Product Review: Bell Eliminator Forced Air Helmet

The helmet that can be many different helmets.

When it comes to head protection, these are pretty good days to be an off-road enthusiast. Technology is making our helmets better than they’ve ever been and global manufacturing is ensuring that the prices remain as competitive as the individuals wearing them. The trouble is while there are dozens upon dozens of MX-inspired race helmets on the market and countless open face, street bike and snowmobile options, nobody’s really taken a look at the unique needs of the UTV and side-by-side market. Until now.

Meet the Eliminator from Bell Helmets. If your first thought upon gazing at the model is that it looks an awful lot like the automotive racing lids of years past, you’d be right on the money. Bell purposely designed the helmet around the styling, simplicity and functionality of vintage auto racing helmets but infused it with the lightness, protection and precision that we’ve come to expect in a helmet today. And the design cues are more than just a nod to an era of racing past; it turns out the environment, the specs and demands of a modern SxS cockpit in action are nearly exact to those of a performance car’s confines.

All of this is fine and good but probably doesn’t help you much if you’re considering picking up one of these lids. The hard facts break down as follows:

The fiberglass composite shell helmet is available in 8 sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, ML, XXXL). The largest of these comes in at 3.09 pounds. Our medium test helmet weighed in at 2.12 pounds! If this fails to impress you on paper (or screen as the case may be), this puts it in line with some of the Styrofoam bicycle helmets we have kicking around over here.

The ProVision face shield is dual paned, so there’s no messing with insert lenses. What this means in English is a layer of air between the two panes to prevent fogging without the need for chemicals, stickers etc.

Speaker pockets for optional communication devices and an eyeglass friendly port mean that if you’re the type of driver who typically packs some accessories under his helmet, Bell’s got you covered.

Additional goodies include:

ProVision dual pane, anti-fog face shield with Class 1 optics
Anti-bacterial liner
Contoured cheek pads
Recessed speaker pockets
Eyeglass compatible
Magnefusion strap keeper
Optional Peak Visor (sold separately)
DOT Certification

The standard Eliminator will set you back $399.

We had the opportunity to test the Forced Air model- which includes all of the standard features of the Eliminator above with some unique touches catered specifically for we off-road types: A series of sticky-mount dust skirts and seals including that telltale tube that acts as a fresh air system hookup should you be running one.

Not to worry if, like us, the budget doesn’t allow for such luxuries. Here’s the brilliance of this system- you can mix and match the included accessories to cater to your own unique needs. Out of the box the top vents (all 9 of them) work wonders in injecting air into the top of the helmet’s liner. However, these aren’t closable on their own. Here’s where the included vent covers are priceless. The dust curtain mounts inside to insure that nothing finds its way past. Bell includes their Peak Visor in the package – a sun blocker not unlike those found on all MX helmets. Finally there is the Forced Air Kit for which the model is named itself. This blocks off the chin vents and allows for the direct feed of a clean air system. It works just as well without such a system by placing the air intake to the rear of the helmet rather than allowing all of the headlong dust direct access. Stuffing a small slab of microfiber cloth in this tube, we’ve discovered, works wonders as a makeshift air filter.

Additional features of the Forced Air Eliminator:

Bell Eliminator Dust Curtain
Eliminator Forced Air Kit
Eliminator Vent Covers
Peak Visor

The Forced Air Eliminator helmet like ours retails for $469.95 and is available in gloss white or matte black.

So what’s the helmet like in action? The first thing our testers noticed was the weight – or the lack thereof. A two and some change pound off-road helmet is something you don’t appreciate only once you’d slid it on but rather one of those things that makes you smile every time you turn your head, hit a bump or take a hard turn.

The ProVision dual pane visor isn’t just marketing hyperbole. We took the helmet through everything from frosty snowy morning rides to muggy dusk cruises and never experienced fogging. The shape of the port, however, may take a little getting used-to. Drivers used to wearing full face, integrated visor helmets loved it. Naturally those who usually ran open face units with goggles felt it reminded them of a snowmobile helmet. We should note it’s also possible to simply detach the helmet’s visor and run goggles if that’s your flavor of choice. In fact, ditching the shield and keeping the peak visor mounted gives the whole helmet a decidedly off-road vibe.

Another really cool feature is Bell’s integration of X-Static liners. These things are washable, quick drying and woven with silver fibers to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungus. This may not sound like a big deal until you reach deep into your gear bag the week after a particularly sweaty and grueling ride only to discover your helmet’s interior is completely odorless.

Even the little things you barely think about work way better here than expected. After strapping through the dual ring retention system, even with gloves on and fumbling about, the Magnefusion strap keeper uses a magnet powerful enough to make contact every time- with a nice audible click no less. It’s a small thing, sure, but there is this type of attention to detail is present everywhere here.

While Bell’s 8-size options make certain there is a lid for every shape and size melon, we do advise paying careful consideration to their site’s sizing chart before purchasing. The sizes tend to run a tad snug. If you find yourself between two sizes generally, you’re probably going to want to opt for the larger option in this case.

In conclusion the Bell Eliminator Forced Air is a helmet unlike any we’ve had the pleasure of testing before and can fill a surprising number of roles right out of the box. Using none of the included accessories, the lid could literally be used to race cars, be worn on street bikes, snowmobiles, ATVs, etc. The accessories elevate the game to a whole plethora of off-road customs- We ended up devising a warm weather setup with the shield removed, the peak visor in place, the top vents open and the Forced Air tube acting as an air filter and took it on all day 4×4 quad outings. A few quick swaps and it was ready for a snowy SxS excursion. What Bell’s created here is something we wouldn’t have thought possible prior to strapping it on- a helmet that literally does it all. The fact that it’s feather-light, boasts a 5-year warranty and looks like something out of a cafe racer’s handbook are simply bonuses.

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