Smith Forefront II

Pro’s

  • Super comfortable due to the 270 vapour fit

  • MIPs Protection

  • Sunglasses Storage

  • 20 vents for airflow

  • Adjustable visor

At A Glance

Con’s

  • Heat soak when stopped / slowriding

  • Chin strap works itself loose

The Smith Forefront II RRP is $349.95 and comes in 17 different colours.

Smith’s Forefront II is a lightweight trail dedicated helmet it is one comfortable helmet! Having recently been released here in Australia I managed to snap one up pretty early on. Since then it has been the helmet of choice for many trail rides and shuttle days over the last 7 months. The forefront II weighs in around 375grams which is pretty midfield for light weight trail helmets but quite light and comfortable when its on the head, this could come down to the 20 ventilation vents on the helmet. Three of which are fully open to maximize airflow and the rest expose the Koroyd protection system underneath which doesn't feel like it restricts the airflow. One vent even circles the helmet which is aesthetically pleasing but is also functional as it doubles as a sunglasses storage area, on the front tucked in under the visor or on the rear of the helmet looking backwards. Speaking of the visor it has three adjustment points that creates more or less airflow through the helmet.
As you can already see this helmet is feature packed so lets get in to it a little bit more.
Featuring MIPS and Koroyd protection systems it makes this helmet remarkably safe. Most people are familiar with MIPS but for those that are new to this it is a Multi-direction Impact Protection System, meaning the helmet reduces rotational impact forces from all angles which in turn reduces trauma and risk of concussion. I highly recommend this as a MINIMUM protection level for everyone. Koroyd is similar in theory but on a different level in reality.
As pictured the Koroyd appears to look like a honeycomb material. This is designed to crumple evenly on impact to absorb the maximum force and minimise the energy transferred to your head. Having both of these protection systems in the Forefront 2 greatly reduces the risk of brain injury and concussions. Having seen photos of some badly crumpled helmets with this technology in them it truly is a wonder that the riders were able to walk away from the accident. When people ask me me if expensive helmets with these “gimmicky” protection systems are worth it I always reply, “You only have one brain up to you if you want to protect it or not.” That’s generally greeted with a small chuckle and a “yeah you are right” and they tend to always take the more expensive “gimmicky” helmet.
The fit of the Forefront 2 comes in three different sizes. Small (51-55cm) Medium (55-59cm) and Large (59-62cm) these sizes are all supported by the 270º adjustment system, which allows you to really lock the helmet into position and stop it from wobbling around when you get into the janky fast paced sections of trail. For me this is normally a pretty uncomfortable part of most helmets as I’m bald it generally digs in and pinches the skin on my noggin but this is not the case here even with the minimum amount of padding on the inside of the helmet.  Smith did include the Ionic+® antimicrobial lining offering sweat-activated odour control, which I must say after 7 months on my sweaty bald dome its doing a great job as there is still no pongy BO stank in the helmet! The helmet sits very nicely around the top and has a deep section on the back of the helmet allowing more protection to the rear of the head. The only drawback/negative I have found on the helmet so far is the strap adjustment tends to work itself loose after a ride or two and I end up with the strap becoming quite loose and bouncing around under my chin more than I would like. 
As mentioned before the visor has three different positions and it clicks smoothly between those spots with out rattling around and easy to adjust while riding. Being able to move the visor will allow or restrict airflow while moving which makes a noticeable impact on the heat soak of this helmet, when stopped or only riding at a slow speed up a steep section of trail the air flow is at a minimum causing the helmet to trap the heat in a fair bit.
Overall the helmet is super comfortable and doesn’t feel like it gets heavy on the head on longer rides. The ventilation is good for fast paced riding but if you do a lot of slow steep techy climbs it may get a bit hot for you. The MIPS and Koroyd systems are a great addition to the helmet and its a nice piece of mind knowing there are both of these safety system in the helmet in case of a bad accident. Retailing for $349.95 its a pretty good price point for the features of this helmet, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a new trail helmet. It also comes in 17 different colour options so there is a choice there for everyone to match the rest of your riding kit. 
Head into your local stockists and check them out for yourself.