ActiveCyclingSpecialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: summery lid for bikepackingBuilt on Specialized’s Prevail platform, the S/F Prevail Helmet provides lightweight protection in a well-ventilated packageWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Grayson)T3 VerdictIf you need a lightweight, superbly-ventilated jack of all trades cycling helmet, the S/F Prevail Helmet is your best option. It’s jam-packed with top-tier technology, which helps keep the weight to the minimum without cutting corners in the safety department. Ideal for bikepacking and summer riding.Reasons to buy+Superb ventilation inside the helmet+Lightweight construction+Comfortable to wear all-day+MiPS Air Node system provides head protection without the bulk+Produced without PFCsReasons to avoid-Jack of all trades, master of noneWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveCyclingSpecialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: summery lid for bikepackingBuilt on Specialized’s Prevail platform, the S/F Prevail Helmet provides lightweight protection in a well-ventilated packageWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Grayson)T3 VerdictIf you need a lightweight, superbly-ventilated jack of all trades cycling helmet, the S/F Prevail Helmet is your best option. It’s jam-packed with top-tier technology, which helps keep the weight to the minimum without cutting corners in the safety department. Ideal for bikepacking and summer riding.Reasons to buy+Superb ventilation inside the helmet+Lightweight construction+Comfortable to wear all-day+MiPS Air Node system provides head protection without the bulk+Produced without PFCsReasons to avoid-Jack of all trades, master of noneWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Built on Specialized’s Prevail platform, the S/F Prevail Helmet provides lightweight protection in a well-ventilated package
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matt Grayson)T3 VerdictIf you need a lightweight, superbly-ventilated jack of all trades cycling helmet, the S/F Prevail Helmet is your best option. It’s jam-packed with top-tier technology, which helps keep the weight to the minimum without cutting corners in the safety department. Ideal for bikepacking and summer riding.Reasons to buy+Superb ventilation inside the helmet+Lightweight construction+Comfortable to wear all-day+MiPS Air Node system provides head protection without the bulk+Produced without PFCsReasons to avoid-Jack of all trades, master of none
(Image credit: Matt Grayson)
(Image credit: Matt Grayson)
T3 VerdictIf you need a lightweight, superbly-ventilated jack of all trades cycling helmet, the S/F Prevail Helmet is your best option. It’s jam-packed with top-tier technology, which helps keep the weight to the minimum without cutting corners in the safety department. Ideal for bikepacking and summer riding.Reasons to buy+Superb ventilation inside the helmet+Lightweight construction+Comfortable to wear all-day+MiPS Air Node system provides head protection without the bulk+Produced without PFCsReasons to avoid-Jack of all trades, master of none
T3 VerdictIf you need a lightweight, superbly-ventilated jack of all trades cycling helmet, the S/F Prevail Helmet is your best option. It’s jam-packed with top-tier technology, which helps keep the weight to the minimum without cutting corners in the safety department. Ideal for bikepacking and summer riding.
T3 Verdict
If you need a lightweight, superbly-ventilated jack of all trades cycling helmet, the S/F Prevail Helmet is your best option. It’s jam-packed with top-tier technology, which helps keep the weight to the minimum without cutting corners in the safety department. Ideal for bikepacking and summer riding.
Reasons to buy+Superb ventilation inside the helmet+Lightweight construction+Comfortable to wear all-day+MiPS Air Node system provides head protection without the bulk+Produced without PFCsReasons to avoid-Jack of all trades, master of none
Reasons to buy+Superb ventilation inside the helmet+Lightweight construction+Comfortable to wear all-day+MiPS Air Node system provides head protection without the bulk+Produced without PFCs
Superb ventilation inside the helmet
Lightweight construction
Comfortable to wear all-day
MiPS Air Node system provides head protection without the bulk
Produced without PFCs
Reasons to avoid-Jack of all trades, master of none
Jack of all trades, master of none
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
S/F Prevail Helmet deals
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price information
No price information
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review in a sentence: premium, lightweight cycling helmet for warm-weather cycling, especially well-suited for bikepacking.
Unless you’re a professional cyclist or a cycling journalist, you rarely get to test a helmet for two days straight without interruption. I’m neither, even though I love cycling and curate T3’sbest cycling helmetguide. However, I was lucky enough to be invited for a two-daybikepacking trip in Walesto test Swedish outdoor brand Fjallraven and Californian bike expert Specialized’s latest bikepacking collection, which includes the S/F Prevail Helmet.
