It's been never-ending, my quest for a helmet that fits so well it’s not begging to be removed by the end of a long ride. But now, after several weeks with the NEXX Voyager X.D1, I may have found it... the ultimate adventure helmet.

I was surprised by the light weight of the latest dual-sport/adventure helmet offering from NEXX. It’s barely 53 oz., beating every other helmet I own. And its vibrant color scheme makes it stand out, extremely visible. A new safety feature we’re seeing more often these days makes removal of the helmet from a downed rider easier. Just pull on two red tabs and the inner cheek pads disengage, allowing medical technicians to safely remove the helmet without added stress to the head or neck. As a bonus, this feature also makes it easier to clean the interior.

I originally took the Voyager X.D1 for six days of nonstop riding, 2,000 miles, two rain storms, three days off road, plenty of interstate traffic, and summer heat. I was astounded by how well it felt and breathed. It’s been a big issue for me to find a dual-sport helmet that didn’t squeeze my cheeks and was prescription glasses-friendly. This one features an internal drop-down sun visor with an 80% tint, which can be used with or without the outer visor, still leaving enough room for prescription glasses. The outer visor can also be removed for off-roading with goggles and the beak is detachable, too.

I spent another week off-roading at a motorcycle training facility wearing the helmet all day during classes, and then on a tour of the northeast—pretty much nonstop for 5,000+ miles. The Voyager X.D1 performed flawlessly, never feeling heavy or unbearable. Through the rain storms it kept me dry. And, there was plenty of ventilation, keeping my head cool on hot days. The only real issues were slight vibration and wind noise from the beak when cruising at highway speeds. And, using the Bluetooth system the wind noise was too loud for phone calls above 30 mph. 

The NEXX Voyager has become my preferred helmet. I give it five stars as one of the best helmets I’ve owned. Barring a crash test I’m extremely happy with the way it’s held up and performed. I don’t think you can get a better helmet for the price. MSRP: $499 NEXX-Helmets.com

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