Tested: Airoh Switch

How much: £120

From: Feridax

Pro: Lack of weight, fit

Not so: Vents uncloseable

There is a history in this neck of the woods of getting intentions mixed up with capabilities.

During a recent photoshoot for the sublime KTM 250 EXC enduro, the intention of a wheelie shot while spinning the rear up a decently-sloped hill got mixed up with the capability of staying on the thing. Result was two landings for the rider and one for the bike... on the rider.

Airoh's Switch had been tasked with looking after my head for that particular day and it did. This was no small crash and four months later, my shoulder is still not correct. My head, such as it is, took a whack but ended up being the least damaged thing, apart from its casing. Nary a scratch or mark can be seen on the Airoh even though it caught the ground hard before a rapidly-descending handlebar pinned my head to the turf.

The strength of lids, especially compared to the old Answer effort I used as a kid, is remarkable. It is light and fits great from the off. I have a large bonce with BFG ears, so usually off-road lids are a pain, but the Airoh is glovelike in its comfort.

Even though its primary function is off-road, it can quite easily be used as a slip-to-the-shops job if you don't want to use your full face but don't expect it to keep your face warm. The vent system in the summer is awesome and even fat old knackers like myself don't get too sweaty. But when the weather is a bit chillier (if that's even a word) then the perma-open vents are a bit too fresh. But then, you can buy undergarments, I would suspect.

Rating: 4/5