Touted as an enduro-spec full-face helmet, the Fox ProFrame RS offers unparalleled airflow and serious comfort in a package that can easily be considered one of the best full-face MTB helmets. But while it packs everything expected of a helmet of this type, there are a couple of relatively minor issues that hold it back from scoring top marks.
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Fox Proframe RS full-face helmet - Technical details
Offered alongside the original ProFrame, the ProFrame RS basically turns the features knob to 11, and is the very first helmet on the market to benefit from Mips Integra Split.
Mips says that Integra Split is the next step in the Integra story and it splits the helmet’s energy-absorbing EPS layer and the low-friction EPP layer with another moving layer. The benefit of this is that it allows for greater ventilation abilities, seamless integration and a much better fit.
Moving on from the ProFrame RS’s rotational impact-reducing qualities, it’s packed with a host of cool tech with the aim of making it the ideal helmet for enduro racers and all-mountain riders. Those come in the form of an externally adjustable Boa fit system paired with a four-step cradle for vertical adjustment and two thicknesses of cheek pads included. Closing up the lid is a magnetic Fidlock buckle.
Twenty-five rather sizey vents are employed to promote airflow, and inside there’s an Ionic+ anti-microbial liner to keep the hat smelling right. Speaking of the interior, it’s been designed to decrease contact with the head to improve cooling. On top of that, the ProFrame RS’s visor is three-position adjustable, and a neat GoPro mount is thrown in the box, and stuck underneath the visor thanks to a slither of 3M adhesive.
As for the all-important weight, the size M pictured here tipped the scales at 846g, although it’s claimed to weigh 820g. So it doesn’t quite stack up to the Endura MT500 Full Face’s 640g or the IXS Trigger FF’s 600g, but neither is quite as feature-rich.
Fox Proframe RS full-face helmet - Performance
Every enduro focussed full-face helmet has two goals; to offer good protection, and to be comfortable enough to wear day-long. The Fox ProFrame RS knocks both of those points right out of the park.
The addition of an external Boa adjuster is a surprisingly powerful tool that saves all kinds of rummaging after sliding the helmet on. It’s well within reach and makes cinching up the fit an absolute breeze. Combining that function with the ease of a Fidlock buckle results in a full-face helmet that’s incredibly easy to put on, and take off. Such effortless removal is a huge plus when it comes to uplift days.
But, when taking the helmet off, one of its few niggles arises. Unless you loosen the Boa first, a cheek pad or two can follow as you pull the helmet off. It’s clear that Fox has acknowledged this foible as the cheek pads have been built with loops through which the chin straps thread through. These stop the cheek pads from escaping completely, which is definitely a useful touch given this handicap. Once a cheek pad has popped out, it’s just a case of pushing the poppers back together. But this helmet is one that’s meant to be kept on, so it shouldn’t become a regular issue and if it did become a problem, it’s quick to rectify.
Because Fox has opted for Boa as its fit system, it uses lace-like threads to secure the fit and this is another great move. Because these parts are just bits of fabric, they conform to the head’s contours, helping to apply even pressure around its circumference.
Though, as an enduro-style full-face lid, and according to many enduro race rules, the ProFrame RS is designed to stay on. And that’s very easily done thanks to its comfort but also its real capacity to engulf airflow. The vents are very effective as they direct an impressive volume of air around the head and out the back. In fact, I’ve worn this helmet on some of the hottest days of the year and never felt compelled to take it off due to excessive heat build-up.
I would say, although airflow is great during riding when hike-a-biking the ProFrame RS isn’t quite as proficient when it comes to cooling.
Many full-face helmets can become claustrophobic by restricting airflow and affecting breathing but that’s far from the case with this lid. Its chin bar barely exists with the number of large vents built into it. All of these work to make the chin bar as encouraging of airflow as possible. The big hole at the very front is more than big enough to fit the end of a hydration straw, so when you’re out riding there’s absolutely no need to take the helmet off or pull it at a weird angle just to catch a sip.
As expected, this lid pairs very well with the best mountain bike goggles, too. Goggles fit well on the face but what’s cool is that the three-position visor can be shifted up enough to make space for any unused eyewear.
Then adding to the ProFrame RS’s all-day usefulness is its weight. While it’s not among the lightest full-face helmets on the market, its weight has neither caused any neck fatigue nor felt uncomfortable.
Fox Proframe RS full-face helmet - Verdict
Without beating around the bush, at £310, the Fox Proframe RS is a premium helmet. But its performance means that it more than lives up to its comparatively lofty price tag, especially if you’re looking for full-face protection with open-shell comfort. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other helmets around that bring similar attributes.
Troy Lee Designs’ Stage is one of them. It’s one of the early adopters of the lightweight enduro-style and it reviewed very well in our tests. It gets 25 vents and a very similar feature list to the ProFrame RS’s but it’s a little cheaper at £300.
A previous favourite of mine is Smith Optic’s Mainline. This one combines Koroyd and Mips and comes with softer and cushier padding. It is a little weightier though and it’s not quite as welcoming of airflow. It feels a little burlier though, with its D-ring closure.
As far as full-face helmets for enduro go, the Fox ProFrame RS does a smashing job. It’s light, mega breezy, and comfortable to wear on day-long epics. You will have to pay for the performance and there are a couple of minor niggles but if you want a helmet that blends full-face protection with open-face comfort, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better.