MET Helmets Eldar 2019
Reviews / Helmets
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At a Glance
Kids mountain bike kit is getting better and better, and once mountain bikers produce offspring the first thing they look for (once they've adjusted to sleep deprivation) is what bike can they get for their child. With small mountain bikes getting very capable, it only seems appropriate that safety kit should be equally as capable. For Met, this is about making top quality mountain bike helmets for little people. The result is the Eldar, a great looking enduro inspired lid for those aspiring to mountain bike greatness, or simply need a decent helmet.
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Designed for young riders who are 'fearless and skilled', is how Met describes this, but I can guarantee it also works on children who are low on skill and mostly scared too. Met also suggest it's for those aspiring to the Enduro World Series, but it also works just great riding to the park.
Features are simple and effective, with fourteen vents, adjustable chin strap and rotating dial style closure at the rear. The construction is the classic polycarbonate shell with EPS line and has good coverage around the head. Available in a variety of colours and styles, it comes in at 280g and fits heads from 52-57cm. The visor is fixed but removable and there is a reflective sticker on the back.
On The Trail
This is the first time I've put test kit on my kids, and it proves to be an interesting and illuminating process attempting to work with a four-year-old. First up, the look and style of the helmet are great, and it's nice for them to wear a helmet that looks like mum and dad's rather than a Disneyfied cartoon hat. The options for colours mean it's easy to get them to choose something they like and then, in theory, be more likely to want to wear it.
Safety is obviously taken at face value from Met, and although crashes are frequent, we didn't think we should drop things onto his head for the purposes of testing. What is good is the fit, and once the back is dialled in and tightened, the helmet really stays put regardless of how much they try to chew the straps.
The padding inside is minimal, but there has also been minimal moaning about the comfort of the Eldar. The chin strap buckle could be improved by making it easier to use with small hands as it requires quite a lot of force to release. This does, however, mean they are trapped with it on, which has its benefits.
Although I've been using it on a four-year-old, the helmet expands really well and works just as well on more grown-up kids and I'm happy that this will do my son for a long while to come. Despite numerous drops and tumbles, the helmet still looks good and continues to function perfectly.
Overall
A proper helmet for the smaller people in your life. Everything you'd expect from your own helmet, but ready to inspire the next generation to ride hard and look after their head. At £45 it represents a reasonable cost for a good lid and it's hard not to justify something as good as this for your kid's head.
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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.
