Do you skate and have a massive melon? Or even a 25-inch head that’s made skate helmet shopping a time-consuming and ultimately painful experience? You’re in luck. Because this S-one Mega Lifer helmet review (XXXL) will very soon uncover this helmet so you can see if it’s the best bet for protecting your outsize noggin against low impacts and bigger blows to the head.
Also read: Triple Eight Gotham skateboard helmet review
S-One makes some of the safest helmets out there, and I’m not shilling for them or anything like that. I saw their engineer demonstrating why it’s a terribly bad idea to use non-certified helmets, and I was shocked. More on this further down the road.
S1 Mega Lifer Skateboard Helmet Review: A Summary
The bigger shell size of the S1 Mega Lifer fists extremely big heads way better than most. It’s the best skateboard helmet for 25″ or nearly 65 cm heads. It’s actually the largest, best fitting high impact skate for skaters with bigger heads. S-One claims that the S1 Mega Lifer is incredibly more protective than regular skate helmets thanks to its specially formulated EPS fusion foam. We couldn’t verify the accuracy of this bold claim, but we show by way of video and pictures below that the S1 Mega Lifer has thicker foam than most helmets, including the Triple 8 Gotham Helmet, a close competitor. It’s a multiple impact helmet that protects your noggin against multiple low force impacts as well as single high impacts. It’s ASTMF1492 certified for skateboarding and CPSC and also offers the added safety of a CPSC 1203 certified helmet (for biking. It even meets the European CE EN1078 bike and skateboard helmet safety standards and even the Australian and New Zealand standards. Extras? Yes, you get an extra set of sizing liners with a thickness of 6mm so you can wear the helmet if your head is a little smaller than the maximum size of 25.5″. But there’s no size adjustment dial on the back, which even cheaper ones offer. And I’ve seen cheaper helmets like an OutdoorMaster skateboard helmet Peter’s currently testing that offers a nicely padded chin strap. It’s not cheap, but neither is your brain-jammed 25″ head.
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Also read: Best skateboard helmets for extra-large domes
You’ll soon delightfully discover that this dual-certified skate helmet has super-thick, highly protective EPS foam. One that’s thicker than most. And that it takes all the small and big blows that’d otherwise have smashed your head to smithereens.
Our assessment found that this brain bucket works perfectly for skaters with outsized head dimensions, even those with extremely big heads. As a large-headed skater, you’re about to say goodbye to helmet hunt woes while joyfully embracing your sizable skull size.
Video Review of the S1 Mega Lifer Helmet
How We Reviewed the S1 Mega Lifer Big-head Skateboard Helmet
The Internet teems with scammers and fake skaters of all kinds, and we all have read a “review” that a completely clueless person wrote. It left a bad taste in the mouth. All that’s about to change with our review of the S1 Mega Lifer helmet.
Because we at skatingmagic.com actually bought and tested this skate helmet. And in this post, we’ll demonstrate clearly that this helmet is the perfect fit for any skater with a generously proportioned dome.
One of us, Peter, even went ahead and shot a video review of the product. Peter’s inline skates, stands 5’4’’, and has a 58cm head, which honestly is pretty average. But that didn’t hinder him from demonstrating just how ridiculously big the S1 Mega Lifer XXXL skateboard helmet is; in fact, having a typical head size helped him do the job better.
However, Peter didn’t skate in this lid because how could he when the helmet actually wore him? He put it on his head, and it pretty much floated on his melon instead of offering a nice and snug fit.
If you’re here to know whether the S1 Mega Lifer XXXL would work for your large dome, be our guest. But don’t worry, Peter will also show you safety certification stickers and even a picture showing the incredible thickness of this helmet’s protective EPS foam.
We found that the manufacturer has made a few claims on the product listing (Amazon), and we assessed those claims based on our extensive helmet knowledge and hands-on experience fitting and handling this helmet. We believe you’ll find this review helpful. If you have any questions about this helmet, we’d be happy to answer all of them.
Bonus: In our video review of the S1 Mega Lifer skate helmet above, we place a close competitor of this brain saver beside it to help you see how much thicker it is.
We Investigated These 5 Claims Made by S1
- Claim #1: That the Mega Lifer XXXL is for 59cm heads (this claim is found on a sticker inside the helmet).
- Claim #2: That this helmet works for skaters with large heads.
