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Bern Berkeley Helmet
August 10, 2009
Bern claims that at 12oz, their low profile Berkeley helmet is the lightest available that is made specifically for women. Feeling just a little light-headed, I set out to test it out!
The low profile styling of the Berkeley certainly adds a touch of fashion to the helmet, and the style factor is greatly enhanced by the removable ball-cap brim. The brim is not only cool looking, it is functional. It’s not something I missed when I didn’t have it, but it is such a convenient way to keep the sun out of my eyes and off my face that now I don’t think I’d want to ever go back to brimless.
The Bern Berkeley is an all season helmet and the summer brim can be replaced with a winter knit upgrade (not included) or with a basic pad (included). I found that changing out the brim to the regular padding changed the sizing of the helmet. This is something to be aware of, but it is not a huge deal because in addition to coming in an array of sizes from extra small to large, the Berkeley is adjustable using Bern’s “zipmold” system. This allows adjustments using a squeeze together zipper type thing at the back of the head. It took me a little getting used to to figure out that I was making changes, but the system works. It is pretty cool to find a bucket style helmet that is adjustable, especially if the fit of your helmet on any given day can depend on the way you do your hair.
The Berkeley has top and back vents to keep you cool. It meets EN 1078, CPSC, and ASTM F 240 standard specifications. The foam is fused to the shell, which I find particularly encouraging, having had to throw away helmets before for the simple reason that the foam had come unglued. I imagine this will stay together more effectively over the long run.
As for being light-headed, in the end I didn’t really notice the weight difference between this and any other bucket style helmet; what I did notice was that it felt good and looked great!
Price: $69.00 USD
Details: Bern Women’s Berkeley Helmet in black gloss “bomber.”
Pros: Very nice looking; cool and shady brim; adjustable to fit well.
Cons: Adjusting mechanism takes a little getting used to; changing the inner pad / brim changes the size of the helmet.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Bern
Reviewed by: Emily