IN BRIEF
Kali Protectives unveiled the Kru on 24 July, a full-face helmet whose chin bar is a 360-degree titanium structure, moulded into the shell instead of being added afterwards. The brand claims the first helmet built this way. The Kru weighs 650 grams in XS-M and 680 grams in L-XXL, while carrying ASTM F1952 downhill certification, on top of the CPSC and EN 1078 standards. It is listed at $460 on the brand’s US store, in plain black or plain white, with shipping announced in the United States from 3 August.
| Price | $460 (the brand’s US store) |
| Weight | 650 g in XS-M, 680 g in L-XXL |
| Sizes | XS-M (55-61 cm) and L-XXL (60-63 cm) |
| Colourways | Plain black, plain white |
| Certifications | ASTM F1952 (downhill), CPSC, EN 1078 |
| Chin bar | Titanium, 360° |
| Shell and foam | Composite Fusion, low-density ERT layer |
| Buckle | Magnetic Fidlock |
| Availability | Shipping in the United States from 3 August 2026 |
An ice hockey helmet protects the jaw with a metal cage, and nobody finds that odd. Brad Waldron, Kali’s founder and chief engineer, told Bikerumor he had put the question to himself in exactly those terms: “Why wouldn’t we build a full-face bike helmet like that?” The result is called the Kru, it was unveiled on 24 July, and its chin bar is made of titanium.
A titanium bar moulded into the helmet, not bolted onto it
The hockey comparison does not go much further. On an ice hockey helmet, the cage is bolted to the shell once the shell is finished. On the Kru, the bar is a continuous titanium structure, set into the helmet itself rather than attached after moulding, as BikeRadar explains. Hence the name Kali gives it: a 360-degree chin bar, which wraps around the head instead of stopping at the anchor points.
The brand claims, according to off-road.cc, the first helmet to use a 360-degree titanium chin bar. Titanium is not there for prestige: at equal stiffness, it allows a thinner section than a composite bar, so less material in front of the mouth and chin. That is what lies behind the selling point Waldron puts forward to BikeBiz: “The titanium bar almost disappears when you are riding. Even on climbs, the airflow is incredible.”
The Kali Kru weighs 650 grams and passes downhill certification
That is the figure that matters. The Kru is quoted at 650 grams in size XS-M and 680 grams in L-XXL, and it carries ASTM F1952 — the downhill standard, the most demanding of the three it lists, alongside the American CPSC and the European EN 1078. The usual trade-off is to choose between a heavy, downhill-approved full-face and a light so-called “enduro” full-face that does not pass downhill certification.
Around the bar, Kali falls back on its in-house vocabulary: a Composite Fusion shell, a low-density ERT layer meant to handle small impacts, Kool Draft foams. The chin strap closes with a magnetic Fidlock buckle, and the motorcycle-style visor is adjustable.
$460, two sizes, two colours
The official product page lists $460 and just two colourways, plain black and plain white. Two sizes cover the range: XS-M for head circumferences of 55 to 61 centimetres, L-XXL from 60 to 63 centimetres. Shipping in the United States starts on 3 August. The page mentions no euro price and no European timeline; in the United Kingdom, BikeBiz reports that the launch is being handled with Oxford Products.
One question the product page leaves open: what becomes of the bar after a heavy impact, and under what conditions Kali considers the helmet due for replacement. On a full-face sold at $460 and built for downhill, the answer will weigh as much as the 650 grams.