- Claim #3: Deep Fit Design; the helmet is super deep and offers tons of coverage
- Claim #4: It’s a dual-certified and can be used for biking and skating, specifically skateboarding, inline skating/rollerblading, and roller-skating.
- Claim #5: The S1 Mega Lifer is 5 times more protective than other skate helmets.
Peter takes over the blogpost from this point on…
Looks, Build Quality, Shape, and Feel of the S1 Mega Lifer Helmet
Hey skaters. I’m Peter, an intermediate-level inline skater. Before we dive right in and review the S1 Mega Lifer, let’s talk about what it looks like, my first impressions when I handled it for the first time, and its feel.
I got hold of the S1 Mega Lifer upon its arrival from Texas where we’d directed Amazon to ship the product. We’re outside of the U.S. if you’re curious to know.
Unboxing the S1 Mega Lifer skate helmet
The box seemed a bit battered, but that’s understandable considering that the helmet had traveled an extremely long distance to reach us. But there wasn’t a single dent or scratch on the helmet. See what the box looked like in the photo below and what the helmet looked like when we unboxed it in the second photo.
It felt pretty solid, totally unlike a non-certified Protec skate helmet I intend to review quite soon. I pushed its sides inwards, and the tough ABS shell wouldn’t budge. I can only conclude that the ultra thick gray EPS liner beneath the black matter shell is constructed to resist impacts to the head. But more on this below.
Looks
This black matte helmet looks bulbous, but then it’s extremely big. But its hefty appearance doesn’t detract from the usual classic slim round design that characterizes the typical dual certified skate helmet.
But it gets even better. This dual certified protection is available in at least 10 colors including black matte/black rubber, black gloss, black gloss glitter, dark gray matte,double black gloss glitter, navy matte, tan leopard matte, white gloss, silver gloss glitter, purple matte, and even white gloss with checkers.
You’ll definitely find a hue that meshes beautifully with your style. And I bet most big-headed skaters would vibe beautifully with the S1 Mega Lifer.
Its Shape
I recently read somewhere that S1 helmets fit round-shaped heads better while S1 and Triple 8 helmets fit rounder noggins somewhat better. But I didn’t notice any shape difference between the S1 Mega Lifer and my Triple Eight Gotham in terms of shape.
Both were intermediate oval, which is the most common head shape according to the NHTSA. Other head shapes include round oval, and long oval. My head is more or less round oval, and I’m Black if that helps. And both helmet brands fit me more or less the same way.
Claim #1: The S1 Mega Lifer Fits 59cm Heads: False!
Look at the sticker inside the shell of the helmet below. It says the helmet is for 59cm heads. But I know for a fact that this claim is utterly false. I measured my head at 58cm, and the amount of room left all around my head is evidence that this wouldn’t fit 59cm heads.
I managed to slip my whole hand between the front of this helmet and my forehead! See the image below for confirmation.
Also, I had another guy (not a skater) try on the S1 Mega Lifer, and the thing was still too roomy. For context, the guy isn’t a skater, stands 5 ‘8’’ and I thought he had a big head until I measured it at 61cm. This dude (see picture below) has large hands, significantly bigger than mine, yet he didn’t face any resistance when he tried putting a hand between the helmet and his forehead.
This is proof that this helmet isn’t for 58cm, 59cm,60cm, 61cm heads. Honestly, I don’t know of anyone that could fit this helmet on their noggin to create the perfect fit. And NO, this large-dome skateboard helmet WILL NOT WORK for any 59cm head.
Claim #2: The S1 Mega Lifer Fits Large Heads: True, But…
…it fits extremely big heads best.
Even though the attached sticker said 59cm, it said XXXL on the inside of the front of the helmet. I believe the 59cm was a mistake.
23.8” heads are considered big, which means that 25.5” are extremely big noggins. I believe this to be the correct sizing information for this massive melon protector.
Also, the sizing information printed on the box was entirely different. It clearly says on the bottom of the size chart that this XXXL skate helmet fits heads as large as 25.5”.
Verdict: the S1 Mega Lifer definitely fits large heads, but it’s clearly designed to fit the biggest of heads. We at skatingmagic.com are convinced that there’s no skater head that the S1 Mega will not fit comfortably.
Claim #3: Deep Fit Design
S1 claims that the Mega Lifer fits super deep and offers a tremendous amount of side, front, and back coverage. We believe this statement to be true.
