Leatt DBX 3.0 Enduro V19.1 Helmet 2019
Reviews / Helmets
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At A Glance
The Leatt DBX 3.0 Enduro Helmet is aimed, as you may have guessed, squarely at the enduro market, featuring a removable chin guard that even when attached, makes for a very lightweight helmet offering a good amount of protection.
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Key Features
As you would imagine, this helmet complies to all standards (certified and tested: AS/NZS 2063:2008, EN1078, CPSC 1203). The lightweight design (weighing from 375 grams without the chin guard, and from 750 grams with the chin guard installed) makes it ideal for use on longer rides where you wouldn’t want to be slogging around in a full-face lid and the 23 vents do a good job of keeping you cool.
One key thing to note is Leatt’s inclusion of their 360˚ Turbine Technology in this helmet which Leatt claim “reduces up to 30% of head impact at concussion levels and reduces up to 40% of rotational acceleration to the head and brain’. This in effect is along a similar line to MIPS in that it is designed to move in the event of an impact and helps dissipate some of the energy and reduce the impact on your head. Leatt best describes their 360˚ Turbine tech:
“The helmet is lined with turbines which are 360 ̊ moving discs constructed from an energy-absorbing shape and material. This tech has two exclusive advantages, namely the reduction of rotational acceleration to the head and brain, and the absorption of energy upon impact at concussion level.”
On The Trail
Everyone’s heads are different shapes and sizes, so it goes without saying to make sure that you try before you buy, yet I found the helmet to fit perfectly immediately. It was incredibly comfortable – snug but not too tight and certainly no pressure points. When used in the standard half-shell configuration, there was more than adequate venting on longer rides and combined with how comfortable it felt, there were times I genuinely forgot I was wearing it – very impressive.
During my time using this helmet I found I mostly wore it without the chin guard in place, however, this would be down mostly to the type of trails that I was riding as opposed to any flaws with the helmet itself. The times I did wear the helmet with the chin guard in place (which is a simple case of slotting two clips of the chin guard into the main helmet, then fastening into place with a buckle on either side) I felt like the helmet offered that extra protection, but not to the same extent of a dedicated full-face helmet such as Leatt’s DBX 4.0 and 5.0. Breathability still remained excellent and as such, I never found the need to remove the chin guard on extended climbs to reach the top of the next descent.
When using the helmet with goggles, the fit was good, but it would be nice to see some dedicated goggle mounting points given the market that this helmet is aimed at.
One of the first times when fixing the chin guard in place, I did manage to snap one of the buckles that secure it. Leatt were quick to supply a replacement buckle, that is an improved version identified by having a Leatt triangle imprinted on it. Since I installed the updated buckle I've not had any issues, and it feels solid and hard-wearing.
Overall
In conclusion, I found the Leatt DBX 3.0 Enduro helmet to be exceptionally comfortable, well-vented and incredibly versatile. Looks are subjective and I do feel that the peak could be a bit wider, and the chin guard could be a little bit longer, but that is being very picky – I could not fault the actual performance. If you’re in the market for a replacement helmet and want most of the extra protection that a full-face affords without sacrificing on the breathability front, then I would highly recommend the DBX 3.0 Enduro lid.
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This review was in Issue 59 of IMB.
For more information visit LeattRelated
By Ewen Turner
Ewen Turner is a self-confessed bike geek from Kendal in the Lake District of England. He runs a coaching and guiding business up there and has a plethora of knowledge about bikes with an analytical approach to testing. His passion for bicycles is infectious, and he’s a ripper on the trails who prefers to fit his working life around his time on the bike.
