Bell Full 10 Spherical Full Face Helmet

It's a big day today, Bell is launching their new top tier downhill helmet. The Bell Full 10 Spherical is Bell's successor to the Full 9. Why is this launch a big deal? Because the Full 9 was launched in March 2013, almost 10 years ago! The Full 9 has had a long life for good reason too. I've had a Full 9 for a few years now, and I adore it. It's the helmet I chose to race Masters World Championships with in 2019. So when I say the Full 10 has big shoes to fill, I mean it, because it only has to be better than my favourite full face helmet to date.

Bell Full 10 Spherical Highlights

• Light carbon shell with progressive layering
• 1,000 gram Certified downhill helmet
• $799 CDN / $650 USD Retail Price

The Full 10 Spherical is loaded with features. Much like the Giro Insurgent I reviewed last year, the Full 10 uses a ball and socket, double helmet, architecture that Bell claims can significantly reduce the transmission of rotational impact energy to the brain. This design is developed with MIPS, but rather than a slippery layer between the helmet pads and the shell, this ball and socket has the helmet pads on an internal helmet structure, around which the outer shell can rotate around. This allows for better cooling ports through the internal structure, the internal structure can be made of different materials to optimize the impact adsorption, and the inner helmet can provide better fit. Bell's goal was to set the bar for full-face downhill helmets. The Full-10 is CPSC certified, ASTM DH and BMX certified, as well as complying with the new NTA e-bike certification. All this protection comes in at a claimed weight of 1,000 grams. The pre-production medium I have (including some parts of the Whistler Bike Park) weighs 1,070 grams. This is 50 grams lighter than my Full 9 in the same size, and is also lighter than the Giro Insurgent, again in the same size.

While safety and protection were the primary focus for the Full 10 development, Bell has also made large advances in the ventilation of the Full 10. The intake vents are well placed and large, but the exhaust vents are enormous and dominate the styling at the back of the helmet. Large channels for air to pass through the helmet connect these front and rear ports.

While the structure and ventilation of the Full 10 are the headliners, all the features of the Full 9 remain, with some notable additions. The magnetic cheek pads, which can be removed and installed in seconds (useful if you need to do a climb with the helmet on), have a honeycomb structure for better ventilation. The titanium D-Ring buckles remain, giving a secure fit. There is now a magnetic feature on the end of the strap that holds the loose end to the D-Ring instead of a snap. The visor is designed to breakaway, but now has a small integrated lip on the helmet that prevents your strap from catching when you pull your goggles off. There is an integrated breakaway camera mount, very similar to the one from the Full 9. Ionic+ Antimicrobial Comfort Padding is used inside to keep the stink at bay. Simply put the Full 10 is packed full of features.

Bell handed me the new Full 10 at Crankworx last year, and said I could ride and race in it. Race in it I did. My first day in the Full 10 was racing the Air DH, and a few days later I raced the Canadian Open. I was immediately comfortable in the Full 10. The fit of the medium helmet on my medium sized head was perfect out of the box. The helmet feels secure, and I didn't notice any jiggling or noise coming from the Spherical MIPS system.

On hot days, the ventilation was exceptional. Once up to speed you can feel the wind in your hair. The sweat management is excellent too, and I didn't have any drips of sweat on my goggles this summer. This is easily the best ventilated, least sweaty, full face helmet I've worn. There are a number of trails I enjoy that are particularly physically and technically demanding and having a well-ventilated and protective full face is amazing in these situations.

While the Full 10 is excellent, it does have one minor quirk. Under severe compressions (like racing A-Line and WAAYYYY overshooting the landings) the outer helmet would rotate down, pushing my goggles on my nose. Some goggles were worse than others, and these would block my nostrils in severe cases. There are two good solutions here; use a bit more goggle tension or have more talent and don't overshoot the jumps.

Having spent a few months in the Full 10, I can say it's a worthy successor to the Full 9. It's light, very well ventilated, comfortable, protective, it looks great and is filled to the brim with nice features. It is also very expensive at $799 CDN / $650 USD. Bell claims this is the most advanced full-face bicycle helmet they've created. That's a bold statement, but taking it a step further, I can't think of a full-face bicycle helmet on the market that is as advanced as the Full 10. It's a phenomenal helmet, and now the full face helmet I reach for first. The price of admission is steep, but I think the Bell Full 10 Spherical is well worth looking at if you're in the market for a top tier downhill helmet.

Bell Helmets