The Oakley DRT3 MIPS is the newest of their mountain bike helmet range, retailing at around £110 it is around £50 cheaper than the DRT5, the more advanced model. However, the DRT3 is not to be confused as a budget version of this DRT5.
- Brand: Oakley
- Product: DRT3 MIPS Helmet
- Price: £110.00
- From: Oakley
- Review by: Aran Francis for 1 month
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Many of the strengths boasted in the DRT5 of previous years are clearly present in this helmet. Starting small, the most noticeable extra feature is the sweat guard – a rubbery band on the front of the helmet which sits on the forehead. I have to admit, at first I put this down as a bit of a gimmick, but it really is one of the standout features of this helmet. Not only does it do its job keeping sweat off the eyes, it also has the added benefit of increasing the helmet’s stability on the head.
Given Oakley’s premium reputation in the eyewear industry it’s also no surprise how eyewear compatible this helmet is. There is plenty of room on the back for goggles and even under the peak when fully lifted. The Oakley logo on the back of the helmet also juts out which further secures goggles stopping the strap sliding up the back of the helmet.
Glasses fit easily with helmet as no part of the cage interferes with the arms, although the ‘Eyewear Landing Zone’ (a set of clips to hold glasses on the DRT5 model) is not included in the DRT3 so there isn’t really anywhere to store glasses on the helmet when not in use. Even those who like to live life dangerously and thread the arms of the glasses through the helmet vents may struggle to stow glasses on this lid.
Finally, the ever impressive little sweatband on the forehead also comes in handy stopping eyewear from sweat drips, again showing the brilliance of this unique little feature.
In terms of safety this helmet is well-equipped in line with the price. Coming with MIPS as standard along with a shell which covers a large amount of the head without stacking up the weight, including a little outcrop covering the temple which has been well integrated so as not to be too noticeable and keep to Oakley’s streamlined style.
Furthermore the whole backside of the helmet is painted as a block neon yellow (Oakley have named this colour ‘Retina Burn’) which obviously increases visibility for other road users when you happen not to be cruising the trails.
The vents on the helmet are a lot smaller than you see on rival brand lids, creating a stronger, more reinforced shell. I was worried the breathability of this helmet would be compromised but the only real issue I found these small vents presented was that it was more difficult to poke my finger in and scratch my head.
In terms of what I disliked about the Oakley DRT3 MIPS helmet, the list is fairly short. I personally wasn’t too keen on the design and shape of this helmet, to me this helmet looks a bit like a roadie helmet with a duckbill peak bolted onto it. However the main issue for me was that in making this helmet so light, the helmet doesn’t really inspire confidence and whilst it is not obviously aimed at super fast technical downhill riding it still feels to me like it’s missing a little something.
The Oakley DRT3 MIPS helmet’s stability is the clear highlight of the whole product, Oakley’s boasts in this instance are well-founded. As well as the sweat band’s effect, the helmet’s inner cage really closes around the head, giving a stable fit with no wobble well before it feels too tight. This fit is aided by the adjustment inside the helmet with both horizontal and vertical to fit whatever weird head shape you may have.
