A full-face composite fiber touring crash helmet: Nexx X.T1 review

Portugese manufacturer Nexx (or Nexxpro as they’re officially known) has been focusing on developing composite helmets since their formation in 2001.

With the Nexx X.T1, they’ve produced a composite fiber touring helmet that’s designed to be light and offer a full range of features that touring riders look for – including sun visor, lots of ventilation, Nexx X-Com intercom integration and a wide, Pinlock-equipped shield.

So, here we take you through all the features of the X.T1 and find out what owners and riders think of their helmet.

• Composite shell (Carbon version available)
• Designed for touring
  
• Not yet Snell or SHARP safety tested
• ECE 22.05 and DOT certified
• Comes with a Pinlock anti-fog
• Drop down sun visor
• 3.1 – 3.2lbs (1.4 – 1.45Kg)
• 3 different shell sizes
• Sizes XS-XXXL
• Expect to pay around $280-$320 (composite)
• $300-$450 (carbon versions)

Safety

You’d be forgiven for thinking that helmets made of composite fiber that include materials like carbon, aramid (kevlar) and fiberglass will always make for incredibly safe helmets. But that’s not always the case.

In our study of the safest helmets, we found that you get good and bad performing helmets whatever the material used for the shell. And while the safety level of composite-shelled helmets are second only to carbon fiber helmets in broad terms, that doesn’t necessarily mean each composite helmet will be a real performer.

So far, Snell hasn’t certified any Nexx helmets and SHARP has tested only 3 – including two composite helmets and one carbon. And so far, every one has scored 3 stars out of a possible 5. That’s OK but far from the best (and don’t forget that getting a helmet that fits just right is the number one consideration to get the best protection from your helmet).

The XT1 hasn’t been SHARP tested yet but previous scores obviously point to it scoring around three stars too – though we can’t be certain until it’s been tested.

Of course, like all helmets for sale in mandatory helmet states, it’s been DOT certified and it’s also been ECE 22-05 tested/approved in Europe/Oz which means it should offer at least a decent, base-level of protection.

However, until it’s been Snell or SHARP tested, we won’t know for sure just how good it is.

Helmet Noise

Word is that the Nexx XT1 is a bit noisy – on two levels.

First off, a few owners reckon it’s generally quite a noisy helmet when riding. It seems that because there’s a good amount of ventilation getting into the X.T1 (see below) it’s making for a helmet that doesn’t suppress noise very well – that’s despite Nexx saying the X.T1 comes with noise-suppressing cheek pads. Of course, ride with ear plugs in and you should be fine.

Secondly, a few owners said it seems like the sun visor slider catches the air and makes either a whistle or vibration noise which can get really annoying. It doesn’t happen for everyone but when it does, it’s the sort of noise that can drive you crazy.

If you do decide to go for an X.T1, then make sure you buy from a retailer that’ll swap it without any fuss (like our recommended retailers) so if you get one that whistles, you can try another without any hassle.

Ventilation

Ventilation is via a dual top vent and a single chin vent (both open/closeable) and there’s four rear exhaust vents to help the flow and remove warm air out the back.

Owners seem to reckon both vents are easy to use in gloves and overall rate the XT1 highly for ventilation. A couple of people said the chin vents are more effective than the top vents, but mostly folks rate it highly for ventilation. That doesn’t mean it’s not going to stop the shield fogging up when things get cold or humid of course, but overall there’s no problems here.

Shield

The shield on the XT1 seems to be a bit hit and miss.

On the ‘hit’ side, it comes with a clear main shield which, Nexx claims, has a larger than normal opening size – what Nexx calls a Panoramic Eye Port. It has a quick-change shield too that’s Pinlock-ready and comes with a Pinlock anti-fog in the box. That’s a good thing, especially for those of us who live somewhere cold (or humid!).

The issue is that none of it works quite as well as Nexx intended. It’s OK, but there’s a few problems.

First off, the shield is spring-loaded, designed to pull the shield tight to the gasket around the shield to keep it nice and watertight. That part works well but unfortunately, it seems there’s a bit too much tension as the ratchet for the shield is a bit stiff and requires quite a tug (which makes it a bit of a pain in the ass to use according to a few owners).

When closed, everything fits nice and tightly keeping water and air out. However, there’s also an auto-locking mechanism on the shield to keep it closed and locked. That’s not a problem as quite a few helmets do this – it’s just that the unlock mechanism on the X.T1 is far too fiddly for some riders.

The opening tab on the shield is at the bottom-center of the shield, but so is the shield lock release button which is immediately below the shield tab and pretty small. A few owners have complained that it’s really hard to locate even without gloves and can be nearly impossible in gloves – it’s just too small and too close to the shield tab. Seems like it’s a bit of a design flaw?

Other than that, the shield’s nice and wide and has Nexx’s own take on a quick-release mechanism (called X-Swift). It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it but it does work once you do.

Sun Visor

Behind the main shield is a drop down sun visor. These can be really useful to have and I’d recommend getting a helmet with a sun visor – though unusually, the lever for dropping the sun visor is to the top left of the crown of the helmet (most are either central or below the left hand shield pivot).

