The new A-Line KinetiCore is Lazer’s premium helmet designed for what they call, elite downhill, freeride and enduro riders. The ASTM-certified full-face helmet combines a carbon shell, dual-density impact protection and a collection of features that people who actually ride will appreciate.
After spending time using it, my first impression is pretty simple: I like this helmet.
First impressions
My test helmet arrived wrapped in an impressive helmet bag in the Carbon Black colourway. It also comes in Carbon Black Gold and Carbon Black Red. But it’s hard to go wrong with a murdered-out black full-face helmet right? The forged carbon finish looks rad and gives the helmet a high-end appearance without looking too flashy. I haven’t seen the other colorways in real life, but the images on their site make them look nice and subtle; still mostly black with a couple flashes of colour.
My helmet is a medium and comes in at 840 grams. It feels noticeably light when you pick it up. Not featherweight, but light enough that it disappears quickly once you’re riding. There aren’t a ton of ventilation holes, but there are enough that once you start rolling you’ll feel some air movement
At first, the fit was a little snug around my ears. Even after changing to the thinner, supplied cheek pads. Every time I removed the helmet it folded one of my ears over, which was both painful and annoying. But as expected, that issue disappeared quickly. By my second ride the cheek pads and interior foam had packed in just enough that the fit became significantly more comfortable. That said, it also sat snugly on my head; there was no wiggling or jiggling in any direction, which to my mind, is exactly what you want in a helmet. I’ve found the helmet extremely comfortable, with excellent visibility in every direction.
Features that actually matter
It’s always worth checking the features that manufacturers claim are important. And with helmets, sometimes it’s difficult to tell which features those are. For me, I found the integrated goggle channel works well and keeps goggles securely in place without creating pressure points. It’s one of those details you don’t really think about until a helmet gets it wrong.
Lazer also includes an extra visor in the box. That might sound minor, but anyone who rides enough knows that visors get broken. And if you have to ride for four weeks (a la Nikolai Rogatkin) while you wait for the $45 replacement visor to come in, you’ll be pretty annoyed. Although I will say, I wish it came with extra visor bolts; I literally just dropped one under my deck and it’s gone forever.
The included helmet bag was another pleasant surprise. I’ve never really been a helmet-bag guy. Usually they end up on a shelf somewhere and every few years I throw out a handful of helmet bags I’ve never used. This one might actually get used. It features good ventilation and a couple of useful storage pockets for spare parts and extras. And I suppose it’ll stop my helmet from getting scratched. Which I should probably care about more.
The GoPro mount is almost perfect
The integrated camera mount built directly into the visor is a cool feature. It feels a little flimsy, but so far so good. There are two different directions to run it to vary camera angles and you can also run a camera horizontally or vertically without significantly affecting your field of vision.
My only complaint is that the mount doesn’t include an embedded nut. Every GoPro and DJI camera mount I own already has one built in. With the A-Line, you’ll need to supply your own. That means another tiny piece of hardware that can potentially disappear under the deck forever. Thankfully I live a few minutes from Hindle’s Hardware (shout out Hindle’s!).
The one thing I’d change
If there’s one feature I’d change it’s the closure system.The A-Line uses traditional D-rings. Which was pretty surprising considering my old Lazer Cage, which is a much lower price point, had a magnetic clip. Yes I guess D-rings are the gold standard for this kind of helmet, but man, I love a magnetic buckle.
Trying to thread D-rings while wearing gloves always feels fiddly. It’s a small complaint and certainly not a deal breaker, but it’s probably the feature I notice most every time I put the helmet on.
Protection first
Obviously the most important part of any helmet is protection. That’s also the hardest thing to review.
Thankfully I haven’t crash-tested the A-Line yet. Lazer’s literature says the helmet passes the ASTM DH certification. Using a new DualCore construction the helmet has two different EPS densities. A softer layer sits closer to the rider’s head to help manage rotational impacts while a denser outer layer handles larger direct impacts.
The helmet also includes emergency-release cheek pads. The real-world effectiveness of those systems is something nobody wants to evaluate personally. But on paper, the protection package is what you’d hope to get from a premium gravity helmet.
Final thoughts
At $699.99 CAD, the A-Line is not a cheap helmet. And it’s up against some seriously premium brands. Whether you’re helmet-buying decisions are based on brand loyalty, price, look, or construction type, the A-Line is worth considering.
The fit is comfortable, the weight is low, the visibility is excellent and several of the included features feel genuinely useful rather than marketing hype.
No helmet review is complete until somebody crashes in it, and thankfully that part of the testing remains unfinished.