First Look: Specialized Airnet Helmet
Between the name and the looks of Specialized’s newest helmet, the Airnet, most consumers will recognize that the lid is inspired by the vintage helmets of the peloton: hairnets. But there’s a lot more going on than just a retro look. The Airnet is stylish and versatile, but Specialized Aerodynamicist Chris Yu says the company also had aero performance in mind when launching the project. In fact, Specialized started its development of the Airnet using the same baseline shapes as its Evade helmet.
Aerodynamic performance is claimed to fall somewhere between a traditional road helmet like the Prevail and a full-on aero model like the Evade. On the road, the Evade is on average 46 seconds faster than a Prevail over 40K, while the Airnet is 21 seconds faster than the Prevail. Not only does that make it Specialized’s third-fastest helmet (behind the S-Works TT and Evade), but Specialized says its testing revealed that the Airnet actually performs better than many competitors full aero helmets.
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Unlike many aero helmets, the Airnet has generous ventilation with deep internal channels and large exhaust ports at the rear of the helmet. Inside those vents are grippers to help keep your favorite cycling shades in place when stowed. Its pads are made of dri-release Merino wool, so in theory they should come with the benefits that wool provides—namely, excellent moisture and temperature management and resistance to odor-causing bacteria.
The Airnet is available now in five colors and costs $150. For an additional $20, it will also be offered with a MIPS helmet liner by December.
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