Nexx SX.100 helmet review: a lower-priced all-rounder crash helmet

The Nexx SX.100 is a fairly low-priced helmet aimed at the mass market. That means it’s designed to work for as many riders and bikes as possible and isn’t aimed at any group in particular, such as sportsbike riders or tourers.

But, for this low price point, the Portugese-made Nexx has some great features. That includes a drop-down sun visor and wide shield for extra good peripheral vision and safety.

Nexx say they’ve also spent a ton of R&D time and money on making the SX.100 into a helmet that’s aerodynamically slippery, great at noise reduction, and one that vents brilliantly and is breathable.

So, let’s try and pick out what’s real and what’s not, and take you through what the Nexx SX100 offers if you’re on the hunt for a new helmet. We’ll also find out what other owners think of their SX100s – and finally, we’ll suggest some great alternatives that we reckon you should check out too.

• All-rounder helmet
• Thermoplastic shell
• SHARP 3 star safety rated
• Not Snell tested
• DOT & ECE certified
• Drop down sun visor
• Wide shield
  
• Class 1 optically-correct shield
• Micrometric fastener
• Designed to integrate with the Nexx X-Com bluetooth
• Expect to pay $230-$260

Looking to buy a Nexx S.X100?

Please click below to visit the Nexx S.X100 helmets pages at Amazon and one of our recommended stores, Revzilla. And if you buy from either store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Safety

(more about helmet safety)

The thermoplastic-shelled Nexx SX.100 is both DOT and ECE certified. Of course, that’s good because that means it’s undergone a rigorous testing regime before hitting the shelves. It’s also essential for a helmet to be sold legally in the US and EU (respectively).

While it hasn’t been independently Snell tested in the US, it has been safety tested by SHARP in Europe where it scored 3/5 stars. That’s above average of course and exactly what we’d expect from a Nexx – because every one of their helmets tested since 2013 has scored 3 stars!

That’s all relevant if you happen to have an accident in the SX.100, but the best helmets help stop you getting into a scrape in the first place.

To help with that, the SX.100 has a wide shield aperture – that’s great for helping you see what’s coming at you from the side or behind and giving improved all-round vision.

Unfortunately, the SX100 on sale in the US doesn’t come with a Pinlock anti-fog insert in the box, because they are massively helpful in keeping your shield clear when it’s cold and wet.

Its shield is Pinlock-ready though, so if you do suffer with a fogging shield, you can always grab a Pinlock to sort it out. They’re usually about 30 bucks.

Of course, it’s probably best to go for a helmet that scores four or five SHARP stars. But remember, buying a helmet that fits really well is the number one factor in getting a helmet that’ll give you the best impact protection – so it’s not the be-all and end-all.

One of Nexx’s goals with the SX100 was to keep noise to a minimum.

Improved, wind-tunnel tested aero, decent padding with noise-reducing cheek pads, and a thick neck roll are all there to contribute to making a quiet helmet.

Only, it seems like it didn’t (quite) work. The word from owners is that it’s about average for noise-suppression. Meaning you’ll need to ride with ear plugs if you’re going any distance or at a decent speed.

Just like all helmet designers do, Nexx also designed the SX.100 to vent really well. That’s usually two-fold; to keep your head cool in hot weather and to bring in enough ventilation around the shield to keep things clear.

There’s a single, central chin vent with a simple slider to open and close it. That’s designed to bring air around the face and onto the back of the shield.

There’s also a single but quite large forehead vent to allow air into the shell of the main helmet; again opened/closed by a single two-way slider.

That top vent takes air through channels in the polystyrene shock absorbing liner towards the scalp.

That’s a common enough config for most helmets on the market these days.

But what’s not so common – in fact this is the first time we’ve seen it – is that there’s an air pocket between the EPS polystyrene lining and the helmet shell.

Nexx claims this helps with the optimum exchange of fresh air with old, stale air which then exits the helmet out of the rear of the helmet via the exhaust vents under the small spoiler.

I hope Nexx are right about that and it doesn’t just become a moisture trap!

However, according to owners, the ventilation on the SX.100 is somewhere between average and great, with several owners saying you can really feel the ventilation on your scalp – and you can shut it off completely with the slider.

As for the shield. Well, expect the shield to steam up if it’s cold, rainy or humid, because we’ve yet to find a helmet that will stay fog-free under those conditions, no matter how effective the chin vents are.

But if it’s a problem grab a Pinlock anti-fog insert that should slot straight onto the back of your already Pinlock-ready shield, and you’ll have clear vision in all but the most extreme circumstances. Job done.

