Review: Thousand Heritage Helmet
The Thousand Helmets Heritage Collection is a bright and beautiful range of bike and skating certified helmets. I was lucky enough to choose the colour I got to test, so I went for the Daybreak Red, which was “inspired by the 2019 Pantone Colour of the Year, ‘Living Coral’”. It’s not a vibrant red, more of a muted matte colour, but shows up great against the contrast of a consistently grey and miserable Yorkshire.
At first glance, it seems like it’s more at home in the skate park than for riding a bike, but some subtle integrations make it a seriously good contender for urban riding. For one, Thousand has taken an initiative against theft and made it easy for you to lock your helmet to your bike through with a PopLock channel to the rear of the helmet. Pop out the logo for somewhere to put your chain or U-Lock through when you leave your bike. Personally, I only leave my helmet unattended at short coffee stops where my bike is within sight at all times, but for those who don’t want to lug a helmet around while leaving their bike outside at work, for instance, I can fully appreciate the appeal.
There are seven ventilation channels in total, however as I have been testing this throughout the autumn and winter months, it’s difficult to say if it provides enough cooling. I can, however, tell you that these vents do not act as rain funnels, which is good to know during autumn, winter, spring… well, all year round really.
I’ve been wearing it to test out various e-bikes, including the Zooz Urban Ultralight 250, but it’s certified for CPSC and ASTM standards for cycling, skateboarding, and roller skating.
Comfort is key with this helmet, but not at the price of ethics. The vegan leather straps do well to imitate the real thing and provide enough material to fit well around smaller heads. As someone with a small head (by bicycle helmet manufacturer standards) with a circumference of 53cm, I found I had a lot of leftover strapping which would need to be trimmed down if I wanted to wear it regularly.
The size small is measured to fit 54-57cm heads, so although it was a bit loose even on the tightest setting, it’s nothing a thin hat or headband won’t fix. The adjustment dial is easy to use, even with gloves, and the magnetic buckle can be opened or closed with just one hand.
When riding it’s not a helmet that digs in or starts to give you a headache after a little while. Instead, it’s quite lightweight, (410g for the small) and you start to forget that it’s there, which is exactly what you want from a well-fitting helmet. Although it’s too big for me to wear without a hat, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to those with slightly bigger skulls.
This styled back helmet is ideal for urban riders or those riding over shorter distances and commutes. The collection consists of a wide range of colours and themes so there’s something for everyone, with the general shape and aesthetic harking back to the 1960s mod style bike helmets.
The company offers a free accident replacement, so if you damage your helmet in a crash you can claim a new one from Thousand, and as of 2020, they are a Climate Positive Business.
Overall, it’s a solid helmet, and at £89 comes with a lot of features for the price. It’s stylish, deceptively well-ventilated, and suits bike riding well.
MSRP: £89
Size tested: Small (54-57cm)
Where to buy it? Ride & Glide (who kindly sent me the helmet for review).
