SHRED. Brain Box Noshock Full Face Mountain Bike Helmet [Review]

The Brain Box Noshock from SHRED makes you safely stand out from the crowd. When I decide to go throw myself off a new ledge, proper protection is high on my packing list. I need a helmet that’s comfortably tight to keep it in place in case I end up where I don’t want to be. Also, the protection system has to meet all of the safety standards that were designed by folks far smarter than I am. Lastly, it has to look good, and this point is no less important than the preceding two for me.

The Brain Box Noshock full face helmet covers all of those bases, and you’ll never get it confused with your friends’ lids when you hop out of the shuttle van. Apart from the sharp graphics, this helmet has a clean look and some well-designed features to keep your brain as safe as possible.

Fit

The Brain Box is available in two different sizes — small/medium or large/extra-large — and each shell includes two different pad thicknesses so you can make it fit your unique noggin. You can mount thicker cheek pads and a thinner inner-liner, the reverse of that, or use all of one size. I wore the size L/XL with the thick pads throughout, resulting in the most comfortable full face fit I have found to date. I have a 61.5cm skull circumference, and with the thinner pads in place, this lid should fit someone with a giant dome.

The shell covers all of my jaw and the rear of my skull, without pressing uncomfortably against my forehead like some full-face padding tends to do.

The view is spacious, easily accommodating the largest goggles I could find. The open shell has a massive field of vision, and the chin bar sits far enough from my face that it won’t smash my nose on impact.

There is no question that the Brain Box Noshock helmet will stand out in a crowd. The bright white fern frond along the left side is a nice reminder of all the amazing things our forests hold.

The visor has a wide range of height adjustability to block the sun as much as you like.

Features

Like Shred’s McGazza goggles, the company contributes a portion of sales to various mountain bike related projects through the McGarry Foundation.

Construction: Fiberglass Shell, Integrated SLYTECH™ NOSHOCK honeycomb
Weight: 1236g, size L/XL
Customizable fit system
Adjustable visor
15 vents
Rotational Energy System
XT2 antimicrobial material
Safety standards: EN1078 (Europe bike), CPSC (USA bike), ASTMF1952 (USA DH mountain bike)
Buy: from $250 at Amazon or buy online from Shred
Compare Prices: Brain Box NoShock Full Face Helmet

The lid has 15 vents cut out to keep your head as cool as possible.

The chin strap uses a sturdy ratchet system that is easy to open with gloves on.

On the trail

The base of the helmet is fully wrapped, with no exposed foam to get scuffed up. All of the anti-microbial lining can be removed on long climbs, or when it’s time for a scrub. Mine clearly needs to be washed.

The Brain Box has been a great piece of protection throughout the warming spring months, and I would certainly recommend it to a close friend. It breathes as well as any full face lid, covers all of the same protection standards as its competition, and it fits like a glove — for your head. The overall weight of the helmet is reasonable, particularly for a downhill-certified setup, which is a welcome bonus for us riders with wrecking-balls atop our necks.

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The swappable fit system gives the Brain Box a clear advantage over other helmets because you can truly make it work well for your head and face shape, which is no small feat. Finally, alongside the cozy quarters inside, and creatively clean looks, the ratcheting chin-strap on this helmet is a lovely feature. A lot of downhill-approved helmets use a traditional double-D-ring strap that is a pain to get off in a hurry, and nearly impossible to operate with gloves on. The intuitive ratchet system works identically to that on many riding shoes, and can easily be whipped open as fast as any Fidlock magnetic closure.