23.8.2018

In need of a new helmet for commuting, I was drooling over this simply because it looked so cool. I admit, I am a gadget lover so this product appeals to me. When it arrived I was full prepared to be disappointed as a lot of these gadgety things rarely live up to the hype. However, this is a well designed and constructed helmet with genuinely useful "smart" features.Fit - I have a 58cm head and the fit is just about the best I've ever had from a bike helmet. The helmet goes from 57 - 61cm so would be considered medium to large. It has an adjustable ratchet in the back and a chinstrap. It's very comfortable with no hard points or pinching.Weight - Very lightweight unlike my previous Bell helmet of similar design.The core is expanded styrene and the shell is ABS. It weights approx. 470gDesign - The design is quite futuristic tempered by a small leather-effect peak at the front. Similar in design to an equestrian helmet from the future. The construction is superb. The LED lights are housed underneath hard, automotive-like lens strips. The straps and clips are of good quality with separate padding on the chinstrap. There is a mesh screen underneath the ventilation slots to prevent insects and crud getting in your hair. The control unit is well designed and feels sturdy. It has small rubber bungie to attach it to your handlebars similar to a bike light. The charging port is housed under a rubber cover at the back of the helmet. The charging cable is USB with a proprietary magnetic connector similar to a Macbook power connector. Charging takes 3hrs via USB at 1 AmpSmart Features - It's easy to set up and the quick start instructions are very clear. The helmet requires pairing to the handlebar remote and your phone separately. If you've ever paired a Bluetooth headset to your phone it's the same process. Spoken instructions let you know the status of the helmet. Once paired to your phone you can use the helmet as you would a Bluetooth headset. Play music, make and receive calls, skip tracks, change volume etc. The sound output from the speakers is good and loud but more suited to speech than music as there is very little bass.Installing the Livall App gives access to more features such as changing the light patterns, auto light sensing function and seeing the battery status of the helmet and the handlebar remote. It also has some basic cycle computer functions such as speed readout etc. The app can also be set up to send an SOS message to another number if the helmet detects a serious impact.Light Features - The helmet has three lighting sections. A central rear taillight and two direction indicator strips that wrap from back to the side. Pressing the left or right button on the handlebar remote activates the corresponding direction indicator which chases from the rear to the side, along the helmet. Similar to the chasing indicators on certain car brands. An intermittent beep also sounds from the corresponding left or right earphone.The indicators turn off after a few seconds. You can't cancel the indicator light which was a bit disappointing.The lights automatically turn on when it gets dark and goes into a standard mode which can be set from the app. You can have the lights on, chasing from back to front (called Flow), Flashing or off.I'm very happy with this helmet and it has exceeded my expectations. It is expensive but I think i'ts worth the money as there is a lot of good design here. The whole product has been carefully thought out and well constructed.

19.11.2018

I didn't have a great experience out of the gate - I found pairing the remote to the helmet quite a faff which took me more than half an hour of fiddling, while trying to follow the instructions to the letter. I got it working in the end, and I'm still not sure what I did different on the final occasion, but eventually it connected OK.The helmet itself looks really cool - it's got a real Italian style to it - especially with the leather look brim on the front. It looks like something a very stylish young gentlemen would wear to scoot his girlfriend round the roads of Rome on the back of his Vespa.The light on the back does not detract from that at all - it does not look at all nerdy.9/10 for style.It's very adjustable - it has a really good twist-style head diameter adjustment, which enables you to get exactly the right fit. The chin strap also has adjustment front and back as well as length, so you can get it positioned under your chin in exactly the right place. It's just a slight shame you can't adjust it to length from either side, so the padded chin strap piece (which is really just a wrap to secure the excess strap) doesn't necessarily end up being under your chin. A small point though.Pairing bluetooth to your mobile is very easy. It works well, and audio is not the best quality - the speakers are about 5 cm from your ears in a vertical direction, so you're not going to get any decent bass response - but it is OK for listening to voice radio (Radio 4 is my preference) or phone calls. It would be a nice idea to also provide a 3.5mm jack in case the rider wants to be able to plug in their own headphones.The indicator lights work fine using the provided remote once you get it paired, and it has a decent elasticated handlebar mounting strap which can be affixed and released quickly - so you can take it with you when you park your bike if required. I think a quick clip system would possibly be better here.You can use the remote to take photos if required, but this is only really going to work if you have your phone pointing forwards while you're riding. If you're using it for anything other than that (e.g. nav.) then it's unlikely to be facing forwards...The indicators are nice to have, but I'd use them as a supplement rather than a replacement to hand signals. It's also not possible to actively cancel them once triggered, which is a bit of a pain. You need to wait a few seconds until they cancel themselves.The biggest annoyance by far is the use of a proprietary charger cable. Could they really have not used a standard micro-USB charger socket? I don't want yet another special charging lead I need to keep an eye on. It's just a pain. What if I want to be able to charge it at home and work? What if I lose the lead?So on balance, it's a really nice idea, lood fantastic, operates reliably, and with the slight reservations mentioned, I'm a fan of this helmet. Just don't buy it expecting to get fantastic music sound quality.

29.9.2018

This is a super neat, stylish, well designed tho pricey helmet for the urban cyclist. I'd go as far as to say that it's pretty much faultless. It deserves a solid 5***** review.Everything from charging the battery to locating a destination is made so simple. For me I don't really want the whole music thing going on via the built in speakers, but I do want clear, easy to follow directions channelled via GPS and my phone maps system to my ears. I got that and was really please with both the ease of connection and reliability and the clarity of sound.I love that the safety lamp lights up automatically when it starts to get dark and this is a really excellent feature.

