6D ATB-2T Open Face Helmet

Most riders probably consider safety features to be among the top criteria when choosing a helmet. Fit and form are obviously up there as well, but function remains the most important of the 3 F’s and 6D for one has always been about the search for maximum user safety. The new ATB-2T hides an impressive plethora of innovative safety features behind that somewhat non-descript model name, so we were eager to put it to the test to see how it would perform out on the trail. Keep reading to find out how we’ve been getting along!

6D ATB-2T Highlights

• Patented Omni-Directional Suspension™ Technology (ODS)
• Updated, lighter weight construction
• New brow intake port and increased ventilation
• 3-position adjustable visor
• Integrated sunglass dock
• Ionic+™antimicrobial comfort liner
• Fidlock™ magnetic closure
• 6D travel bag
• Exceeds NTA 8776 (E-Bike), EN1078, CPSC, AU/NZS 2063 safety certifications
• Sizes: XS/SM (53-56 cm) / M/L (56-59 cm) / XL/XXL (59-63 cm)
• Virginia Tech 5-star rated
• MSRP: $229.95 USD

Initial Impressions

Let’s address the elephant in the room right up front, pun fully intended: the ATB-2T is a big helmet. If you’re built like a Q-tip you may want to look for something more streamlined, lest your friends would take to calling you Super Mario.

The ATB-2T is big for a reason though, and that’s to house not one but two independent foam liners designed to deal with different types of impact forces: an outer EPS shell provides the classic crumple zone to absorb high-speed impact energy, while the inner EPP layer deals with repeated, low-speed hits. Furthermore, the two layers are suspended from each other to allow for a degree of independent rotation, which of course helps mitigate the damage resulting from the transmission of rotational forces to your head.

Looking over the rest of the feature list, we find an “Ionic+” anti-microbial comfort liner, a 2-way adjustable internal harness, a Fidlock magnetic buckle, an adjustable visor and a sunglass docking area. We count a total of 19 vents, many of which are situated along the length of the helmet to promote better airflow while moving. The side straps can be adjusted for length as well as position around the ears. Our size M/L sample weighed in at 463 grams, which is among the heavier helmets in this category. The $229 USD MSRP is fairly high, although more palatable when you consider that the box contains extra foam pads to fine tune the fit and a helmet storage/carrying pouch.

On The Trail

We tested the size M/L, made for head circumferences from 56 to 59 cm according to 6D’s sizing charts, and we found that it runs quite big. This tester’s head measures in at 58.5 cm, and he still had to crank down the adjustable harness a fair bit to achieve a snug fit. The included sticky foam pads can be used to fine tune the fit, which is particularly useful if you find the overall shape to be less than ideal for your melon. Note that it’s a bit of a faff to manipulate the foam pads, they need to be placed precisely under the comfort liner and then fitted with new Velcro dots (also included). Of course, this is something you only do once, so we’d say it’s an acceptable level of faffiness to obtain a tailored fit.

The level of ventilation is good, as soon as you start moving you can feel significant amounts of air moving in and out of the helmet, thanks to the well-placed vents. For such an imposing shell, this was a positive surprise as we were expecting it to feel warmer after the initial inspection. The comfort liner is soft and the overall experience quite plush. The straps are a bit heavy and you may find that the soft pad placed over the strap feels a bit big and unnecessarily warm – the strap will work fine without it in that case.

The ATB-2T is very stable in use, and plays nicely with either riding glasses or goggles. There is no silicone gripper for a goggle strap out back, but a notch in the profile provides a good spot for securing it. The helmet feels well balanced fore-to-aft, and the adjustable visor can be positioned well outside of your field of vision. There is room for goggle storage with the visor in the highest position, but only just. As for the “sunglass dock”, it doesn’t work too well with all types of glasses. Long and narrow temples will fit, but anything out of the ordinary in terms of shape and you’ll struggle to secure them

Things That Could Be Improved

We’ve mentioned that the extra pads used to adjust the fit can be a bit fiddly to manipulate, but that’s still better than many other helmets which do not provide any similar functionality. We also think the “sunglass dock” could be improved to work with more shapes and sizes of sunglasses, but that is still a minor complaint as well. The most serious issue we have is a certain creakiness between the two impact liners. You won’t notice it during normal riding, but when you move the helmet around it’s a bit annoying. Perhaps the material chosen for the “suspension system” needs to have a certain friction and there is nothing that can be done about it here, but if not, this aspect would bear looking at again. For comparison, the “Spherical MIPS” system found on Giro’s new Merit helmet is built in almost exactly the same way, and it is near silent at all times.

Long Term Durability

We’ve not logged too many miles in the ATB-2T at this point, but the helmet appears to be well put together and there are no early warning signs in regards to build quality. The finish seems to do a great job of resisting scuffing, the strap anchor points are solid and the Ionic+ liner is usually good for the long haul too. We've not taken any spills while testing, so we can't ofer any real-world insights into how the helmet behaves under duress, but based on the certification level and the overall focus on safety we'd expect nothing less than optimum performance in this regard.

What’s The Bottom Line?

Safety first is 6D’s motto, and it shows in the new ATB-2T. Equipped with 2 separate layers of impact foam that also act as protection against rotational impact forces, the ATB-2T surpasses many helmet safety standards and achieves the much sought after 5-star rating from Virigina Tech as well. The helmet is comfortable and the ventilation is more than adequate, making it suitable for all kinds of riding in all kinds of weather. A slightly noisy interface between the two impact liners detracts a bit from the overall score, but if safety is at the very top of your list of priorities you’d certainly do well to consider this one.

More information at: www.6dhelmets.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 49 // Years Riding MTB: 17 // 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.

Photos by Johan Hjord and Nils Hjord