Endura has had helmets in its range for some time now, but with the Endura MT500 the Scottish manufacturer wants to take things up a notch the result is a flagship helmet with more features than ever before.
If we look at the design of the Endura MT500 Helmet it’s clear that Endura isn’t really aiming it at the XC crowd. With an aggressive angular design, oodles of extra coverage and a goggle clip, the MT500 is obviously aimed squarely at the Enduro crowd.
Wanting to make a helmet that will attract customers hunting for protection in the Enduro genre is quite a task. There are already loads of good quality, lightweight, attractive and safe helmets to choose from, so Endura had to sit down with a clean sheet of paper and design a helmet with new technologies and more features than ever before.
Endura MT500 Helmet: Features
The first, most obvious feature of the Endura MT500 Helmet is a honeycomb structure that looks almost like a bunch of drinking straws tightly packed together.
These straws are actually Koroyd engineered tubes that are specifically designed to absorb impacts in a more linear fashion than conventional foam insets. In addition to being a better material for energy absorption, Koroyd tubes are hollow (just like a drinking straw) which makes the structure very lightweight. Another benefit for using tubes is that air can easily move from one end to the other.
In the case of the MT500, the Koroyd tubing is angled so that you’re not constantly getting a blast of air through the tubes, but rather heat that builds up inside the helmet has an easy escape route.
Large vents are also a big feature of the MT500, with the largest vent being the uppermost “air intake” that has Subaru Impreza written all over it.
With venting and safety features covered, we can look at the other nice details that Endura has included such as a goggle strap clip. Being that this is a helmet meant for Enduro types, Endura has made it completely compatible with goggles.
On the rear of the helmet is a clip for keeping your goggle strap in place, and around the sides is a recess for the elastic to sit in and not slide about. When riding uphill you’ll likely want to move your goggles out of the way to stop them steaming up, Endura thought about this too with a visor with 3 set positions.
The uppermost visor position will let you easily sit goggles out of the way, while the middle option is tall enough to let you stow your glasses safely out of the way. Very cool, and clever features.
If you’re a fan of night riding or riding with a GoPro then you’ll be happy to know that the Endura MT500 Helmet has a clip on accessory mount and infant ships with both light and GoPro mounts. The clip is a very snug fit on the helmet but means that if you were to crash the light/GoPro would snap off the helmet rather break through the top of your helmet. This is a very important safety consideration and we’re happy to see a neat solution to it.
And that’s it for the featur…but wait! There’s more!
To keep your lid fresh all the fabric padding in the Endura MT500 is fast wicking and antibacterial, there are super easy to use chin strap adjusters and on the rear is a micro adjustment dial to get the fit nice and snug.
Endura MT500 Helmet: Performance
Getting a nice snug fit with the MT500 is super simple. Just plonk it on, adjust the straps and spin that micro adjust wheel on the back to get it all firmed up.
Whereas some helmets tend to get a little loose after a few weeks of riding and need a readjust, the MT500 does a very good job at keeping tight and well-adjusted, in fact, it’s only recently that I’ve need to give the buckles a quick tug and it’s back to fitting like new again.
The antibacterial, removable pads add a nice bit of cushioning to the helmet and keep that Koroyd honeycomb structure away from your head, and for anyone with long hair, I can testify that the MT500 isn’t a hair trap.
With all those vents you’d think that the MT500 is a very cool helmet, but in my experience, it isn’t noticeably so. In colder months I noted that I would get warm in the helmet, perhaps a little warmer than the Kali Maya, but through summer the helmet seems to stay at that comfortable warm level.
I’ve read other reports and reviews that state the MT500 is very cool and has great airflow, but that hasn’t been the case in my experience. I find that it regulates temperature well, and there is plenty of room for heat to escape, but it’s not a cool helmet as such. Not a complaint, just an observation.
As we’ve had a lot of mud, and due to some trips to the alps, I’ve used goggles a lot with the MT500, and am really loving the strap clip and adjustable visor. These are features that I don’t think I could live without now, and any future helmet is going to be judged on this.
The detachable GoPro/Light mount though could do with some work. Fitting the clip means forcing the plastic more than I would have expected. The fit is so tight that I had to double check that the clip is in fact designed to be fitted and removed (it is).
Eventually, though I did manage to break one side of the clip, which has actually made it easier to engage and remove, and it still holds a camera plenty stable enough.
Overall
If you’re after a high-tech helmet that has a subtle Enduro look and offers a good amount of protection then the MT500 is well worth a look. It is a pricey helmet but remember it is your head, brain, and possibly your life that you’re saving in an event of an accident so that extra £ really is well spent.
Review Info
| Brand: | Endura |
| Product: | MT500 |
| From: | Endura, endurasport.com |
| Price: | £149.99 |
| Tested: | by Andi Sykes for 5 months |
Comments (2)
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Any pictures of the helmet light clip? Ive fancied one of these but thats worrying me now.
As above, I broke the clip off my Smiths Forefront last night as I got taken off my bike by a low hanging branch when fitted with a light. It did what it it was supposed to !