Home
Bike Gear Reviews
Review Of The Shark S800 Helmet - By Sharon Parker
I wanted a helmet that was feminine. It is hard to look like a girl in full protective bike gear so a feminine helmet seemed the answer. I don't usually like pink but the Shark S800 in mat pink with a pretty butterfly and bug design caught my eye. It is not the usual cerise pink but a nice toned down soft baby pink and the mat sheen also appealed to me.
I first saw in on the internet but it is no good looking pretty if a helmet does not fit right, so I went to the high street to try it on.
The thing with helmets is that not all brands will fit you. We all have different sized heads of course but they also come in different shapes. So be careful that just because one helmet say in a size extra-small fits it does not necessarily follow that another helmet of a different brand will.
Luckily the Shark S800 fitted me perfectly. So I ordered it on-line for £140 (Shop retail price varied from £155 to £175). The one I bought also came with the special offer of a free sun shield that fitted over the top of the clear visor and could therefore be raised up of down as required.
I have now had this helmet for over 4 years since buying it in March 2007. Prices seem to have stayed around the £150 to £175 as of July 2011.
Shark S800 plus points
Is nice and lightweight.
Soft silky feel micro-fibre removable washable inner liner that does not ruffle the hair up too much. (Yes it's a girl plus point).
Lots of good graphics and colours to choose from.
The clip on sun shield it a great additional feature. It is not too dark and cuts out the glare of the sun perfectly. (Note the sun-shield will stay in the up position till about 50 mph but it will not stay up at 70 mph or above.)
Having had previous helmets that fog up every time you stop for a second and having to constantly lift the visor up and down the absolute number one plus point of this helmet for me is with its anti-scratch, anti-fog visor and good ventilation this helmet will not fog up no matter what the weather conditions.
Shark S800 minus points
Expensive (but worth it it my opinion)
The fact it is designed never to fog up comes at the price of being so well ventilated it can be a bit chilly in the cold winter wind. (However if you get a nice fleecy snood and wrap it well under your chin this problem is resolved with no effect on the helmets anti-fog properties what so ever.)
So even though I have put in a couple of minus point they are only half minus points really because the chill can be resolved and the expensive price tag comes worth it when you find out how great this helmet is.
Would I recommended this helmet....Big yes.
Would I buy another one the same...Def yes. Just love it!!
Reader's Comments
CS McGowan said :-
Thank you for your review Sharon. I have been looking for a helmet that is both practical and pretty and yours fits the bill well. I'll be sending Carl out to find one for me soon.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Matthew said :-
After using this helmet for a number of years on the daily commute I find myself in disagreement regarding misting up. This helmet is truly awfull in wet weather an mists up within seconds of putting it on. The ventilation is not able to clear the visor meaning you have to ride with it open a notch allowing water onto the inside of the visor and multiplying the problem. It's also a very loud helmet at motorway speeds.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Sharon Parker said :-
I travelled from Horwich to Worthing in this helmet and it rained all the way for 6 hours. It never misted up once then and has never misted up since, no mater what the weather. But Matthews did so therein lies the proof that what works for one may not work for another.
Would be interesting to hear any other reviews on this helmet to see if I was just lucky to get a good one or if Matthew was just unlucky in getting a faulty one.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Jilly said :-
Mine's a different colour but the same design. I've had no problem with misting excpet on really cold and wet days. I reckon if you clean the visor before you go out it seems to mist up a lot less. Still...I reckon Sharons about right with the review, top lid.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
karen said :-
just bought a used one for $35.00 hope it will be ok... so pretty and matches my 750 honda with a purple buterfly theme... now thats whats important...lol jk
btw the center chin vent seems to stick... is that normal?
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Sharon Parker said :-
Hi Karen, I have to be honest with you one thing I would never buy used is a helmet. For one you do not know if it has ever been dropped. You might not see the damage from the outside but the protective internal structure could have been compressed and damaged. Secondly a helmet as on average a recommended life span of only 5 years. Helmets will have the date of its manufacture somewhere on the helmet, either on the chin strap or as is the case with Shark inside the lining of the helmet. So Karen I would check the date on your label in case this helmet is over 5 years old. However even if in date I would if I were you reconsider wearing a second hand helmet. Sorry this is probably not what you wanted to hear but a helmet is the one things that needs to be in a perfect condition to enable it to stand a chance of save your life if the need should ever arise.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Name
Comment
Add a RELEVANT link (not required)
Upload an image (not required) -
Uploading...
Home
Bike Gear Reviews