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OFF SNOW REVIEW:
FIRST LOOK:
The first thing you may notice about the Giro Fuse is the number of vents. There
are so many that it almost looks like one of Giro’s bike helmets. Nobody
will mistake it for a bike helmet though; it is a great looking ski helmet.
COMFORT: 4.5
As the shape of the Fuse is pretty round, it does not fit my more oval head perfectly.
The padding feels nice, and the earflaps are nice and soft. I have no doubt that
if my head were more round, it would fit very well.
FIT: 4.5
If you have a round head, you’ll love how the Fuse fits. The helmet conforms
very well to your head for a very aerodynamic fit. The padding on the chinstrap
seems a little thick, making it a bit stiff, but other than that the fit is great.
STYLE: 5
This is not your father’s ski helmet. The Styling of the Fuse is certainly
more modern than almost any other helmet. The styling however, is not too outrageous
for more conservative types, especially with the rather mild color patterns.
FEATURES: 5
The venting system is awesome! The switch on top of the helmet allows you to leave
the 6 adjustable vents wide open, partially open, or sealed tight, all with a
flick of your thumb. There are also 6 more vents with removable plugs giving this
helmet perhaps the widest variance in temperature control on the market. The chinstrap
is easy to operate, and the goggle retention device works just fine.
CONCERNS:
The very minor concern of the rigidity of the chinstrap is almost not even worth
mentioning. I think that with a few uses, it would loosen up and become softer.
COLOR:
The color patterns are pretty basic with one exception. The orange color is more
of a copper metallic orange. The colors do fit the style of the helmet quite well
though.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: 4.5
I think that
Giro has hit a homerun with the Fuse. I would give this helmet a 5 if my head
were more round, and I could wear it the way Giro intended. The vent system is
the best I’ve seen yet, and the styling is right up my alley.
First Look:
Probably one of the coolest looking helmets on the market in my opinion. You
can definitely see that Giro has crossed over some of their bicycle helmet expertise
into this new helmet. Sixteen total vents? Wow! It has got to be one of the
coolest, if not the coolest (that cool as in temperature this time) helmets
on the snow. Why is cool cool, you ask? Think about how hot you can get
on the slopes. Yeah, but what if it's cold on the slopes that day, you ask?
Well, just slide the vent closed. How cool is that?
Fit: I was
very amazed the first time I tired this one on. All of Giro ski helmets that
I have tried (which is just about all of them), fit oval/roval heads best, but
this one has bucked that trend. If you have a round head and have always wanted
Giro helmet, but thought the oval fit was too narrow, this helmet is for you.
This doesn't mean that us roval heads are out of luck on this one. It fit me
just fine, but there was some room around the ears, even with the chin strap
tightened all the way down. It would be interesting to see how much air might
get caught in the sides when heading down the slopes. It has a chance of causing
some annoying noise. But for you round heads, you'll be good to go...
Final Thought:
The Giro Fuse is one sweet helmet. I love the 'on-the-fly' opening and closing
of the vents. I especially love that fact that the entire inner lining is removable
for washing purposes. I'm not too excited about the round fit, but not all helmets
fit everyone perfectly. That's just the way it goes I guess. It would be interesting
to do an on-snow test to see the amount of air that might get caught in the
extra space around the ears. If I had a round head, this helmet would be one
of my top choices.
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ON
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NOT PERFORMED
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WHAT
Giro SAYS... |
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The Fuse is lit
by a single inspiration: to mix industry-leading technology with a fresh, compact
style that matches the insane lines and jaw-dropping moves of riders like Tanner
Hall and Jeremy Jones. It's the first helmet to combine on-the-fly adjustable
thermostat ventilation with In-mold technology, creating a high-performance
design that's 28% lighter than old-school helmets. The 16 Super
Cool vents are two-stage adjustable, and the removable, injection-molded
Removable
Ear Flaps lock directly into the helmet's liner, blending almost seamlessly
with the shell. A wide-angle cut offers great peripheral vision and our deep
Goggle Notch grips goggles tight.
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