BBB Icarus helmet review

The BBB Icarus helmet has been around since 2012, but after a couple of seasons in the Pro Continental ranks adorning the heads of Synergy-Baku and Wanty-Groupe Gobert, will be making the step up to the World Tour courtesy of the Dutch manufacturer’s partnership with FDJ.

Unfortunately for our testers riding this helmet through the coldest weeks of the British winter, the BBB Icarus comes with excellent ventilation. 29 air vents, six more than the identically-priced Giro Fathom, mean good airflow over your head, with large rear vents allowing hot air to escape. With the temperature recently struggling to haul itself above freezing, this hasn’t been something we’ve particularly enjoyed, but come summer the benefits will definitely be felt.

The BBB Icarus is also comfortable to wear, with a slim fit and plenty of foam padding covering the inner shell of the helmet. The padding is also anti-bacterial and can be removed for washing. Comfort is aided by BBB’s dial-closure system which comes with a large dial that is easy to adjust on the fly even with bulky gloves. Our only complaint was that we would have liked to see a little more adjustment on offer, as things were a little tight when wearing a winter cap underneath.

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The only other problem we had with the BBB Icarus was with the little clips used to attach the chin straps just below the ear on each side. These little pieces of plastic looked fragile as soon as we lifted the helmet out of the box, so it was no surprise that one snapped off after just a couple of rides. Admittedly the helmet was still comfy and fitted well, but it was still an annoyance.

In terms of weight, the Icarus hit the CW scales at 260g, comparing favourably with more expensive lids such as the Smith Overtake. Still, it’s not exactly super-light, but not bad considering the fairly reasonable price tag, and the decent fit means you shouldn’t be too inconvenienced by the extra few grams.

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