Tested: Abus HiDrop Full Face Helmet Review

I’ve spent more time in a full face helmet this spring and summer than ever before, and the vast majority of that riding has been done in the new Abus HiDrop helmet. It’s a relatively affordable full face helmet that I’ve found to be quite comfortable. So here’s the rundown on this $200 lid.

Abus HiDrop Helmet In a Nutshell

• Size Tested: Medium
• Weight: 1048 g
• Sizes Available: 55-62 cm heads
• MSRP: $200

Fit

Last time I measured my head, I came back with a 59 cm diameter. That puts me squarely in the large Abus HiDrop, which fits me well. I’m on the top end of medium for most helmet brands, and I hate too-big, loose helmets, but luckily the large HiDrop has a comfortable, secure fit on my head. It feels a little bigger than the medium Smith Mainline I typically wear, but still cradles my head bones quite nicely.

Safety Features

The Abus HiDrop uses an ABS outer shell padded with an EPS and EPP core. Notably absent is any kind of rotational impact technology, Mips, or otherwise. That’s sort of to be expected at this price point, although it does feel like more and more brands are bringing some sort of rotational tech to their more affordable helmets.

The HiDrop does feature a breakaway, one-position visor. I’m typically a fan of adjustable visors, since I tend to have a “low head, high eyes” posture on the bike, that leads to my vision sometimes being blocked by the visor. However, I didn’t have any issues with this visor protruding into my field of view.

More importantly, my big gripe with most breakaway visors is that they often break away when they don’t need to. Yes, it’s important to make the helmet rounder and less likely to get caught in a crash, but I’ve had too many visors pop off in the car or when I’m hiking with the helmet on my back. And occasionally ( looking at you Lazer ) those visors stay broken away and won’t clip back onto the helmet.

Luckily, the HiDrop has none of those issues. It’s only popped off once, when I was digging through a bin full of bike gear, and it snapped back on quickly and easily. If you’re going to do a breakaway visor, this is a great one to emulate.

Performance

Abus says this helmet is “suitable for spectacle” and while I didn’t do any slopestyle tricks in it or ride any Fest jumps, I like that designation. This is a comfortable helmet for high-risk situations. No, it’s not as lightweight and breathable as a dedicated enduro full face, that’s not the point. Instead, it feels reassuringly solid and well-padded on my head. It feels, anecdotally, like it can take a hit, and I really appreciate that when I’m shuttling or riding bike park.

It breathes reasonably well, the D-ring closure is fine to use, even with gloves on, and my goggles (Smith Squad XL) fit nicely in its opening. I really don’t find myself noticing or thinking about this helmet when I’m wearing it, which is why I find myself wearing it so much. It just does helmet things, and lets me do bike rider things.

What kind of rider will get along well with the Abus HiDrop helmet?

Brains are expensive. This helmet isn’t. No, it doesn’t have all the latest buzzword tech, but it’s comfortable, has great coverage, and, in my opinion, at least looks pretty good. That’s a great combo for the gravity rider on a budget.