What’s good about the X.T1’s sun visor is that it’s a bit darker than most and it covers more area than most – covering about 95%+ of the view. That’s very good. If you get complaints about sun visors it’s that they’re either too light or not big enough. Seems like Nexx has sorted both these problems, so top marks here.

Comfort and sizing

Inside the Nexx X.T1 you’ll find a good quality removable and washable lining that’s made from anti-allergenic materials with Coolmax panels (that’s a fabric designed to wick away moisture and so keep your head cool). Nexx also say there are anti-noise cheek pads inside – but given owners reckon it’s a noisy helmet, we’ll ignore that bit!

The shape of the helmet will suit folks with longer rather than rounder heads – it’s not an extreme shape by any means but riders with very round heads should probably look elsewhere.

A useful feature that comes with the XT1 is a pouch of sticky pads that you can use to pad out the helmet a bit if you find it loose fitting. Having said that, a few owners reckon they come as a pretty tight fit – moreso than most other helmets – so you probably won’t need to use them. They do seem to break in quickly though, so if you buy one and it’s tight, don’t panic.

Finally, the X.T1 comes with an emergency cheek pad removal system (or EQRS) – pull the red bands at the bottom of the helmet and the cheek pads pull out helping get your helmet off more easily if you have an accident. Looks like Nexx have really thought-through the internals on the XT1 and covered lots of bases.

Looks and Graphics

The XT1 is a bit of a looker – and that’s the reason lots of owners fell in love with it in the first place and had to buy one. In fact, even though there’s a few niggles with it, most folks are prepared to overlook them because they love the look.

That’s helped by a great range of graphics and you can find most of the designs available at the time of writing up and down the page – but for the latest range of graphics and any deals, please check out the links to our recommended retailers – click the links below and you’ll be taken straight to their Nexx helmets pages.

Nexx X.T1 videos

Here’s a couple of videos – first a 9m video from a guy at competition accessories, and secondly a 3m video of a guy looking round his unboxed white XT1.

Other stuff – weight, shell sizes, aero, fastener, breath guards, bluetooth, warranty

One of the best features of the Nexx X.T1 is its weight. The composite fiberglass, carbon and kevlar version weighs around 3.2lbs (1.45Kgs) in weight – that’s a smidge lighter than most full face lids and slightly lighter than most composites. The full carbon version is around 8Oz (500g) lighter still – to the point lots of carbon XT1 owners commented on how super light it feels.

It’s made in 3 shell sizes – which is a good thing, especially at this medium price point (used to be that only the very top-of-the-range helmets would be made in 3 different shell sizes). Here’s more information on why it’s a good thing. Suffice to say, more shell sizes equals a better looking and better fitting helmet and arguably a safer one too. Each shell size covers these fitment sizes: XS-S, M-L, XL-XXXL.

All that detailing and moulding on the helmet shell seems to work well too. Several owners commented on how stable the XT1 is – with very little buffeting even when turning your head and little turbulence.

The helmet’s secured with a micrometric chin strap and there’s the usual removable breath guard and chin curtain included. It’s also compatible with the Nexx/Sena X-com bluetooth system, with a built-in slot on the side of the helmet to take it.

And finally, all Nexx helmets come with a 2 year warranty.

Overall/Summary

Looking over the Nexx X.T1 it seems like a good deal of design thought has been lavished on it – and it offers a high spec of helmet at a very attractive price.

It’s reasonably light weight (especially the full carbon version which falls into our lightest helmets category), cool looking and comes with a host of features lots of touring riders are looking for (sun visor, bluetooth, great aero, good interior, wide shield).

All that is spoilt for some owners because of a few niggles. There’s that fiddly shield lock and stiff shield movement – and it’s a bit noisy with a few owners complaining of an intermittent whistling. You might be lucky and none of this troubles you – in which case you’ll get a great looking helmet with stacks of features. Or they might annoy the hell out of you and make you want to trash it.

If you do decide to go for one, just make sure you buy from a supplier who’ll swap it over without any messing.

Alternatives to the Nexx X.T1

There’s lots of options for around the same price as the Nexx X.T1. Take a look at AGVs K5, it’s a carbon/fiberglass composite sports-touring helmet with a drop down sun visor and that’s been tested and rated by SHARP at 4 stars (Eu version).

You might also want to think about the Shark Skwal. OK it’s polycarbonate (but that’s not really a bad thing) but it scores 4 stars for safety by SHARP, has a Pinlock included in the box, and a drop down sun visor, and of course it’s got those novel/cool built-in LED lights too (oooh!).

Finally, there’s the Scorpion Exo 500 Air. That’s well rated overall, SHARP 4 star safety rated, wind-tunnel developed, sun visor, Pinlock Max Vision in the box – and has Scorpion’s air pump system to get the fitting just right.

All these helmets get good overall ratings and would make a great (and safety tested) alternative to the Nexx X.T1.

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