Catlike Sakana helmet

What first jumps out at you about the Catlike Sakana is its striking looks - a fellow cyclist likened it to a hedgehog. Although I was initially unsure over its aesthetic appeal, I will concede that its looks have grown on me.

Key to this aesthetic are the giant frontal vents, and the equally massive side vents. These form part of a design which Catlike term 'Dual Flow', which apparently keeps 'airflow constant inside the helmet'. In common with many manufacturers at the moment, Catlike have looked at the helmet as a whole and have designed a clear path for the air to flow from front to back. In practice, the result is an extremely well ventilated lid - you can literally sense the air being sucked out from behind your head. When getting up to speed, I could feel my hair ruffling, something I haven't experienced with any other helmet.

As well as excellent ventilation, Catlike are keen to tout the Sakana's enhanced safety. The 'Air Tube System', a technology patented by Catlike, involves a series of small hollow tubes which connect the side fins together. These fins both strengthen the structure allowing other parts to be made lighter, and act as energy dissipaters in case of a crash, much like the crumple zones on a car. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), I wasn't able to test this feature but it's nice to know that some thought has gone into improving safety. It should go without saying that the Sakana meets CE EN1078, the European safety standard. Rear coverage is also surprisingly good for such a race oriented lid, further backing up its safety credentials.

This feeling of safety is reinforced by the brilliant retention system. Whilst some other helmets make you feel as if they are perched on your head, the Sakana's vertically adjustable system really helps to cradle the back of your head - a feeling I really enjoyed. The system also has a wide range of horizontal adjustability which, in conjunction with the two cradle mounting points and 4 model size range, should ensure that all head shapes and sizes are catered for. The only downside with the system is that it takes two hands to operate which could make things a bit trickier when adjusting on the go.

A neat feature of the Sakana, and indeed, most of the Catlike range, is the small chin pad included on the straps. This adds a touch of comfort but also encloses the unsightly strap ends which can flap about in the wind. Whilst a small detail, to me, this demonstrates the effort that has gone into designing the helmet.

If I have a gripe with the Sakana, it's the lack of mesh on the frontal vents. As the temperatures begin to rise, insects are taking to the air and the Sakana seems to be a veritable magnet for the little critters. Having to stop mid ride to try and extricate an angry bee from your helmet is a sure fire way to put a dampner on things.

Coming in at a claimed 290 grams for the Medium size tested, the Sakana isn't breaking any records for light weight, but the ventilation and safety more than make up for this in my opinion. The market is saturated with helmets at this price point and the Sakana more than holds its own when compared to similar offerings from the major players such as Giro and Bell.

Verdict

A top quality helmet with superb ventilation and enhanced safety features, all rolled into a striking looking package - it's just a shame about the lack of mesh on the frontal vents.