I put the helmet on my head, making it sit level. But it made me look super awkward, it was like I didn’t actually wear the thing, it wore me instead!
The brim descended all the way down my forehead and back of the head. And a decent portion of my ear was well inside the helmet.
It definitely would be a terrible fit for a regular head size (59-62cm) because answering calls on your smartphone would be that much harder. The Deep Fit Design isn’t hype; it’s a matter of fact.
Claim #4: It’s a Dual Certified Skate Helmet: True!
We found this claim to be true. Not only is the S1 Mega Lifer certified to the CPSC 1203 bike helmet safety standard, but it’s also certified to the skate safety standard, the ASTM F1492 standard.
Well, it didn’t say this brain saver also meets the European skate and bike safety standard, the EN 1078. The UK version is the BS EN 1078: 1997, which is based off of the European standard.
However, it’s safe to assume that the helmet meets this standard’s safety criteria since the EN 1078 is somewhat less stringent than the ASTM F1492.
This helmet goes a step further to fulfill the testing requirements of Australian and New Zealand skate and bike helmet safety standards.
It does seem to me that S1 went out of the way to serve skaters inside and outside of the U.S., which is commendable.
You Can Skate or Bike With the S1 Mega Lifer
Similar to most modern skate helmets from reputable brands, the S1 Mega Lifer helmet is dual-certified. The CPSC 1203 bicycle helmet safety standard for persons aged 5 and above qualifies this helmet for biking.
The CPSC 1203 safety standard means that the helmet provides lots of coverage on the front of the head. Forward falls aren’t very common in roller skating and rollerblading, but it’s comforting to know that the helmet would be there if you ever tumbled over forward.
However, skateboarders fall in all kinds of ways, even forwards, so having a helmet with great front coverage would be nice. And maybe some mouth guard if you’re into extremely aggressive boarding.
I know a dude who lost all his front teeth after falling forward. They didn’t have a helmet (skateboarders, why don’t y’all stop glorifying gearless skating?), but they started helmeting up and even wearing a mouth guard post-mishap.
Having the ASTM F1492 safety certification renders the helmet fit for skateboarding, roller skating, and rollerblading aka inline skating. A helmet thus certified extends further down at the back of the head and provides tons of protection there.
Most falls in skating have the rider hitting the back of the head rather than the front. Therefore, the ASTM F1492 is an absolute must when picking out a skate head. So, you absolutely can use this helmet for biking as well as skating.
Claim #5: The S1 Mega Lifer Offers 5 Times Better Protection
The coverage is great, no question about it, but how protective is the S1 Mega Lifer helmet? S1 claims that this helmet is 5 times more protective than other brands offerings, but is this claim true.?
I’ve watched all kinds of helmet safety crash tests on YouTube by S1 and other brands. While I know that S1 helmets are properly certified.
According to an S1 engineer in this video, a properly certified MUST reduce 1,000Gs of impact energy to under 300Gs. Put another way, a properly certified skateboard helmet dissipates at least 701Gs of energy away from the head so that no more than 299Gs impact the head.
Any helmet that doesn’t meet this test simply is non-certified. Fortunately, ALL S1 skate helmets pass this safety test.
All that said, I couldn’t find any evidence expressly stating that the company’s helmets provide up to 5 times better protection compared to comparable helmets.
We decided to treat this claim as mere marketing hype. But then something caught my eye, and I now believe there could be some substance to this bold claim.
I’d noticed that the EPS foam (EPS stands for Expanded Polystyrene) of this helmet was quite thick, but I didn’t know if this was anything unique until I placed the helmet side by side with a close competitor, the Gotham skate helmet from Triple Eight. Its impact-absorbing EPS foam was really thick, even thicker than T8 Gotham’s foam.
I also noticed something else: the S1 Mega Lifer’s shock-dampening EPS liner was uniformly thick. While for the Triple 8 Gotham, the foam is thicker around the front than it is around the back.
Perhaps the triple 8 is thicker in the front than in the back to meet the CPSC 1203 standard. Since the S1 Mega Lifer is thicker all the way around, that it is more protective seems like a plausible conclusion.
Sweat Pads: Thick, Soft, Velvety, and Washable
The helmet came with three soft wooly comfort pads, one for the front, one for the back of the head, and one for the top of the head.