Riding in the mid-June heat in the beautiful, rolling Welsh countryside proved to be the perfect playground to test the S/F Prevail Helmet’s ventilation prowess – we were on the saddle for over nine hours on the first day. How did the S/F Prevail Helmet perform, and should you get one yourself? Read the below review to find out more.
[First reviewed Jul 2023]
Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: price and availability
The S/F Prevail Helmet was announced in May 2023 as part of thesecond bikepacking collectionfrom Specialized/Fjallraven. It’s available to buy now directly fromFjallraven UKandFjallraven USfor a recommended retail price of £260/ $300—AU price and availability TBC. The S/F Prevail Helmet is built on Specialized’s Prevail platform; however, it costs slightly less than that (Specialized S-Works Prevail 3 is sold for £275).
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: specification
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: design and build quality
The Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet is all about providing lightweight protection and superb ventilation. It uses the MiPS Air Node security system. This featherlight and slim design does away with the air-blocking foam “bridges” in the centre, creating air channels and allowing plenty of air to circulate under the lid.
The Air Node system might not be hefty, but it provides an ample amount of head protection, thanks to the AirCage technology that works as a suspension bridge and is “designed to distribute localised forces” throughout the helmet should an impact occur. Full disclosure, I didn’t fall off the bike to test this feature.
To ensure optimal fit regardless of head shape, the S/F Prevail Helmet uses what’s called the Occipital Base Adjustment. Using the rotating dial at the rear, you can adjust the plastic frame, pulling the helmet as close to your head as required. An adjustable Tri-Fix web system provides even more comfort, and with the ANGi-ready, ultralight Mindset fit system, you can adjust the helmet’s height as well.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: performance
My worries melted away as soon as I pried the helmet out of the box. Using the little dial at the base of my skull, I could tailor the fit of the S/F Prevail Helmet almost perfectly to the shape of my head. It felt like Specialized used my head as a model to create the shape of the helmet; it really was a perfect fit, and I felt no discomfort even after long hours in the saddle.
Another feature that made it possible for me to feel more comfortable was the airy construction of the helmet. There is very little material blocking the air from entering the helmet, keeping your head cool as you ride. The MiPS Air Node system isn’t the way, either, whilst also providing a sense of security and protection.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
On that note (node?), although I’m pretty sure it’s been tested appropriately, I’m not 100% sure about the safety properties of the MiPS Air Node system. It’s essentially a soft plastic frame plonked on the foam, which you can peel off and remove. (Not saying you should, though.) It’s said to distribute impact force, but I wonder how much it actually helps.
For the price the S/F Prevail Helmet sells, I expect it to be the best of the best. And while the MiPS Air Node might be just that – it’s super lightweight, after all – it doesn’t fill me with confidence that it can provide all-out head protection, should it be required. It might just be my safety-above-all approach, but I almost wish the helmet was slightly heavier and used ‘standard’ MiPS.
That said, I felt pretty safe wearing the S/F Prevail Helmet because of the overall lightness and the spot-on ergonomics. One can say I have mixed feelings about the lid, but it’s more like an underlying uncertainty than a full-on complaint. I had to find something I didn’t like about the S/F Prevail; otherwise, people might think this is an ad, not a review.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: verdict
If you need a lightweight, superbly-ventilated jack of all trades cycling helmet, the S/F Prevail Helmet is your best option. It’s jam-packed with top-tier technology, which helps keep the weight to the minimum without cutting corners in the safety department.
I tested it in perfect weather conditions (blazing sun, hours on the saddle), and I’m delighted with how it performed. Airflow was always optimal under the lid, and the fit was spot on too. My only grief isn’t a real issue, either; I wish the MiPS Air Node systemfelta bit more secure – that’s all. Other than that, the S/F Prevail is a premium helmet I can wholeheartedly recommend for bikepacking and summer rides in general.
Specialized/Fjallraven Prevail Helmet review: also consider
Delicious styling and a general overhaul to the design and componentry have given the Kask Protone Icon a whole new lease of life. The helmet is supremely comfortable to wear, light enough not to be a hindrance, and, if you get up some decent speed, the improved aerodynamic qualities are easy to witness. Read Rob’s fullKask Protone Icon review.
S/F Prevail Helmet: Price Comparison
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price information
No price information
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Build bigger arms in just 30 minutes with this 5-move dumbbell-only workoutIt’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!
It’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!
OMEGA puts the moon on your wrist with its new Speedmaster Moonphase MeteoriteOMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up
OMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up
There’s an amazing money-off deal on Samsung Galaxy S25 alreadyGet £50 / $50 off a new Samsung Galaxy S25 when you register your interest
Get £50 / $50 off a new Samsung Galaxy S25 when you register your interest
