Giro Coalition Spherical Full Face Helmet

The light weight full face helmet segment has grown considerably over the past five years or so, driven by the increasing popularity of the enduro discipline and the evolution of mountain bikes in general. More capable bikes increase exposure to speed and gnarly terrain, leading many riders to seek full face protection even on pedal powered rides. E-bikes have also contributed to the proliferation of full face helmets on more types of trails. Giro has been a bit late to address the true light weight full face market, but they’ve put the extra development time to good use – the all-new Coalition Spherical ticks all of the boxes, and then some. Keep reading to get out first impressions, fresh from the trail.

Giro Coalition Spherical Highlights

• Spherical Technology™ powered by MIPS®
• Progressive layering EPS and EPP
• In-mold polycarbonate shell
• Halo Chinbar System (EPP lined) – featuring Pebax® material which offers a blend of rigidity and flexibility
• Bushing system absorbs linear compression to chin bar reducing energy transfer to the rest of the helmet
• Fidlock® Buckle
• DryCore™ sweat managing brow pad
• Emergency cheek pad removal system
• Two sets of different thickness cheek pads and neck pads included
• Ionic+ anti-bacterial pads and liner
• Breakaway visor bolts
• 23 vents
• Sizes: XS/S (51-55cm), M/L (55-59cm), XL/XXL (59-63cm)
• Certifications: CPSC, NTA, ASTM-1952-DH, ASTM-2032-BMX, CE EN1078
• Weight : 790 grams, size M/L, verified
• MSRP: $325 USD

Initial Impressions

Giro clearly went all in at the safety table when designing the new Coalition helmet. Starting with the construction, it is based around a combination of two foam impact layers of different type and density, each intended to deal with specific ranges of impact velocity, respectively. To help mitigate the effects of off-axis impacts to the head, a rotational impact management system is also present. Much like they did on their excellent Merit half shell helmet, Giro opted for the new “Spherical” MIPS solution for the Coalition. Spherical MIPS places the well-known slip-plane between the two layers of EPP and EPS foam, creating a ball-and-socket layout that allows for the inner shell to rotate within the outer shell, thus absorbing a portion of any rotational impact forces that could otherwise be transmitted directly to the rider’s head. The outer shell is bonded to the EPS layer beneath it (so-called “in-mold” construction), which improves the impact resistance of the outer shell.

Giro didn’t stop there however. The chinbar is made with “Pebax”, a strong yet somewhat flexible material said to help absorb impact energy in this area. To further reduce the transmission of unwanted impact forces from the chin bar to the helmet itself, Giro has implemented a set of internal bushings that hold the chin bar in place. These bushings can deform a bit to absorb some energy from a direct hit to the chin bar. The chin bar itself is also lined with EPP foam, which provides further impact force absorption capabilities.

Other safety features include breakaway bolts on the visor and cheek pads that can be pulled out from underneath the helmet to facilitate its removal after a crash. The Coalition is certified to all the major safety standards, including the more recent Dutch e-bike standard and the ASTM downhill helmet standard. On this topic, Giro says that they also test beyond the standards. For example, the ASTM chin bar deflection test states that the chin bar may not deflect more than 60mm when dropped from a height of 0.4 meters (with a certain weight placed inside the helmet). Giro tests internally up to 1.2 meters, which the helmet must pass without incurring any damage.

On the comfort side of things, Giro has also invested in the new helmet. The Coalition is available in three shell sizes, each size is delivered with two sets of cheek and neck pads of different thickness to allow the user to fine tune the fit (there is no ratchet-type internal harness like those typically found in half shell helmets and some light weight full face helmets). There is a generous internal comfort liner which lines up with the numerous vents found all around the shell. A Fidlock buckle makes it easy and convenient to secure or open the chin strap.

On The Trail

We’re always stoked when a full face helmet fits without the designers resorting to an adjustable harness, as this usually provides for more of a “full face feel” whereas the harness usually reminds us more of our half shell helmets. Of course, a harness potentially offers more granular fine-tuning capabilities, but if the helmet can fit well without it we’ll typically always prefer that. The new Coalition delivers here, with a shell shape that should conform to many heads out there, and two full sets of internal pads to play with to adjust the fit. This tester’s head measures in at 58.5 cm, which puts him right at the upper limit of the “M/L” size range. With the thinner of the supplied pads installed, the fit was snug but perfectly comfortable. The chin strap is wide, and lined with a soft and plush fabric which makes it very comfortable on the skin.

The internal comfort liner is generous enough to feel quite “plush”, but the large number of well-placed vents provide ample airflow which gives the helmet a very aired out feel. The chin bar sits quite far from the mouth and features a large central opening which remains unobstructive even when breathing hard. Keeping the helmet on when climbing is entirely possible, without feeling like you’re going to overheat at any moment. The frontal opening is large and will accommodate the goggles of your choice, whether equipped with “outriggers” or of the plainer variety shown in the pictures here. Goggles can be pushed up to be stored under the visor in a pinch, although we prefer to run them back-to-front in that case as there’s not a ton of room up front.

As the trail turns downwards, the Coalition continues to shine. It is perfectly stable in action, aided by the good fit and the light weight. The visor can be adjusted to sit in your preferred spot, and the frontal opening provides a wide view of the world in front of you. The vents placed directly above the brow area help the comfort liner dry out quickly here, minimizing the risk of sweat dripping into your eyes. The helmet is also very quiet, with no rattles or squeaks from the MIPS layer detected. This version of MIPS is by far our preferred one, for this reason specifically. It also hides away the slip plane under the internal EPP shell, which is advantageous – classic MIPS layers can be quite creaky and sometimes feature sharper edges that can be uncomfortable when putting on or removing the helmet.

Things That Could Be Improved

The Coalition is very nearly perfect, our only gripe is with the placement of two exhaust vents right under the area where the goggle strap sits. There are so many other vents however that we can’t really tell if it has an impact on the overall breathability of the helmet. Definitely a very minor issue overall.

Long Term Durability

We have only been testing the Coalition for about a month by now, so we can’t provide any definitive observations with regards to durability. The workmanship and quality appear to be first rate however, and our experience with other recent Giro models lead us to believe that this one should be in it for the long haul too.

What’s The Bottom Line?

There are several good options available in the light weight, full face helmet market today. Many of them weight about the same, and cost about the same as Giro’s new Coalition Spherical. What sets the Coalition apart is its very long list of safety and comfort features, and the fact that it relies on a classic full face fitment system which we particularly appreciate. Stable, cool, and quiet – the Coalition will make itself forgotten both on the climbs and the descents, while providing the kind of peace of mind that comes from knowing that it sports about as many of the latest safety features as possible.

More information at: www.giro.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 50 // Years Riding MTB: 18 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord