Kali Protectives Aatma Helmet - Dirt Rider Magazine

Most helmets are full-featured these days. Even the low-end units have removable padding, venting and cool graphics and colors. Helmets have a tough outer shell and a softer, crushable inner shell. In simplest terms, the inner shell is most of the head protection, and the outer shell resists penetration and protects the inner shell. So your buying decision usually boils down to style, fit and comfort. Kali Protectives' $299 Aatma helmet is a fully featured fiberglass-shelled lid with a removable liner and an additional set of cheek pads. But it does have additional features, the most unique one is called Composite Fusion by Kali. Basically the shell and liner are molded at the same time, and the liner and the shell cure together rather than being molded separately and assembled. The end result is an extremely light helmet at just over 2.6 pounds.My XL test unit was a half-pound lighter than an HJC I have, and I considered the HJC a very light helmet. I find that the head fit is good and sizing is a touch generous but mostly accurate. Venting is good, and my large over-the-glasses goggles fit the eyeport. But mostly I love how light it is. The tops of my ears touch the EPS inner liner, but it doesn't get annoying.A few other helmets are a bit more suited to my head shape, but the Aatma's weight makes me forgive the minor differences I've noticed. I've found I don't even bother to take it off when we stop on the trail. -Karel Kramer