Nexx has gone to town on the shield system for the SX.100.

It’s got a wide shield, for great peripheral vision. It’s also got an optically-correct Class 1 shield to give distortion-free vision (not that distortion is really a problem without it being class 1!).

And it’s also a quick-release shield (Nexx call this X-Swift), meaning you can pull a coupla lugs back on each side to snap off the shield for quick cleaning or replacement. And of course, it’s got a Pinlock-ready shield though there’s no free Pinlock in the box.

Owners like the wide field of vision offered by that wide shield, unless you live somewhere hot, owners reckon buying a Pinlock’s a must.

So it’s all good with the shield system.

It has of course got a drop down internal sun visor too. To operate it, you’ll see the slider on the left hand side, just behind the shield pivot. It’s a novel config we’ve not really seen before but I’m sure you’ll get used to finding it when you need it.

Opinions we’ve found are nothing but happy with the sun visor – except for one person who found it a bit loose and it kept dropping out; though that seems to have been a one-off.

By all accounts, it drops down nice and low, gives decent shading and 99% UV protection – though if you live in a sunny state, don’t expect it to be as good as a pair of dark sunglasses as they legally can’t be too dark.

The Nexx SX.100 comes with a chin curtain and removable breath guard. The comfort lining is made from X-Mart dry fabrics which are sweat-wicking, anti-allergenic and fully removable and washable.

The helmet is available in sizes XS-XXL but only made in one shell size. That’s pretty common for lower-priced helmets and is usually not ideal for producing a helmet that’s optimally fitted for a range of head sizes.

Having said that, owners’ opinions are that they’ve found their SX100’s to be nice and snug but with plenty of room too. Sounds like a great compromise and most owners seem very happy.

Looks & Graphics

As usual, we’ve put a range of different graphic designs up and down the page. But there’re always new designs coming out so to see the latest models (or different color combos available of these designs) along with the latest deals, please click through to our recommended retailers using the links below.

Best places to buy a Nexx S.X100 crash helmet?

Please click below to visit the Nexx S.X100 helmets pages at Amazon and one of our recommended stores, Revzilla. And if you buy from either store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Nexx SX.100 Video

Pretty comprehensive 6m look around the Nexx SX100 from Revzilla…

Other stuff – fasteners, audio, warranty

The Nexx SX.100 comes with a micrometric fastener. It’s also designed to accommodate Nexx’s version of a Sena bluetooth communicator – that’s called the Nexx X-Com. It’s a pretty well-specced bluetooth that will integrate nicely with the SX100 using the pop-out panel on the left of the helmet.

Being a thermoplastic helmet, it won’t be the lightest helmet but, weighing in at around 3.3lbs (1.5Kg). That’s just about average weight for a full face helmet so it shouldn’t be too heavy either.

Finally, expect the Nexx SX100 to come with a 2 year warranty, but check with your retailer first if it’s important to you as there’s a bit of confusion about the warranty on the SX100 on the Nexx website.

Overall/Summary

For that low price, the Nexx SX.100 offers real value for money. Sure, it drops a point or two for impact protection and it doesn’t quite live up to Nexx’s helmet design goals of producing a really quiet helmet.

But with a wide, optically-correct shield, decent ventilation and sun visor – as well as owner’s rating the helmet highly for comfort, the Nexx SX.100 offers great value for money for anyone looking for a new all-rounder helmet. All in all, well worth a look – though do check out our safety-rated alternatives below before you take the plunge.

[xyz-ihs snippet=”Link-to-guides-page”]

Good Alternatives to the Nexx SX100?

First off, there’s the good ole AGV K3 SV – that’s a SHARP 4 star safety rated helmet that’s around the same price as the Nexx and with a very similar spec (including Pinlock and sun visor). It just wins out on the SX100 due to that extra SHARP safety star.

There’s also the MT Revenge. That doesn’t have a sun visor, but it’s amazing value and it’s a SHARP 5 star safety rated helmet at a price that’s less than the Nexx.

Another helmet that’s about the same price as the Nexx is the excellent HJC IS 17. That’s a SHARP 5 star safety rated helmet too though there’s no Pinlock or sun visor. But with that excellent safety rating, that’s a lot of protection at a very useful price!

[xyz-ihs snippet=”Nexx-cat-link”]

Looking to buy a Nexx S.X100?

Please click below to visit the Nexx S.X100 helmets pages at Amazon and one of our recommended stores, Revzilla. And if you buy from either store, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

[xyz-ihs snippet=”Alternatives—full-face-helmets”]

Star Ratings