BERN - Union Helmet

This is one of those rare helmets that manages to be both stylish and casual at the same time. This is very similar to the Bern Allston and Bern Brentwood. The main reason I upgraded from the Allston to the Union is because the head adjustment “cradle” looks a bit more lightweight and it looks as if it’ll allow more airflow than the liner “cradle” on the Allston. I wear a size 7 1/4 hat and the medium helmet fits perfectly- it actually feels somewhat snug without even turning the adjustment dial, though I turn it a full rotation to make sure the helmet stays secure.Like most of Bern’s helmets, the Union has a casual look that goes great with a t-shirt and blue jeans. The zipmold allows the helmet to sit lower on the head than most EPS foam helmets (still looks rather large though). I’d say the Union’s profile on the head is similiar to the Brentwood. Its somewhat lower than most EPS foam helmets, but not nearly as low as the Bern Allston. The Union still has a slight “Spaceballs” look to it, but the vent design, brim, and colors still make it stylishly “cool.” The brim is outstanding. It provides plenty of coverage from the sun (like a ball cap) and, even in the flipped down position it provides a better view than the Brentwood and Allston models.Now for the bad- this is a FAIRLY hot helmet. Yes, there are plenty of vent holes, but I think the problem is all the padding. The padding is so thick that it makes the helmet feel hotter compared to some helmets with minimal padding. I can feel air flowing around the top of my head, but it feels hot around my forehead, temples, and lower rear head. That said, this has much better ventilation than the Bern Allston and Giro Sutton helmets.Also, the sides of this helmet sit so low that they cover the top portion of my ears, and if your ears are larger (like mine are!), it can push your ears in very slightly towards your head. It’s not uncomfortable, but it is a little annoying. I ended up carving a portion of foam out to make a little room for my ears.Overall, I’ve had plenty of helmets that were more comfortable, lighter, and ventilated than the Bern Union, but I think if having a casual style is more important to you than it’s hard to beat the Bern Union. On a personal note- I like the color scheme on my grey/blue helmet as it reminds me quite a bit of the original Tron movie.I’m including a picture of the inside of the helmet. You can see that there’s lots of thick padding that go around kind of like a headband within the helmet. Also- you can see the areas where I carved out the foam to make more room for my ears.

Very stylish without making you look like a dork, which is how it got my attention and sale. I also figured, by dint of models available and relative pricing, that this was a top quality item.A couple of issues though, that make me give it a low rating in relation to the price and inferred reputation of the product:1) Fit - I bought the Medium size, as my head measures 22.25" / 56.5 cm and their guide clearly puts that in their Medium range. The helmet fits front to back reasonably well after tightening up on the Boa autodial on the back but there is a lot of free space on the sides. To be honest, the helmet has to cover all shapes of heads and I could just blame Mom & Dad for for an unusually narrow head, but what happens in this case is that when I tighten the Boa cable, It pulls away from the inside perimeter up front causing the combo visor/headpad to pull out of its anchoring snaps and be mostly unsecured.The excess side space results in excess side-to-side roll of the helmet on (my) head. They should include some side pads if they are trying for a universal fit.2) Cheesy Features and Design - with the aforementioned snaps on the visor/headpad, they are 2 small metal male snap fittings that mate with plastic holes inside the shell interior. There is very little retention to these snaps and the metal to plastic interface tolerance will only get worse with time and wear, real fast.Then there are all the small (almost tiny) velcro attatchments for the visor/headpad, rear pad, and side Boa cable guides/pads. Size and material precludes any staying power worth mentioning and even the adhesive for these velcro patches is very weak.To its credit, exterior finish is very good, the neck strap seems more than adequate, and I do like the flip down visor.But Bern is going to have to do better with the mechanics of this helmet before I can recommend it any further.2 stars for the big letdown.PS: I'm new to bicycling but a veteran experienced motorcycle rider. I know how a good helmet should fit and wear.

This is my second Bern brand helmet. I have a 24" or 62mm head circumference and it fits snugly (large size). I tried the similar looking Brentwood model, but that helmet didn't have a dial adjustment (too tight). I also have the summer Watts model which is a looser fit but has a solid visor that is great in the sun but cuts into you field of view at night. The Union's flippable visor is perfect for both day and night rides. I have a larger sized head and double chin (6'1" and 300lbs), so the union fits snugly at it widest dial and chin strap setting. If you have a bigger head than me, then the Watts model will fit better than this Union model. I'm glad I own both for different riding occasions. I also tried the nutcase street helmet in large, and the chin strap was too short to get under my fat neck. I would definitely recommend the Union to a big guy who rides in both day and night settings.

I'm really happy with this helmet. I'm not a fan of the almond shape bike racer helmets, this baseball style is rad. This helmet is a light, strong great looking helmet. Lots of air holes to keep my head cool. Very happy with this purchase, no issues so far.UPDATE: I had my first real 'test' of this helmet yesterday....riding down the sidewalk on my trek hybrid at about 10-15 mph and BAM!!! the top of the helmet slammed against the bottom of a sign that was hanging too low on a lightpost...I was distracted momentarily and the frames on my new sunglasses were just thick enough to block the bottom of that sign from view.It was hard enough to stun me for a moment...but there was no damage to my head or the helmet, It was a hard enough hit in a spot where...without protection or with an inferior helmet...it would have knocked me out with a concussion or possibly killed me. I kept riding away no worse for the experience and happy I had it on. That's what the helmet is for, good job!

Although this helmet is advertised as a men's helmet, size S fits me perfectly, the color is exactly as shown in the picture, ventilation on hot days is ok. The visor protects your eyes from the sunlight, but can also block the view a little. I use the helmet for urban biking, and I find it really stylish. Yes, I recommend this helmet.

This is the second one of this exact helmet I have bought. I also have the light grey one too. Before finally going for the same helmet again, I did buy a couple of Giro helmets, but the fit on my head was not as comfortable as I find this one. I do understand that the style isn't for everyone, but I live the peak cap addition.

A nice looking helmet, but comes up very large. Other Bern helmets look better when worn. I sent it back for a refund.

Light, stylish and saves your noggin! What more could you want?

Great helmet