Kali Trinity Carbon Full Face Helmet

As regular readers know, in 2024 I’ve been on a journey to rediscover my downhill roots. And it’s been f*cking great. Adding to all the faff, setup, group chats, and other difficult things about riding the greatest bikes on Earth, best practices dictate some additional gear over your standard riding kit. So when Kali launched the new Trinity and Trinity Carbon full face helmets around the same time my Mondraker Summum shipped, I was interested in finding out more.

There’s a lot of study that goes into protecting your head, and helmet design. How much of that science you believe, or more probably more accurately which science, brand, or independent laboratory testing you believe in, is up to you, and I don’t plan to dive down that rabbit hole. But, if you’re curious about Kali's particular concepts and ideas, Andrew sat down with Brad - the man behind the brand - a few years back. There’s also a pretty thorough breakdown of the current technology they employ to keep your neurons safe on the Kali website; it’s worth perusing if you’re in the market for a helmet, whether or not it’s a Kali.

While Kali offers an array of full face lids the Trinity Carbon is their premium downhill offering - lifting some specs directly from Kali, it comes with an adjustable visor, antibacterial pads, and uses a Carbon shell, Conehead Nano Fusion and an ERT Low Density Layer.

• Conehead Nano Fusion
• ERT Low Density Layer
• Adjustable, Moto-Style Visor
• Kali Kool draft Moisture Wicking Sublimated Padset
• Two Sets Pads for Your Perfect Fit
• FidLock Magnetic Buckle
• 20 Vents (17 Helmets, 3 Visor)
• Helmet Sock + Premium Helmet Bag
• Sizes: XS (53-54CM) / S (55-56CM) / M (57-58CM) / L (59-60CM) / XL (61-62CM) / XXL (63-64CM)
• Weight: 918g / 32.38oz
• CERTIFICATION: CPSC, EN 1078, ASTM F1952

The one piece of tech I will note - and because I haven’t crashed in this lid, it’s the only piece of Kali-specific tech I actually used - is Kali’s Composite Fusion process, which they claim enables them to create thinner helmet shells, and thereby lighter weight helmets. My first impressions out of the box were “Holy moly, this thing weighs nothing.” And I’m a believer in lighter weight helmets; given the same level of impact protection, having less mass swinging around in an impact is likely a good thing. It’s also a major factor in how enjoyable the Invader Carbon is to wear, as you’re holding and swinging less mass around on your neck cruising down the hill, too.

Fit and Finish

After that initial impression, I took a closer look. While Kali offers several more extravagant options, I’m a fan of the simple black and clear-coated carbon fiber. I got down to business. Initial fit was reasonable, but installing a slightly thicker set of cheek pads (included) tightened things up a touch, and was ready to go ride.

Riding

To ride in a helmet, you need to put it on, and take it off. I’m not that opposed, to Fidlock I just never cared but in a full coverage full face lid like this, going from double-d rings to FidLock was a bit of an eye opener. A full face helmet comes on and off a lot more than a half-lid, especially in the heat of shuttle or chairlift laps. Being able to do this quickly, one handed, with gloves on, is absolutely a feature I’ll be demanding on any future downhill lid. I remain agnostic on FidLock for half-lids.

I’ve ridden this helmet in everything from absurd downpours to 35C sun to Psychosis. And yes, it’ll keep your dome dry in the downpour, but more importantly all the strategically placed venting is quite effective and for a full-coverage helmet and while it’s not cool inside, it’s significantly better than my previous Fox Rampage Pro Carbon. Acoustics are also good, relatively speaking. There’s no squeaks on the inside (I’m looking at you, Smith Mainline), and you can mostly hear outside noises. Breathability is good as well, for a full face. There’s a gaping hole in the chinbar for your inlet and exhaust strokes. I had no issues with mud or muck ingress, but it’d also be a simple affair to stick some motofoam in here during the dank months if it suits you.

For better or worse, I haven’t crashed in the Trinity Carbon. I heeded Kali's request, “please leave the testing to us,” so while I can’t comment specifically on how effective or strong it is, I’m going to attempt to keep it that way. However, should you crash in any Kali helmet, and you’re the first owner, they offer a Lifetime Crash Replacement. Fill out the paperwork, send them your helmet, and they’ll send you a new one. There’s two important aspects to this; not only is it amazing customer support, but they dissect the one you wrote off and use this data to make future helmets better. It’s not infinite, though. Kali is a business, after all. If you manage to write off the second helmet, there’s no freebie, but there is a healthy discount on a freshie.

Conclusion

I’m sold on this helmet. I find the MSRP of 685 CAD a touch eyewatering, but if you’re willing to carry an additional <100 grams, you can get a fiberglass Trinity for a more reasonable 479 CAD. While not as flashy as the carbon version, it’s still lighter than the 750 CAD Troy Lee D4 Carbon. And if you’re going to be shelling out for expensive bicycle-related products, they should probably be safety related before anything else. A helmet that’s comfortable to wear means you’re more likely to wear it. Breathability is good enough that I’m willing to take the Trinity Carbon on some shuttle rides where previously I may have been in my Mainline, or even a half-lid, and that’s a win for safety.