# Review: Bern Macon Hardhat



## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

For people who just cant get a nice fit with an EPS foam helmet these things rock. They technically do not meet some kind of minimum safety rating for snowboarding, but they are still plenty safe for most riders anyway. They did make the rating for water sports.
The Helmet itself has some give to it. You can squish it between your hands and see it flex, this is why they fit so well. They can adapt to your head instead of you hoping the helmet is cut right for you.
They can withstand multiple impacts, which is nice considering you are supposed to replace your helmet after just one impact. 

I just am so stoked I found one that fits and keeps the wind off the helmet line. I found other helmets always had a gap on my temples in between the goggles and in front of my ears. These ones have a winter knit liner which is more or less a toque with the top cut off. I say a toque because it hangs a little bit below the brim of the helmet and covers a large part around the ears and back of neck. I found other helmets ear pads felt small, and make wind gaps. 

Bern also has a great selection of different liners for winter and summer with audio and a sweet bluetooth audio liner. So yeah he helmet can just have the winter liner taken out and be used in the summer. You don't need a liner for summer with the hardhats but Bern makes visors and other stuff.

This model has venting and a ghetto vent plug for the top holes that is basically an oval shaped piece of foam with a plug glued in the middle that sticks into the middle hole on top. I mean it works fine just kind of funny. The two front vents let in a good amount of air for venting. Might be too much for cold days but it should be easy enough to rig up a DIY plug. Then again there is the hunter liner which is like those Russian hats with the ear flaps and the flap that goes up in the front. Well that front flap thing plugs up those front vents so I guess that's their cold weather solution.

I'd say the best feature is the fit. You forget you are wearing a helmet most of the time. To me they look less dorky than most helmets.

The only con I have is the length of the chinstrap. I got it maxed out and it barely fits me. Gonna suck when I use a neck warmer. Hopefully it packs out a little and gives me a little length, or I can find some extender piece.


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