Trail Tested | Oakley Drt5 MTB Helmet
Share
Trail Tested | Oakley Drt5 MTB Helmet
Price: $200
Oakley is a household name in mountain biking for its extensive offering of technical eyewear, but it will now be known for its all-new Drt5 Mountain Bike Helmet, too. Oakley entered the bicycle helmet market last year with a trio of road helmets, and we hoped that this meant a dirt version would soon follow.
And it did!
Launched a few weeks ago, the Oakley Drt5 helmet is everything that you would expect a new product from Oakley to be, as it’s obvious the designers went to great lengths to distinguish it as something new and different rather than a “me too” product with the O logo slapped on it.
Perhaps the most distinguishable feature of the Drt5 Helmet is what Oakley dubs the Eyewear Landing Zone, which is comprised of a pair of mechanical hooks on the back of the helmet. While storing your glasses on other helmets usually requires wedging the arms into the forehead vents (and usually stabbing your skull in the process) and doesn’t always guarantee a secure fit, the Eyewear Landing Zone is pretty secure and you don’t have to worry about your sunnies coming loose or rattling out of place as you bomb down the mountain. Though it takes a little practice, clipping your glasses into the system can be accomplished with one hand while riding; while removing them and putting them back on your face is a much easier affair. One word of warning: if you rake the top of your helmet with low-hanging branches be sure to do a physical inventory to make sure your glasses haven’t been ripped out of the Eyewear Landing Zone clips. We’ve heard some weight weenies complain about the extra ounces that the system ads to the helmet… A visored helmet is not used for cross country racing, and that’s the only discipline in mountain biking that should be overly concerned with weight. Don’t like the clips? They can be removed for a few ounces of weight savings.
The other distinguishing feature – and our favorite – of the Drt5 Helmet is the Silicone Sweat Guard. To the best of our knowledge, no other helmet has this feature built in, and it is a game changer! Instead of a cushioned pad to absorb sweat in the forehead of the helmet, Oakley has equipped it with a small strip of silicone that has four built-in channels. Paired with the Boa 360 Fit System, the silicone strip is tightened against your forehead and is very efficient at preventing sweat from dripping down onto your glasses and into your eyes. Instead, sweat builds up in the channels and is directed out the sides. It’s an odd sensation at first, feeling the sweat that’s trapped within the channels sloshing left and right as you climb…all you need to do it look up for a second and the sweat empties out the sides and you can feel it dripping down over your ears. We absolutely love the system and can now climb with our sunglasses on, but we’ve heard of others who would still prefer the traditional pad. And it is for that reason that Oakley also offers a traditional forehead pad that can easily be swapped out.
Getting back to the BOA 360 Fit System, the entire helmet is suspended away from your head by the BOA, which gives it a construction hard hat feel in a way. While it is a lot different feeling than traditional helmets, we like it for its superior airflow and easy to dial in fit. When adjusted snugly, the helmet barely moves on your head even in the roughest sections of trail, and the Silicone Sweat Guard works ideally. For added safety, a MIPS Brain Protection System is integrated into the helmet to help protect against rotational impacts. The way the MIPS system is integrated into the Drt5 allows it to move much more freely than in some other helmets we’ve worn, which has to be a good thing.
All in all, the Oakley Drt5 has become our favorite mountain bike helmet due to its comfort, ventilation, protection, and unique features. If you’ve ever encountered troubles with sweat while riding, this helmet deserves serious consideration.