When I wore the S1 Mega Lifer helmet, it felt nice and comfy, and I experienced no pressure points on my temple, front, back, or top of my head. The pads attach to the thick certified foam at a bunch of spots with velcro, and I was able to peel off all three pads without a problem.
But each time I removed a pad, I saw some thin fibers that had snapped from the sweat pad, but that’s to be expected with any kind of hook-and-loop attachment. Besides, the pads can be replaced and are easy to find online. I don’t think the pads will last very long honestly, but do they on any helmet?
Peel Off the Pads And Machine Wash Them
You definitely can wash these removable pads in your washing machine, which saves a second when cleaning the helmet. This isn’t unique though: most skate helmets come with washable liners.
But wait, do the sweat pads actually absorb warm sweat from panting skaters? I didn’t get to test the sweat pads on the S1 Mega Lifer because the helmet was too big.
I Tested Similar Sweat Pads
Watch the review video above to see the Triple pads I’m talking about.
However, I did test the sweat liners on my Triple 8 helmet, and they’re similar in quality and design to the pads found on the S1 Mega Lifer. I put on the helmet and eased myself onto the road and started pushing as hard as I could. I skated for about 1 hour, and it was a pretty intense workout which means I sweat up a small storm.
Some of the sweat did end up in my eyes, which I actually expected, and there was the usual burning sensation that’s no fun at all. Upon taking the helmet off my head, I removed the pads to assess how good of a job they had done.
The comfort padding was utterly soaked, which means the pads absorbed lots of sweat from my session. But I did get the impression that little to no sweat would have gotten into my eyes had I been riding at a moderate speed and didn’t sweat much. The pads are washable, so no problem.
11 Airflow Vents
There are 7 holes on the top, 2 on the front, and 2 on the back of the tough ABS plastic shell.
Then there’s the air vents found on the tough ABS shell. I counted, and they’re 11 holes on the shell. These holes are there to aid air circulation, and they run deep, all the way from the shell to the gray protective foam.
In an ideal skating world, you’d not be uncomfortable wearing a helmet like that since warm air would flow out while cool air would flow into the helmet, to your head.
When I skated with the Triple eight helmet, whose air vents are similar to those on the S1 Mega Lifer helmet, the air vents didn’t keep my head super cool.
But to give a little credit to the vents, I did feel a nice cool breeze hitting me from behind my head. Skate helmets aren’t as well-ventilated as bike helmets generally.
Chin straps: Long, Strong, and Adjustable
The chin straps attach to the helmet with the help of rivets. They’re riveted between the plastic shell and the EPS foam that protects your head from impacts. The straps felt solid and like they’re good quality, and they’re definitely synthetic as is the case with most skate helmets.
They’re not as thin as others I’ve seen, and since the helmet itself is certified, you can be sure that this retention system has been safety tested too and is safe to use. Also, the straps are long enough, which tells me they were designed for a skateboarder, roller skater, or inline skater with a very big head.
These straps are also adjustable, which makes dialing in the perfect fit easier. And I got the impression that cleaning these straps with a cloth or toothbrush would not be hard at all. It’s a shame that a helmet that cost me $92 doesn’t have a fit adjustment dial on the back.
No Fit Dial on the Back, Which Ain’t a Biggie
Many helmets these days come with a wheel or knob that you rotate counterclockwise to tighten and clockwise to loosen, but the S1 Mega Lifer lacks this additional helmet fitment mechanism. Let’s now talk about the most important thing: safety certifications.
S1 Mega S1 Lifer Price
The S1 Mega Lifer came in at $92 at time of purchase compared to $77-ish for the Gotham. Do I feel like the price difference is justifiable? Yes, I do. The S1 helmet may not offer the fit dial on the back, which the Gotham does, but the S1 has a noticeably thicker liner, and that for me is a difference worth a lot more than the $15ish price difference.
S1 Mega Lifer XXL Review: Conclusion
We believe that the S1 Mega skateboard helmet is the best helmet out there for skaters with extremely large heads. It protects like a boss, too, which makes the deal even sweeter. If you have a substantial cranium and have been struggling to find a fitting helmet, look no further than the Mega Lifer XXXL.
If you find a better option, please come back here and call me out for dishonesty. I know that will not happen, though. Because I’d searched all over the internet before ordering the S1 Mega Lifer off of Amazon. And it was (and still is) the only helmet that works for large-domed skaters of all stripes.
