[Closed] Planetx Carnac helmets any good?

I’ve got 2, road and mtb and both are great.  I won’t be buying a pricey one again

I have a Croix, also for commuting. iIRC it was under £15 when I bought it. It's absolutely fine.

Mrs s has the super surf lid for TT and the aero road for general duties. Both perfectly well made  Good vfm. Next time I need to new helmet I'll be getting one of the oo PX ones.

The Kronus TT helmet from Planet X is fantastic - great fit and incredible value compared to a Kask Bambino or similar.  Only downside was the shonky packing when i ordered it with 3 extra visors (all crammed in a Pampers box, luckly no damage)

I have one, it is very comfy. I keep meaning to replace it with a 'better' one tho, as i'm worried they're not as safe.

I don't know why I think this as I assume they've passed the relevant CE standards.

Does it have a CE sticker?  They seem too cheap compared to others which makes me wonder about quality

Having just looked into it now I've remembered i'm worried about it....

The carnac notus i have has a CE sticker and says it meets EN1078. Cycling UK, suggest this is the standard 'standard' but that Snell 90 is substantially stronger.

Looking in my (mtb) giro helmets they also say they meet EN1078 - their website doesn't say what standards their road helmets meet, but i'd assume the same.

Looking on the snell website, it seems a little out of date, so i can't tell if anyone does Snell approved helmets anymore.

Details of EN1078:  https://www.satra.com/spotlight/article.php?id=291

A super fun read:  https://helmets.org/stdcomp.htm

Does it have a CE sticker?  They seem too cheap compared to others which makes me wonder about quality

I'm afraid it's mostly other brands charging what the market will take rather than a realistic cost-based price.

Never even knew that Planet X sold helmets!

The "Enduro" and XC lids actually look really good and the price is obscenely cheap. 😳

Might get one as a spare at the prices they are.....

I've got a Notar SLA. Superlight as advertised and cheap

IMHO the white one looked a bit odd at first because it's almost completely white; shell, foam, strap, the lot.

It's comfortable and it's CE1078 marked. There are pros and cons to both the Snell and CE standards, neither is universally "better"

At the price they are worth keeping in the car boot for those days I’ve arrived without a helmet or the wrong helmet. Last time I packed the kids FF instead of mine ... ended up riding some jumps without any helmet so one of the cheap enduro one should would have been better than nothing.

I had good fun sourcing those mountainbike helmets on one of my last trips to China for Planet X.

We had found the factory at a show and went to visit to see what their manufacturing processes were like.

The showroom with all the different models in was rammed, and the couple we chose we were told were good. “Bell also choose this model” said the salesperson.

I had a Carnac helmet years ago , when I landed on my head after an rtc it had a crack most of the way down the centre apart from about 1" either end but my head didn't. I'd have another one.

Just to add balance, I had some px carnac shoes and they were truly awful comfort wise, they went in the bin.

Most XC/enduro/road helmets are there to stop a nasty injury and they are all up to it. Nothing is fool proof though.  The PX ones are pretty decent from all accounts.  I use Bell Sweep/Volt helmets with a peak from my road days as there is an extra internal 'cage' to keep in in one piece if it cracks (I've cracked two).

Thanks for the feedback.  Will take a punt.

I got one, then sent it back, as it didn't fit my head. I don't think I've got a funny shaped head...

I've got the 'enduro' helmet - pretty decent. I did add an extra pad at the rear though. Keep it as a spare but mainly use it as a winter/night ride helmet .

When I got mine I looked at the 'xc' and thought it looked suspiciously like a Fox Flux.

I’ve got the Notus for road and it’s probably the best road helmet I’ve ever had.

I like them, I've got 3 I think, they fit my head, look pretty good and generally do what I need. If i'm being critical, the straps can be a little difficult to get flat against your head but once they are it works fine. The Notus is very nice and not to warm for a aero helmet, and the Podium is probably the best fitting helmet I own.

Had one for ages, fits nice and does all the helmety things you expect.

Not had a slam on it yet mind

Hi,

Got 3 of their lids. Roadie, enduro and MTB. Very happy user.

Providing their shell fits your head I wouldn't hesitate.

Cheers!

I.

I'd agree,

I have the Enduro, XC, and the Carnac Notus, I am particularly impressed with the look and feel of the Notus.

At £15 - you can't go wrong really! Never understand the logic of paying lots for a product that you only have to replace once its been used 🙂

I've got the Carnac Podium SL for road use and really rate it, nice and light with lots of vents. Feels a similar quality to my old mid-range spesch helmet

On the subject of cheap helmets I picked up one of the Lidl £16 ones recently and have been really impressed with it. Far more comfortable tand better fitting han the Met I was using. I should say I've had Met  ones in the past that fitted very well but either my heads' changed shape or they vary the fit of their helmets.

I have been pretty pleased with my Aero Road for £20, comfy and a bit warmer and drier for winter riding.

