iXS Carve 1.0 Open Face Helmet

Helmets are easily the most important piece of safety equipment in a rider’s arsenal, and there have been many advances in this field over the past decade or so. iXS is of course a heavyweight in the MTB protection world, so it stands to reason that they would throw the kitchen sink at it when they set out to renew their helmet line-up. Safe, comfortable, and quite good looking too – meet the all-new Carve 1.0, a half-shell helmet designed for aggressive trail riding.

iXS Carve 1.0 MIPS Highlights

• Multi-shell in-mold construction
• Patent-pending Head-Guard impact reinforcement for increased impact protection and tensile strength
• MIPS® Air Node rotational impact protection system
• In-mold ventilation channels for exceptional airflow
• Extended rear coverage for added protection
• Integrated sunglasses storage at forehead
• FIDLOCK® SNAP magnetic buckle for effortless handling
• 360° ErgoFit retention system with premium comfort padding
• 3-position vertical adjustment and precision micro-dial
• Wide strap dividers for stable, comfortable strap routing
• Snap-on/off adjustable visor
• Certified according to EN 1078 / CPSC
• 3 sizes: Small (53-56cm) / Medium (56-59cm) / Large (59-62cm)
• Available in four colors
• Weight: 453 grams (size M, verified)
• MSRP: €219 EUR / $219 USD

Initial Impressions

Before we dig into the features, let’s start with the outside. Existing iXS helmets were getting a bit long in the tooth, so one of the aspects that iXS focused on for the latest refresh was coming up with something a bit more modern and on trend in the looks department. Subjective as this is, we think they did a good job with it. The design is angular, but there are plenty of rounded edges and converging lines that give it a distinctly contemporary profile. There are four colors to choose from, black or white like our samples here, or olive green or a red/black combo if you want to spruce things up a bit. The peak is adjustable and can detach in case of a crash to avoid twisting your head around by snagging onto ill-meaning trailside objects.

One of the stated goals for the Carve 1.0 design was to make a very safe helmet without adding too much bulk. To achieve this, iXS leveraged their “Head-Guard” technology, which is essentially a composite “skeleton” that is integrated directly into the internal impact foam layer (already proven in use on the Trigger full-face helmet). The foam is also co-molded with the external shell, which is built in three pieces to allow for some pretty sizable vents to be placed in strategic airflow areas as well. The result is a helmet that is said to help dissipate impact forces over a larger area, while also resisting any cracking of the EPS layer. If you’ve ever taken a bad hit to a helmet you may well have noticed the EPS foam cracked completely under the impact, which not only makes the helmet unsafe to keep using but also poses an additional risk in a multi-impact crash scenario. With the Head-Guard tech, iXS says that the helmet stays safer for longer, even after a crash (and given that people do not throw away their helmets after a crash as often as they maybe should, this sounds like a good move). The helmet has yet to undergo independent testing by Virginia Tech, so we’ll have to wait for that to learn more, but it is of course already certified to the relevant standards.

To add protection against the transmission of rotational forces in the case of an off-axis impact to the head, iXS went with a MIPS Air Node layer. This is one of the latest evolutions of the near-ubiquitous slip-plane technology, which has the merit of being both more silent and more comfortable than some earlier versions. Looking over the rest of the comfort features, there’s a magnetic Fidlock buckle that is very easy and convenient to operate, a wide “bridge” to hold the straps around the ears, as well as iXS’s “360° ErgoFit” retention system which provides for micro adjustability of the fit thanks to an indexed dial as well as three different height positions and four vertical positions for the internal harness. All of these design and material choices do add up when it comes to weight, as the Carve 1.0 clocks in almost 100 grams heavier than the Fox Speedframe Pro or the POC Tectal (or 30 grams heavier than a TLD A3).

On The Trail

Slipping into the Carve for the first time, we were struck by the overall high level of comfort. The MIPS Air node liner is soft and well-padded to the touch, and the design features a relatively large number of padded areas. The result is a helmet that feels like it surrounds your head more so than just sitting perched atop it. The adjustments available are effective and allowed both our testers to get comfortable. Our two testers have slightly different head shapes, which means they have their own preferences when it comes to shape and fit of a helmet. Nils generally gets along best with POC helmets with the Tectal being his absolute favorite, while Johan’s preferred fit is the TLD A3 – the former is a little bit more round in the shape while the latter is a bit more oval. The new Carve fits in right between those two, providing a comfortable and stable fit for both testers here.

In terms of sizing, the Carve comes as advertised. The size M was a good fit for our testers, who both measure in right towards to the top of the relevant size range (55-59cm for the M). Johan had to use all of the available chin strap length while Nils was able to cinch it down a bit. Both testers initially reported that the strap “bridge” sits just a tiny bit too close to the ears, and since it is not adjustable, there’s nothing that can be done about that - try before you buy in case this is usually an issue for you. After a few rides we found that the internal liner packed down a bit which allowed the helmet to sink further down over the head, improving the fit in this regard.

In action, the Carve is comfortable and stable. We did find that the extra weight could cause some fore-to-aft balance issues, but a couple of extra clicks on the micro-adjust dial solved that problem for us (and it also got better once the liner “bedded in” a bit). There is room for large riding glasses, but you might struggle to fit a large pair of goggles in under the brow area if that’s your jam. The docking ports for riding glasses are excellent, easy to find even when attempting to place your riding glasses with one hand. They don’t hold the glasses quite as securely as the latest iteration from Fox for example, but they are infinitely easier to actually use.

The ventilation is very good, with the large top vents helping to evacuate heat even when you’re not moving. The comfort liner is generously sized, and once you start sweating profusely it will end up overwhelmed like any other helmet, but the Carve never feels stuffy thanks to the elaborate and effective venting. All in all, both our testers have come away impressed.

What’s The Bottom Line?

iXS pulled out all the stops in developing the new Carve, and it has paid of handsomely. The designers started with the safety features, but also invested a lot of energy in the visual aspects – the result is a helmet that looks good and performs well out on the trail. The ventilation is great, and the highly adjustable fit makes it both comfortable and stable in action. Certainly one we’re happy to grab for our next ride!

For more information head on over to ixs.com.

About The Reviewers

Johan Hjord - Age: 53 // Years Riding MTB: 21 // Weight: 190-pounds (87 kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Nils Hjord – Age: 22 // Years Riding MTB: 14 // Height: 5’9” (1m80) // Weight: 185-pounds (84-kg)

Always committed to having fun on his bike, Nils likes to keep his wheels in the air almost as much as on the ground. Although he enjoys going fast and is no stranger to burping his tires off the rim, he has dedicated most of his riding time to mastering manuals and making his tabletops flatter – but that doesn’t mean he can’t put the hurt on his wheels through a high-speed rockgarden too, when needed. Good thing his dad is a full-time Vital staffer with access to lots of bike parts that need testing!

Photos by Johan Hjord and Nils Hjord