Editor's Note: This review is part of the Mtbr All Mountain Helmet Shootout.

Overview

Bern introduced their new Morrison helmet at the Interbike show this year, and it's their first full foray into the mountain-bike specific world. Bern is known for their urban, skate and snow helmets, so it's nice to see them applying their technology to the MTB discipline. The Morrison shares the same shell as their Allston urban helmet, but it has deeper extended coverage in the rear and has a removable visor. It uses a PVC micro-shell aligned with their proprietary Zip Mold liquid injected foam technology, which creates a helmet with a low-profile design and thinner thickness and lower volume, so you don't have the typical giant bubble up on top of your head.



Fit, Pads and Retention System

Their helmets don't have a lot of adjustments, so you need to make sure you get a size that more closely fits your head than some of the competition. I ended up getting their large size, and although it fits snugly, I never felt any discomfort or pinch spots, and I liked how it felt like it was an extension of my head. At the back of the helmet is a twist lock system that allows for a bit of adjustment for additional tuning, and it provided just enough tweaking and breathing room for comfort changes, depending on how my head felt at the moment. The helmet is well padded and uses a durable and upscale system, and it absorbs sweat and dissipates it effectively, so I never felt like it was overly damp. I liked the snap-in liner that wraps around the circumstance of the helmet, and it helped keep the padding securely in place, and made it easy to remove it for washing and to swap out the default summer version for an optional warmer winter one. The chin strap was easy to tighten up when doing more technical terrain and for downhilling, and the ear adjusters were simple to alter, and they had a nice clamp to hold everything in place.



Ventilation

The Morrison has 16 holes for ventilation purposes, which helps draw air through the helmet, and it works much better than Bern's standard skateboard oriented designs. Though it doesn't have the usual prodigious amount of ventilation holes that most cross-country orientated helmets offer, I found it adequate, and I didn't feel like my head overheated. The vent pattern made it trickier to attach my GoPro camera strap, but once in position, it worked just fine. I would place it towards the bottom portion of All Mountain helmets for ventilation, but still better much than the Urge Endur-o-Matic.

Continue reading for more on the Bern Morrison and full photo gallery.



Goggle and Glasses Compatibility

I was comfortably able to wear both sunglasses and goggles, and didn't have any issue with either of them not fitting my face or sitting properly within the confinements of the helmet. The matte finish made the goggle strap stay in position, and it seemed to help with the durability and appearance of the helmet.

Extras, Weight and Value

At 458 grams, it's on the heavy side of things for an All Mountain helmet, but I didn't really notice the weight while riding with it, which highlights the functionality of the low-profile fit of the Morrison. The $100 price is competitive, and the well-made product and exceptional snap-in liner adds value to this seemingly simple helmet.



Bottom Line

I found the $100 Bern Morrison to be comfortable, well-balanced, and it felt like it was part of my head, greatly due to their low-profile design. It felt like it got sucked down onto my head, though without any discomfort or hot spots, and the wrap around design seemed secure and stable. Like all of their helmets (skate, snow, urban), you need to measure your head properly to get a more exact size, since their twist lock fastening system doesn't offer much adjustment.

The well-padded snap-in liner is a real highlight in this nicely crafted helmet, and it's easy to pop out for cleaning or swap in their optional winter liner. All the padding is durable, comfortable, well-made and dissipates sweat effectively. It vented adequately, and fits both sunglasses and goggles without interference issues. The Morrison reminds me a lot of the Urge Endur-O-Matic helmet, both have the simple retention system, great padding, and low slung fit.

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Low-profile design
  • Good coverage
  • Removable liner - snap-in design, secure, nicely padded, durable and upscale system
  • Padding wick's perspiration well
  • Mates well with both sunglasses and goggles

Cons

  • Lack of range adjustment for tuning of fit
  • Size needs to fit head more exactly
  • Brim isn't adjustable
  • Heavy at 458 grams (Large size)

Specifications

  • Price: $100.00
  • Claimed Weight: 425 grams
  • Measured Weight: 458 grams
  • Number of Vents: 16
  • Visor: Not adjustable
  • Retention System: Twist Lock Fasten System
  • Padding: Summer liner
For more information visit: https://www.bernunlimited.com/

Return to the All Mountain Helmet Shootout Main Page »


Do you own the Bern Morrison? Help us become a better resource and write a review!