Oakley has been a mainstay in the eyewear industry for decades and while they built their success upon their eyewear, they’ve branched out to cover everything from soft-goods to some awesome ​hard-goods such as the Mod3 Helmet.

It’s not a surprise that when you sponsor top-level athletes, put on events and are one of the largest in the eyewear game, that you’d want to offer your loyal brand connoisseurs full integration.
Lots of companies are doing this, offer ‘helmet compatible’ goggles, and ensuring that their helmet and goggle pairing are flawless.
For this review, I tried the Oakley Airbrake Goggles as well as a few pairs of other goggles.

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ABOUT THE HELMET

At first glimpse the helmet looks big, while sporting a subdued paint scheme, the first thing you notice is its round. My girlfriend nicknamed this helmet ‘big, booty, Judy’.
The helmet is a standard fit with the BOA cinch system ensuring a snug fit.
The main strap of the helmet is a unique clasp that I’ve never seen before, and I found it had a tendency to come undone when I was riding paired with a high collared coat. This helmet also has a back U-hook, goggle strap holder, ensuring your goggles stay on, just in case you have a tomahawk or two!
One of the most interesting features is that this helmet comes with different sizes of brims, ensuring full integration with the entire line of Oakley Products!

THE FIT

The helmet fits well on the majority of heads, thanks to the BOA system tightening system.
The ear flaps are removable so you can choose to wear the helmet with a beanie if that’s your style.

LIKES

  • Colour
In this day and age, sometimes being under the radar is a relief, so kudos for the black on black, with grey highlights
  • Fit
Fits well and is comfortable for a day at the hill
  • Venting
Air flows in, air flows out, on cold days, you’ll want to wear a beanie under it.

DISLIKES

  • Clasp

Although designed to to be easily opened and closed with one hand even while wearing gloves, I found I wasn’t a big fan of the helmet clasp. I’m all for trying something new, but I think there is a reason why 99% of the helmets in the world use a standard buckle…

  • Size 

‘Big Booty Judy’ is a girl I’d prefer to meet at the bar, not wear on my head. As mentioned above, the helmet has a slightly larger look and did feel big so as usual, it is essential to ensure the helmet size you choose is appropriate for you. Feeling like a bobble-head on the slopes can fatigue your neck and also take away from the effectiveness of the helmet’s protection.

  • Styling
This helmet lacks that true Oakley style, I found that there was nothing too eye catching or innovative that sets it apart. Oakley is known for their innovative goggle technologies and cutting edge styles so I hope next year’s helmet models will showcase that.

Goggle Integration

Designing a helmet with goggle integration is innovative and very advantageous as many people struggle to find the perfect helmet/goggle duo. When you find your perfect-fitting helmet and beloved goggles and they just don’t work together, it can be a little heart breaking.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the Oakley MOD3 helmet is a solid entry and contender for a brain protector on the slopes. The main feature on the helmet is the interchangeable brim which allows the helmet to be perfectly compatible with your favourite pair of Oakley goggles.

Whether you like the oversized look or regular, you can get the perfect fit and avoid the gap between your helmet and the top of your goggles.

The MOD3 is a stylish and versatile helmet that is sure to be a favourite on the slopes for 2017.