Cheap Sun Visor Helmets Review
Shootout between the Lazer Breva R, Caberg V2 407 and Box BZ1
This is the cheap sun visor helmets review, the first in a series of shoot-outs comparing 9 motorcycle helmets in 3 price ranges that feature internal sun visors.
This first shoot-out compares the 3 cheapest motorcycle helmets with a price tag of between £50 to £100.
The helmets being reviewed are the Lazer Breva R, Caberg V2 407 and the Box BZ1.
Video Review
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Helmets supplied by MotoCentral.co.uk Photos by DavidAlcornPhotography.co.uk
Which one should I buy?
Sun Visor System
The Caberg's sun visor system is operated by a lever on the top of the helmet, and can be irritating when you first start using it. Having to reach for the top mounted lever is a lot of effort in comparison to the others. However the system is quite smooth, and once you get used to finding it it isn’t such an issue.
The Lazer’s sun visor lever is mounted in an easy to use place but on the review model the sliding button was ridiculously stiff and requires some leverage in order to shift it in the direction you want.
The Box is the most satisfying and easy to use system. Mounted in the same place as the Lazer, the Box has an easy to use two-way button. It allows you to shift from sun visor to no visor easily.
It is also worth noting that glasses were also tested on the helmets to see if the internal sun visor fitted over the glasses. The Caberg and Lazer were fine for this, however with the Box the thick padding stopped us from wearing glasses with it in the first place.
Comfort and Padding
The Caberg has the thinnest padding out of the 3, and is no problem around town and for short journeys, but for longer trips you may want something more substantial.
Comfort wise, The Lazer has a rigid shell and this combined with the padding made it difficult and painful to put on. The padding has a tendency to squash and twist your ears and when taking it off it literally tries to rip your ears from your head!
The Box was by far the most comfortable. The thick, lavish padding is something you'd expect to see on a more expensive helmet.
Visor
The Caberg visor is pretty good, in terms of quality the external and internal anti-scratch visor tested well and didn't fog up to an extreme extent during testing. The only problem lies in the position of the tab used for opening. As it was placed in the centre of the visor, smudges and finger marks gathered quickly in the field of view when riding.
The visor release system is more fiddly to use than the others and involves unscrewing the sides. A quick release mechanism would be better.
The visors for the Lazer and the Box were easy to use and of a good quality, with the side-mounted tabs they didn't raise as many problems as the Caberg. The Lazer did seem to fog up more than the Box.
The Lazer visor removal system is similar to the Caberg in that it has a screw based system. Although these seem like a great idea, if the removable screw bits are lost or broken it renders the visor system completely useless.
The Box has an easy to use system where a tab is pushed in and the visor can be pulled out without having to remove any other parts that are easily lost.
Wind Noise
By now you will be surprised to know that the Lazer performed the best in our wind noise testing, providing very little noise and next to no whistling.
The Caberg also performed well, but with the front vents permanently open it can get quite noisy at high speeds.
The luxurious padding of the Box did little to stop the noise and continuous whistle which over time became increasingly annoying.
The lower wind protector appears to do little in stopping air rushing into the helmet which on the wintry days we were testing wasn’t ideal. Wearing a neck buff does help to solve this problem and in summer this ‘feature’ would be very useful.
Ventilation
The Box is the most ventilation friendly helmet, with a whopping 5 adjustable front vents, with another 2 front facing and 2 rear facing non-adjustable vents on the back.
If you’re a regular commuter through town centres and need lots of air-flow in the summer then the Box would be the helmet of choice.
The Caberg only has 1 adjustable vent and 2 non-adjustable front vents, and 2 vents on the back.
The Lazer has 2 adjustable and 2 non adjustable front vents, along with 2 non adjustable rear facing side vents and no rear vents.
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