19.10.2018

Really, it's great. Not because of all the cool gadgets - they are great too - but because it is simply the most comfortable and stable helmet I own. It's a snug, adjustable fit and stays out of my field of vision, and the strap is just right for me no choking.The gadgets are pretty cool too. Being USB rechargeable is super (no batteries to mess with) and the magnetic charging connector is very easy indeed. For the price, I think it should have come with a USB power supply as well, but I have plenty of places I can connect it so I'm letting that slide. The bluetooth pairing confused me a bit until I realised both the handlebar remote and the helmet want to pair with the phone.

13.1.2019

Be the envy of your friends with this helmet! If you commute to work and need the added safety options this offers with the convenience of hands free phone connectivity then it's something to look into. It's expensive yes, however safety and convenience generally come at a price, look at this in the respect that most cars never came with hands free phone connectivity, now it's common place.The helmet is really comfortable and the strap is very adjustable, hence it will fit the lengthiest of heads. Looks wise, its not ugly or too in your face with ridiculous colours. The safety aspects it has allow it to be a little more respectable. Pop the remote on your handle bars and simply press the button you need to indicate,

23.10.2018

For the price, this helmet is fantastic. It does everything it says and does it well . The speakers are clear and yet you can hear what is going on around you. The phone sounds clear to the wearer but a little muffled to the caller, not bad enough to grumble. The direction lights are great and very clear to others on the road, the lights strobe toward the direction you are turning ( just like the new Audi ). The vision is definitely for urban use and has good visibility , but the rim on the helmet is limiting for other than urban use because visibility would be limited when leaning forward.The helmet is not heavy and yet is very sturdy and extremely comfortable to wear.My son was so impressed with the helmet that he bought another one of the same make for road use,

7.3.2019

I gave this helmet to my 23 year old son who is a keen cyclist. Initially he was of the opinion it was 'too gimmicky', but over a period of time it has become his preferred helmet. His observations were that listening to music wasn't too good, but the call quality via bluetooth was clear. The helmet is well designed, looks akin to a jockey helmet and looks very cool and modern. It is lightweight and the snugness of fit can be adjusted to suit your head. The handlebar controller works well and controls the flashing rear indicators on the rear of the helmet. One this my son did comment on was that he wasn't entirely comfortable relying on traffic behind him actually noticing the flashing indicators,

28.10.2018

This helmet is really well made and very comfortable. It has built in flashing indicator lights that look like arrows at the back, which is absolutely brilliant. The companion app was very easy to download and install on my phone and it paired straight away via bluetooth. The little remote control allows you to answer phone calls and listen to music through the headphones. One star off because I couldnt get my head around the indicator controls, I indicated right, then the only way I could get it off was to indicate left twice! The documentation was sparse and the website has very little help on it. It might be me, but it should be made easier.

14.10.2018

I was skeptical that something that had no choice of size would fit me (my head is large enough to be off the end of many hat sizing scales!) but this proved genuinely accommodating. Personally, the style appeals to me more than the more streamlined affairs one typically sees and the electronic enhancements are remarkable. I find myself looking for reasons to use my bike so I can enjoy riding while listening to music or podcasts. My only reservation is that bike helmets can have a limited lifespan. One impact and they should be replaced. That would be a significant loss given the cost of this particular helmet.

7.10.2018

This is a big bowl shape helmet, more ski than bicycle in appearance. However, the bowl effect does keep your hair drier than the standard bicycle helmet and it is comfortable to wear.I like the built in indicators which are operated by a remote mounted on my handlebars. The connectivity is flawless. I’m a very nervous cyclist so I really appreciate this extra feature.Not sure why there is a camera feature because you’d still need to hold your phone to take a picture. Also, why not include a go pro mount?Battery life is a bit short and it doesn't seem to hold a charge well if unused for a while.

30.9.2018

I'm blown away by this helmet, it's utterly superb. It really works well. Very adjustable, from small to large heads. Very comfortable, really really impressively so. Easy to use, easy to charge, easy to pair with phone and handlebar controls. Works superbly, great speakers inside for hands free calls, music and turn-by-turn GPS directions. Indicators are bright and clear from a distance and rear light is very good. 10hr battery life claimed seems about right and it charged in around 6 hrs. Incredibly impressive kit. I can't rate this highly enough.

10.6.2019

Great product although quite expensive. Very comfortable and a good design that allows for good protection. Bluetooth music and phone very clear both hearing and speaking. Battery last between 8-10 hours when used continually. Charging rate is a few hours. Lighting on the helmet is very good and linked to unit on handlebars enables turning signals easy.A great helmet and highly recommended.Setup very easy and App is useful and easy to use.

31.8.2018

Wearing this helmet makes me feel safer while riding, the rear light and direction indicators are great and I've found that drivers are definitely more aware and give me more space when turning. The sound on the bluetooth is not brilliant but it does give you a soundtrack while riding without shutting you in like headphones.

9.6.2018

Mindblowingly great helmet! It’s made a big impact on my commute, I’m more noticed on the road for sure. I also love being able to receive calls without stopping to dig out my phone.But my favourite feature has to be being able to listen to radio 4 on my 30 minute ride interesting work. Boring but true!

6.8.2019

I have had this helmet for 4 weeks now it is my second one the first would not switch off hence I gave a bad review now that I have had the helmet for a few weeks I was maybe a bit harsh on my review I think the helmet is brilliant and so far ha done everything that is asked of hence the 5 stars

Livall BH51M Smart Bluetooth - Reviews

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