Lumos Helmet Review: Does It Justify the Price Tag?

Last updated on June 7, 2022

Safety is of the utmost concern when one is on the road, and especially if you’re cycling. Having a helmet becomes a matter of necessity then. But it can be hard to find a helmet that provides ample protection and looks great too. Fortunately, the Lumos Helmet is one such helmet that has come in to change that.

Lumos has been in the market producing smart helmets for a while. But their new addition ‘Kickstarter’ takes things up a notch with integrated lighting, electronics, safety, and visibility tech.

Does it justify the price tag? Let’s find out in our Lumos Helmet Review.

LUMOS Ultra Helmet

Of course, investing in a smart helmet is not an easy decision and one is bound to think twice before putting the money down. After all, it is going to sit on your head, and you would want it to look as inoffensive as possible. Let us find out how Lumos finds the balance between comfort and safety.

Lumos Ultra Helmet Design

The Lumos helmet has the traditional sporty look that one can expect from a bicycle helmet. There are perforations across the front of the helmet and smart lightings are fitted into the back and the rim. There are, all in all, 48 LED lights that shine once the device is on.

A strip of 10 white lights shine at the front and a huge section rests at the back of the head. What this means is that you will always be giving out signals to those around you where you’re going and where you’re about to turn.

The lights prevent users from crashes as the lights remain fairly visible from any angle at the driver’s eye-level. The lights sit on either side of the helmet that acts as indicators.

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As soon as you turn on the helmet and connect it to the app, a red triangle will show consistently. The app itself has numerous features, such as indicating the helmet’s battery status and tracking your rides.

Lumos will map out your rides with GPS tracking and break down health statistics such as calories burned, watts generated, and the like.

The app will start tracking automatically as soon as the helmet senses that you’ve begun riding. You can even integrate the Lumos app with other apps such as Apple Health.

There’s enough soft padding inside the helmet to keep your head comfortably rested. If you want the helmet to fit your head size, you can adjust the wheels at the back to tailor fit it to your size.

The helmet can sit comfortably on adults with head sizes in the range of 54 to 62 cm, and the chin strap keeps everything tight and secure.

The helmet has a plastic shell which means it doesn’t feel as heavy since the weight is distributed well. The back section of the helmet, which is packed with LED lights, doesn’t feel much different from the rest of the helmet.

Even though it may take some time to get used to getting stares at traffic lights, that isn’t much of an issue, especially if you like the attention.

The Lumos Kickstart Smart Helmet can be used in any weather, be it rain or snow, and the lights will remain functional thanks to its completely waterproof design.

Furthermore, the aerodynamic profile as well as the open ventilation ensures that the design lets you ride the way you want to without making you sweat too much. This is much better than many mid-range bicycle helmets that don’t come with any safety features.

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Lumos Bike Helmet Features

Other than the flashing lights, the helmet remains inconspicuous and blends naturally with other options that you will find in the market. But if there’s one place where it really sets itself apart is its integrated smart controls.

The lights that we mentioned in the ‘design’ section adapt well to the ergonomics and indicate to others where you’re about to turn. They are controlled via remote and are attached to the handlebars.

A smart helmet has to have smart controls, and you can control the helmet to turn on or off with a single button. Furthermore, with a button, you can also signal either Left or Right to activate the turn signals.

With one press, you can also know which lights are still flashing and turn them off if need be. If you own an Apple Watch, you can use the Gesture Recognition to control the directional signals with the app and sync them with the hand signals.

The helmet also has smart automated brake lights installed which react to changes in the bike pace consistently. One can even adjust the sensitivity through the app since it monitors the speed through the head-mounted accelerometer.

The lights can be charged with a USB-rechargeable battery that provides up to 10 hours of backup even in high power mode. There are three lighting modes – Steady, rapid, and slow flash. Which one you decide to use is a matter of preference.

But if you use one of the two flashing modes, you may get even longer runtimes. You can switch between the modes by pressing the power button at the back of the helmet.

It can be tricky to do so if the helmet is already on your head which is why it is better to switch between modes before you start riding or pull over to do it. For most people, it is going to be a ‘set and forget’ thing, or at least at the beginning of the ride.

Of course, you need to ensure enough charge in order to take advantage of the features which isn’t much of a hassle either.

With one charge, you can expect to have about 6 hours of battery life. The battery doesn’t drain easily even after you use the device for long rides, which is always a plus point. You can get the juice back up to full in less than 2 hours.

Installation

Installing the remote for the turn signal is a cinch. This can be done using a pair of rubber rings to fasten it to the handlebars. The remote itself will twist onto the base and lock itself in. The turn signal remote will fit on a variety of handlebars of different diameters.

However, if you already have a bike computer and a headlight mounted on the handlebars, you may not exactly have the space to mount the Lumos remote.

Other than the installation-space issues, the installation process is a huge advantage to cyclists as they can take the remote with them once they get off the bike and keep the remote from getting stolen when the bike is parked.

Pros:

Safe and Aerodynamic
Good ventilation throughout
Has numerous smart features
48 LED lights for visibility
Long battery life and easy recharging
Lightweight and fits well

Cons:

Can be seen to be a little on the pricier side of things, but given the overall balance of features, it is well worth the price

Final Thoughts: Lumos Helmet Review

There are numerous helmets that can beat the Lumos Kickstart when it comes to a few features taken on their own. But if you want all these features in the same helmet, there’s no denying that Lumos Kickstart Helmet rides straight ahead as the best all-rounder.

It not only ensures safety, good fitting, visibility on the road, and ventilation but has such a nice balance of it all that any bike rider would be hard-pressed to look away and find an alternative.

The safety features truly stand out amongst the array of features that are decked on to this smart helmet. The turn signals and brake lights may seem like little things but they make a lot of difference when one is riding on the road.

The helmet comes in a variety of colors as well such as Cobalt Blue, Charcoal Black, Pearl White, and Elecric Lime.

The Lumos Kickstart Smart Helmet is aimed mainly at cyclists who find themselves frequently in crowded and urban environments and for whom shorter rides are the norm. Road cyclists, especially those who ride at night, are sure to benefit from this smart helmet.

The bright lights on the helmet provide great visibility to the drivers and pedestrians around you. It is always comforting to know that you are visible on the road since not being visible enough is what leads to most of the accidents on the road.

The best part of the Lumos Smart Bike Helmet is that users will keep receiving software information and updates and the helmet itself will continue to become better and better as user feedback and data are being collected through testing.
What this means is that even if you purchase the helmet now, you can rest assured that the software will always remain up to date and the gestures, battery optimization, and integration will only get better over time.

We hope you liked this Lumos Helmet Review and have sufficient information to decide whether this product is right for you, which, in our recommendation, is ideal for any cyclist.

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