Three full-face helmets for different types of riding

Full-face helmets aren’t just for downhill racing and bike parks anymore. Enduro racers, or anyone riding long-travel trail bikes, are often pushing hard enough to justify adding extra weight for to get more protection. Electric mountain bikes are also increasingly seeing riders pull on a full-face, either lightweight or convertible, too. Since the bike’s doing a good portion of the work, why not?

Here are three full-face helmets and how they compare. One is designed for downhill, one as a lightweight enduro full-face and one a convertible trail/enduro design.

RELATED: What helmet do you need for mountain biking?

The DH helmet: Bell Full-10 Spherical

Bell waited nearly a decade to release the follow-up to its successful Full-9 helmet. The wait paid off. Borrowing from its Full-10 Moto helmet, the Full-10 uses innovative ventilation and safety features, including MIPS Spherical to create a premium-level full-face helmet. Designed for the rigors and speeds of downhill, the Full-10 delivers safety at a competitive weight right on the verge of breaking 1,000 grams (size medium, claimed. 1,023g size large, actual). It also comes with a premium price, even compared to other DH helmets, but with the performance, construction and comfort to back that up. Five sizes of pads, from 30mm-50mm widths, help dial in fit.

The Full-10 isn’t the lightest on this list, but it does feel the most solid, both in construction and fit. With a carbon fibre shell and robust chin bar, it is at home on any downhill course. Bell also steps up the quality of construction, including the magnetic cheek pads. While not as breezy around the chin, it is competitive with both lighter helmets for ventilation through the main shell. The panoramic goggle port fits a wide range of goggles easily, including larger frames.

Bell offers the Full-10 for $800 (USD 600) in four sizes and four colour options.

Full review: Bell Full-10 Spherical

The Enduro helmet: Smith Mainline

The Mainline is Smith’s first full-face mountain bike helmet, designed with input from the Rocky Mountain Race Face enduro team. It’s downhill certified but designed for enduro with very open venting, especially on the chin bar, to maximize ventilation and breathability. Smith employs Koroyd and a Mips liner to deliver safety at a light weight. Three sets of pads help dial in fit. With the Mainline needing to perform uphill as well as down, Smith gets the weight down to 770g (size medium, claimed. Our large…