Overade Plixi Folding Helmet

The Overade Plixi Folding Helmet is a well-designed, practical option, useful for short rides or city bikes, but because of its primary function it lacks some features you may expect on a 'normal' helmet.

The Plixi was originally unveiled in 2010. The idea of the helmet is simple: Overade wanted to create a truly foldable helmet, for use on shorter commutes and when hiring city bikes, and which could be placed in a bag without taking up too much space.

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So the folding aspect is naturally the best place to start, and I have to say it is impressive. It is all held stiff through one clip that sits above the crown of your head, which sits on a sliding section, and this clips to the rear plate. From here the sides are each hinged and push inwards, bringing the back with them, then the top of the helmet folds downwards to create a compact package.

It sounds more complicated than it is. It's actually very simple and takes only a couple of seconds to go from full head protection to storable. Folded, the helmet is 21 x 11 x 16cm, so just a little larger than a typical lunchbox and unlikely to take up too much space in most bags. The hinges used are robust, made from metal, and seem hardwearing.

Fit on the helmet is done exclusively through the pads; the Plixi comes with three different thicknesses to fit a wide variety of head sizes. The strap is also adjustable to help keep everything in place. Most of us who are used to riding with regular helmets will probably find this system a little unsettling, because there is considerably less grip around the head than a traditional harness system, so it takes some getting used to. There is also more movement than most other helmets: regardless of which pads I was using, it would sometimes slip back or forwards. The 'Fit' version of the helmet, now available, may well sort out some of these issues.

The Plixi isn't a helmet designed for climbing mountains or long weekend rides, so ventilation isn't a key issue, but despite that it is actually fairly good. The 14 vents aren't exactly channelled, and it certainly doesn't offer the same level as a fully vented road helmet, but compared with some other 'urban' lids I've tried, it's fairly good.

As far as safety is concerned, it complies with European Safety Standards, so despite the folding nature it's been rated as providing adequate protection in a crash. The quality also seems good, with an ABS shell and polystyrene underneath to stop the worst from happening. I didn't come off while wearing the helmet so I didn't test it for this...

As this isn't designed to be a lightweight performance helmet, weight isn't too much of a consideration. It comes in at 443g on the road.cc Scales of Truth, but that's acceptable, and I'm not going to mark it down for that.

At a penny under 60 quid, it strikes me as okay value for the innovative design, and it really does fold down well. We tested the Carrera Foldable helmet a few years ago, which is currently another £5 at RRP and doesn't fold down as small (though the ventilation is probably superior).

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All in, the Plixi does what it's designed to pretty well. It folds down small enough to easily fit in a bag, provides a certified level of protection and has decent ventilation. However, because it lacks the adjustability in fit you get with traditional harness helmets, it can move around a little and takes some getting used to. The Fit version could be the one to go for if this concerns you, but it doesn't seem to be readily available in the UK.

Verdict

An innovative and well-designed helmet that folds down well for short/urban rides