or too light. It uses a twin-shield system that gives you both a drop-down chin guard and an adjustable visor. The twin-shield system makes it incredibly easy to adjust the chin guard to your level of comfort, quickly while you are out riding. Moving the adjustable chin guard and/or the sun visor into place is effortless to slide up and down or back and forth.
The shell comes in sizes extra small to double extra-large, so the LS2 Valiant isn’t limited by the size of the head of the rider. That, along with the neutral fit of this helmet makes it comfortable for riders with a broad range of head shapes as well. The liner is removable, machine-washable, antimicrobial, hypoallergenic, comfortable, and easy to clip in and out of your helmet. The interior liner is made of laser-cut foam to contour comfortably and perfectly to your head and your face.
The weight of the helmet is one of the only real apparent drawbacks of the design. The LS2 Valiant weighs in at about 1.7 KG, but some riders report that it can way significantly more, depending on what size you choose. The helmet is, without a doubt, made of premium materials on the interior and the exterior. We think that one of the costs of having a helmet with a lot of premium materials and a sweet adjustable chin bar are a few of the reasons that make this helmet a bit heavier than some of its other competitors.
Things I liked
Things I don’t like
Overall comfort
The helmet is really comfortable and as we said before, is more of a neutral fit. That makes this helmet versatile for fitting most of the heads that you put it on. We can always a quality, neutral fit helmet that doesn’t preclude narrower or rounded head riders from buying the helmet that they want.
Another aspect of this helmet that we really appreciate is the adjustable chin guard. It makes it really easy to adjust the chin guard up or down while you are riding. For colder days, that chin guard is going to give you more support and better insulation from the weather. Moving the chin guard from front to back is almost effortless, and also provides for really easy adjusting of the sun visor as well. During warmer days when you need a little more ventilation on your ride, you can slide your chin guard back and enjoy the fresh air.
What about the inside of the bucket?
The inside of the helmet is really well padded with wicking, breathable, antimicrobial padding that will keep you fresh underneath the lid. The interior liner is 100% washable so that you can clean and freshen up the interior of your helmet without having to replace the liner or take your existing one to the dry cleaners. We would give high marks to the level of comfortability that this helmet provides.
The only real drawback is that the bucket is heavier than other modular helmets in its class. We suspect that the custom metallic features on the exterior of the helmet and the massive adjustable chin guard add a substantial amount of weight to this helmet.
Visibility
One of the biggest perks to the LS2 Valiant is that it has a wide, open, and clear visor that gives you a level of visibility that other helmets don’t offer. Having that extra range of peripheral vision is nice for enjoying the scenery around you as well as keeping you safe while you are driving through heavy traffic or on dark and windy roads.
Their visors are each given a scratch-resistant treatment so that you don’t have to worry about little nicks or dings hurting the visor or obstructing your visibility. The visor also treated with Fog Fighter’s anti-fog technology to keep your visor from fogging up while you are riding, no matter what the weather.
Quietness
Another one of the few drawbacks that this helmet has is the quietness. If you are shopping for a great looking, high-tech, durable, versatile helmet that fits a wide variety of riders, this might be the choice for you. We just hope that you don’t mind too much noise, as we have found that this helmet is very loud.
Whether that be from the ventilation on this helmet or gaps that may be left for the twin-shield system to be able to function properly, we can’t say that keeping your ride quiet is one of the strengths of the LS2 Valiant.
Ventilation
The bucket has four exhaust vents in the back that give lots of room for built-up hot air to escape the helmet. That, along with the crown vent and chin vent on the helmet keep you cool by providing plenty of airflow through the interior of the helmet. The ventilation system seems to be great for keeping your face cool but is lacking when it comes to keeping your head cool.
With many helmets, the inner liners have built-in air channels that are designed to supplement airflow throughout the entire helmet. They use this as a means to increase cool air circulation, as to keep the rider’s entire head cool. The padding in this helmet is not ventilated or channeled well, and is more solid, which prohibits air from entering and exiting certain areas of the helmet. The lack of ventilation in this helmet can make you feel like you are drowning in hot air, especially on rides during the heat of the summer.
The good news is that opening up the chin vent will give you a lot of airflow over your face, which can make up for the heat buildup within your helmet.
Safety
When it comes to safety, the LS2 Valiant has its riders covered. They pass OT and ECE standards and have a SHARP rating of three out of five stars. The safety rating on this helmet is not bad, but it isn’t the best either. Right in the middle of the road in terms of safety and protection.
Conclusion
So what are our overall thoughts on the LS2 Valiant? This helmet is alright by us. If you are looking for a high-quality modular helmet in the $300-$500 price range, there is a good chance that you will not be disappointed with this helmet. The shape makes it wearable by most riders, though we still recommend that you try it on before you order one for yourself. The downsides that you may notice with this helmet are the interior ventilation ––– which can be made up for somewhat by the adjustable chin guard. The other being how loud the helmet is, so don’t expect that you are going to be getting a lot of sound protection or insulation with it.
Where to buy this helmet :