Outdoor Master Gem Helmet Review

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When it comes to cycling, it’s not all about investing in faster, lighter, and stronger bikes. There’s an element of investing in your gear for not just comfort but safety reasons too. As the roads get busier, governments are investing heavily into making cycling safer and bringing in rules and regulations for cyclists.

One thing we highly recommend to all our readers is always to wear a helmet.

Not only is it a good idea, but in many countries, it is now becoming law. It can be very challenging when it comes to getting the right helmet. We recently got the chance to test the new Gem from Outdoor Master and can’t wait to tell you about it in this article.

What do we look for in a Bike Helmet?

When it comes to getting a bike helmet, there’s so much more to consider than something like a typical jersey. It has to tick a lot of boxes, and we look for;

• Style
• Fit
• Protection
• Ventilation
• Colors
• Price
• Weight

By looking at all these points and giving the helmet a good test run, we can understand what to expect from this helmet and if it is worth your hard-earned money.

Style

The first thing to mention about the Gem Outdoor Master helmet is how it looks because that is the first thing you’ll see, and so will everyone else while you’re riding. The design is excellent, and it doesn’t look like a budget helmet at all. It’s sleek and aerodynamic, and the design is simple and effective.

One thing you find with some helmets is they are big and sit on your head like a mushroom top, but with the Gem, this wasn’t the case. When being worn, it looked minimal and sat well. I used mine with a cycling cap, and it looked fantastic.

It reminded me of some of the high-end brand helmets we see on the market, such as the Lazer Z1. We love that the helmet also comes with a visor to convert to a mountain bike helmet in a matter of seconds.

Having a helmet that you like the look of makes a huge difference to wanting to wear it. When many people start cycling, they spend very little on a helmet and end up just leaving it at home. It is worth investing a bit into a helmet you like because it will get used, and you might need it.

Fit

Helmets can look fantastic, but if they don’t fit well, you will have issues. The Gem was a surprise when it came to the fit. I have tried a lot of helmets over the years I have been riding, and many haven’t worked for me.

I used a medium size, and it felt like a really good fit when first trying it. The helmet isn’t just a layer for protection. It is layered in a certain way that makes it comfortable.

It’s a snug fit without feeling constricting. You also get a huge range of adjustment, which can really dial it in tighter or looser if required.

After having it on for a couple of hours, it felt like I wasn’t even wearing a helmet, and that’s when you know you have a helmet with a good fit because you forget to take it off at cafe stops. You also have the option of having extra padding too, which can make it feel even better.

Protection

The main purpose of a helmet is to protect your head from impact. A good helmet has to work in a very particular way if it is going to save your life. The Gem has a protection system called MIPS, which the best helmets on the market currently use.

The helmet has an in mold reinforced shell for better protection. It has the ability to absorb better shock and use EPS foam to be strengthened and lightweight. The best thing about the protection of this helmet is by far the MIPS system.

It means the helmet has an extra cage-like layer that can move 10mm – 15mm. So when an impact happens, your head doesn’t take the impact with the helmet.

Ventilation System

The ventilation system is very well designed. It has 25 vents that pull in the air and release it quickly to keep your head cool while riding. With helmets like this, it’s about getting the right amount of ventilation, and I feel Outdoor Master has done this.

Another great feature of this helmet is that many of the vents have netting in them. This is great if you ride without a cap and want to keep bugs out of your hair. I feel they have nailed the air ventilation to aerodynamic ratio of a great helmet.

Colors

A great feature of this helmet is not just the fact it comes in multiple sizes and can be converted from a road to an MTB helmet in seconds, but it comes in a huge amount of different colors.

You don’t just get white and black. You get ten different colors while all have a beautiful matt finish and look so classy.

Price

Helmets hugely differ in price, and very few offer a great fit, protection, and style for a low cost. We believe the Gem is one of the best value for money helmets on the market because it offers so much for such a little cost. Coming in at roughly $60, it’s an incredible value for money product with the specification of a high-end $300 helmet.

Weight

Something very few cyclists look at when it comes to a helmet is the weight. Cheaper helmets typically come with a big weight penalty, and although you might not feel it at first, after hours of riding, it does become noticeable.

A high-end helmet comes in around 200g – 300g, and a cheaper helmet typically would be around 400g – 600g. The Gem comes in at 300g, which is incredibly lightweight for the price.

What didn’t we like?

Although we love a lot about this helmet, it’s important to speak about what we didn’t like. There was only one thing that we did find difficult with this helmet.

With many helmets, it’s very easy to mount your glasses in them through the ventilation holes. When it came to the Gem, it was possible but was difficult to do when I was riding the bike.

Should you buy the Outdoor Master Gem?

I personally thought the Outdoor Gem was a really good helmet and incredible value for money. Not only does it look great, but it also fits great and comes in so many different colors. In my opinion, if you are in the market for a new helmet, the Gem should be at the top of your list.

Final Rating

We like the Outdoor Master Gem helmet and give it a solid 4.8.