Endura has gone big on protection with its Pro SL helmet, making it great for gravel and adventure riding but at what cost? We’ve been riding one for a full year with mixed results
A full Koroyd crown means excellent extra safety and warmth in a lightweight feature-loaded lid. High-speed ventilation is limited though and small sizing needs double checking
Pros
+
Deep Koroyd crown for extra safety
+
Full hardshell protection
+
Neat glasses storage
+
Warm in winter
+
On offer at the moment
Cons
-
Limited ventilation
-
Small sizing
You can trust Cyclingnews
Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
Endura has invested in honeycomb Koroyd to increase protection and the full hard shell makes it cosmetically tough, too. Add acceptable low-speed heat radiation and glasses stowage for changeable conditions and this is a great winter/gravel/adventure lid. Koroyd kills airflow in summer though and we’d advise you check sizing in person.
The outer shell of the Pro SL is relatively simple with 12 big vents and two small tunnel vents on the crown that also provide a home for stowed glasses arms. There’s a second hard-shell segment that covers the whole underside for cosmetic/drop protection. A deep crown of Koroyd honeycomb increases impact protection under the relatively thin conventional architecture and two more Koroyd blocks are inserted into the rear exhaust vents.
The front straps are also anchored into the helmet edge for ease of fitment and less interference with glasses. The rear cradle has three height positions and a full colour-coded soft rubber liner to reduce scalp scratching with a single piece, six finger ‘mitt’ of forehead and crown padding. Weight is still reasonably light at 241g for our size medium/large sample and there are four colour options.
Image 1 of 4
Sizing comes up small so it's worth trying it on before buying(Image credit: Graham Cottingham)
Small side vents double as storage for sunglasses(Image credit: Graham Cottingham)
A single piece of padding covers the brow and across the head(Image credit: Graham Cottingham)
The head cradle has three vertical positions(Image credit: Graham Cottingham)
Performance
The first thing to check (ideally in person) is sizing as we found the small/medium helmet far smaller than normal so ended up in a medium/large which was still snug. The Koroyd also adds noticeable height to the lid, which some riders will struggle with aesthetically. Textured padding and rubberised cradle make it very stable though so it works great on rougher terrain. The fact it’s less likely to slip means the Koroyd protection will be even more effective in an impact so it’s a smart choice for gravel, adventure, cyclo-cross or winter riding where spills are more likely.
These uses also match the venting character better as while the vertical honeycomb cells of Koroyd radiate heat OK at slow speeds or when stopped there’s no direct airflow over the scalp. That makes it noticeably less breezy and hotter at medium to higher speeds compared to conventional helmets.
Image 1 of 2
The Koroyd protection does add extra volume to the helmet(Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
Ventilation isn't its strong point(Image credit: Guy Kesteven)
If you want a warm winter helmet and/or a road-style lid with extra protection and toughness for rougher riding then the Pro SL is a great choice. Even at full price, it’s £50 cheaper than the Smith Trace with comparable features and it’s currently on a super-low-price deal. Limited ventilation means we’d recommend the FS260-Pro helmet for more conventional riding though as it has no Koroyd to get in the way of venting plus it’s 50g lighter and 60g cheaper. Check the sizing either way though.
