State All-Road Helmet is Great for Riding Off Road Too [Review]

Photo: Leah Barber

Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept of all-road riding, but trails are not roads. Fortunately the State All-Road helmet doesn’t really care either way, and could just as easily be called an all-bike helmet. I’ve been testing this half shell on mountain and gravel bikes this fall, and I’ve found it works well and looks good with just a few nits to pick.

State All-Road Helmet specs

The State All-Road helmet is offered in three sizes to fit a fairly wide range of head sizes. My head measures 58mm which is at the upper end of the range for a size medium (tested), though I found I needed to really crank the retention system down to get a solid fit. In other words, the helmet runs large in my experience, so if you’re in between sizes, I suggest opting for the smaller one. In general that’s also good advice when buying any helmet.

Twenty two vents offer plenty of air flow and keep the weight low — 298.2g for my size medium helmet. The three-position visor is removable for riders who identify as more road than off-road.

Fidlock buckle ✅

Minimal padding and no liner

Skimming through Singletracks helmet reviews over the years, it’s clear there are two features our product testers look for in a helmet: a Fidlock chin strap buckle, and MIPS (or another rotational impact protection system). The State All-Road helmet checks the Fidlock box, though unfortunately there’s no MIPS. At this price I would have expected the helmet to include some form of rotational impact protection.

Like most helmets, the fit and retention system can be adjusted using a ratcheting dial at the back, and inside the helmet has a few patches of fairly thin and basic padding.

The State All-Road helmet is offered in three matte colors, including tan which I tested.

State All-Road, on trail

For such a simple helmet, the State All-Road is surprisingly comfortable and quickly became a favorite. It helps that I received complements from friends early on. I can’t say I’ve ever considered wearing a tan-colored helmet before, but it works. The low-profile shape and fit are likely the real reason folks dig this lid.

The chin strap is made from a soft, almost silky material that feels great. However one downside I found is that the slippery strap easily loosens over time. I didn’t realize that had happened until taking photos after a few rides and found the chin strap was way too loose. Perhaps a bit more crusty sweat dried into the strap will add some friction so I don’t have to constantly check to make sure it’s still safe and snug. There is a rubber band to manage the excess strap length that in theory should keep the strap at the proper length, but in practice I found it does not.

While we’re on the chin strap, I’ll also note there is a piece of felt attached to one end of the buckle that’s meant to sit between the wearer’s chin and the buckle. It’s a nice thought — you know, adding soft comfort and all — but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this on another helmet, nor have I ever wanted it. If a buckle feels uncomfortable against the chin, IMO it’s too tight. Remember, two fingers between your chin strap and the underside of your chin, folks! Removing the piece of felt was an easy fix, and it’s much easier to unbuckle the Fidlock using one hand and no eyes without the fabric getting in the way.

The fit adjustment dial is exactly the size of a dime, and I found it was especially tricky to find and operate while wearing winter gloves. Reaching back I thought I had my hands on the wrong part of the helmet because surely the dial wasn’t that small!

The top of the helmet is flatish and is OK for mounting a light. The vents are offset from one another up top which may not work for some mount setups.

Bottom line: It sounds like I have a lot of gripes about the State All-Road helmet but the truth is, I really like it overall. The State All-Road helmet feels good and looks good too, outweighing any minor quibbles I have.