Catlike Whisper Plus helmet £119.95

Catlike’s Whisper helmet is noticeably striking in comparison to most other helmets, but underneath the distinctly ‘euro’ looks is a lightweight and well-ventilated helmet.

Keeping your head cool are a mind-boggling 39 vents. While most other manufacturers are striving for fewer but larger vents in the quest for the best ventilated helmets, Catlike have taken the opposite path and opted for smaller vents but, critically, lots of them. And it works. Comparing the Whisper alongside popular choices such as the Giro Ionos and Specialized 2D, it’s noticeably more ventilated.

It’s light too, at a claimed 280g for the medium tested. Catlike make the helmet using the popular ‘in-mould’ technology, and CES (Crash Energy Splitter) should ensure that in the event of a crash, the force of the impact is evenly distributed across the entire helmet.

The retention device, Catlike’s MPS-3D (Multi Positioning System), is straightforward to use and it didn’t take long to find a comfortable fit. There’s plenty of vertical adjustment which helps to achieve a satisfactory fit, and the two modules are easy to adjust on the road. There’s plenty of padding supplied should you need.