I got a Notus free with some tyres before christmas. It's been in the box until the weather got warmer because my light wont fit it. It surprisingly good. Really comfy, and there's noticeably more airflow than the Giro Foray it's replaced.

I'm going to keep the Foray for the winter to put my light on though.

Got a Notus in the last sale - £30 - very happy with it - fits well and pretty light

Off the back of this I’ve just ordered a Notus to try. Let’s see how it fits when it arrives!

I  got the XC one and think it looks pretty cool. It's a great fit - nice and snug on my big head. My favourite lid ever (from a sample of only 4!). £15 well spent

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HEOOXC/on-one-xc-mtb-helmet

How is the fit on the Notus? Got a long narrow head, so anything too round shaped leaves a gap on the sides. Currently got an Specialized Echelon that fits well but needs replacing. Bell also fit me well, Giro and POC not so much and the Notus looks pretty good for the money. Cheers!

I have a <span class="il">Carnac</span> Enduro MTB large helmet in the shed.

It's a bit big for me and I've never worn it. If anyone in Stirling wants it for a beer it's yours.

(It cost me £5 because it qualified me for free postage on an order).

Another good report here, got a Notus and one of the normal road ones (can't remember the name).  Maybe marginally sweatier than pricier models but can't grumble at the price.

I have a large head and sometimes struggle with helmets that aren't long enough front to back (some shells just seem too round and squash my forehead).  These are fine for me.

I have an Alien shaped head too.....long, front to back. 😃

Just ordered the white and orange On One XC lid for £14.99 plus post.

Wanted the Carnac white and black version.... But that was £30. Hopefully the On One stickers come off? Yes, I'm a tart. 😉

It looks like it a copy of a Troy Lee helmet but with different retention straps.

Obviously made in the same factory.... 😃

How is the fit on the Notus? Got a long narrow head, so anything too round shaped leaves a gap on the sides. Currently got an Specialized Echelon that fits well but needs replacing. Bell also fit me well, Giro and POC not so much and the Notus looks pretty good for the money. Cheers!

I have a giro head and the Notus fits me well. Spesh and Bell fit less well on my head. At 20 quid, may be worth a punt.

Ordered a green Quartz XC and the Orange/ white ONE ONE XC as I picture above.

Both very impressive to be honest. Particularly the ON ONE lid.

However the ON ONE is going back as the design and colour is a little too gnar for me.Lol

Can't fault either of them though to be honest. 👍

Notus fit me well, it is a little mushroom-y when on, but is comfy enough!

So what's the difference between the carnac xc and the on one xc lids? They both look the same to me.

So what’s the difference between the carnac xc and the on one xc lids? They both look the same to me.

Colour 🙂

Interesting thread this, I've been dithering over a new helmet for 6 month, waiting for a sale, or just trying to find the right one. Can't believe they knock these out for 15 quid. Are we all being THAT ripped off by the big brands?!?

MadEdgar: Yes.  We are all being ripped off by the marketing of major brands.  If PX/On-one can make a profit at this level, as do Lidl & Aldi with their equivalents, then everyone else is also buying them from a Chinese factory at the same level and are simply charging what their network and our bad habits allow for.

These helmets are absolutely grand; I've an xc for summer trail and commute use and an enduro for winter commuting.  The latter is a bit chunkier and has less venting, it covers more of your head and is less drafty in cold weather. I don't get on with Spesh helmet shapes but have in the past got on well with some Giro, Bell & MET.

What's the fit like? I'm just about squeeze into a Giro L or middle of the adjustment on a Giro XL...

Also tempted by a black enduro. Anybody any advice on interior shape and size?

I ended up putting an extra pad on the cradle at the back of the enduro - turned it from uncomfortable to rather nice fit.

If you have a spare pad kicking around it's worth doing.

Can't find photo at the moment, but will take one an post it up when I get home to show what I mean.

I bought one of the aero helmet for 20 quid.. Other than it makes me look like mushroom from super Mario cart I really like it. Together with a set of aero rims my average speed increased by about 1mph overnight . But even if it offers no aero advantage it was still a third the price of my bog standard giro helmet.  Which does beg the question why you would pay more..

Here you go, before:

[img] [/img]

After:

[img] [/img]

2 Velcro spots and a spare pad made a huge difference .

<div>ak121078
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So what’s the difference between the carnac xc and the on one xc lids? They both look the same to me.

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I've got both. The On One has an outer shell that covers the underside of the foam to prevent damage. It's a bit more substantial in general and covers the back of the head more. It's more of a "trail" lid.

The Quartz is nice and light <span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">perfect xc lid.</span>

Both silly cheap for how good they are. 👍

^^

Sorry, didn't answer the right question after reading your post again.

Simply put.... You are paying more for the other colour schemes and non On One branding...

They are physically identical as you say. 😃

Cheers for the pics Dirk. May take a punt for £15