Klim X1 Alpha - Gloss Concept High Rise / Electric Blue Lemonade

A comfortable, road focused touring helmet with excellent optics, improved padding, and solid heat performance. Not worth full retail price, but absolutely worthwhile if you get a discount.

Fit & First Impressions
Trying the Klim Alpha X1 alongside the Schuberth E2 and Klim GT1 at Sportsbikeshop made the choice clear. Despite the tight entry caused by Klim s new padded collar designed to reduce wind noise the X1 immediately felt more comfortable once seated on the head. It it really does help with wind noise.

Fit and comfort The updated padding holds the head and cheeks far better than the Krios Pro. With the Krios I needed larger cheek pads; with the X1, the stock fit is already secure with padding that is thicker and of a better quality.

Entry and exit The collar is snug at first, but after a few days it becomes noticeably easier to get on and off.

If you wear glasses, the X1 s arm channels are a welcome addition. Larger armed frames are slightly fiddly but still manageable.

Ventilation & Heat Performance

I rode in 46°C heat through the Pyrenees about as extreme as it gets for Mr average and the X1 held up impressively.

Ventilation is good but not as strong as the Krios Pro.
The helmet feels designed more for road touring than off road airflow.
The chin vent brings in more air than expected, and the top vents work well at certain angles.
Even in extreme heat, I never felt the urge to rip the helmet off.

The visor has a heat repelling coating. real world experience speaks for itself: the helmet stays comfortable even when the temperature is brutal.

Optics & Visor Performance
The transition visor is one of Klim s best features, and it remains excellent on the X1.

No distortion, even with prescription glasses.
Fast reacting tinting.
The peak has fewer vents than before, which you feel during shoulder checks.
You still get the patterned effect on the transition lens when the visor is up, but it s minor and expected.

Buffering settles down after a few days of riding, which is unusual but welcome.

Build Quality & Features
Klim clearly invested more in designing the X1 from the ground up rather than re branding an existing shell.

Padding and interior materials feel premium and secure.
Speaker pockets are now included.
The only real disappointment is the switch from the magnetic chin strap to a traditional DD ring. The magnetic buckle on the Krios Pro was a game changer, and going backwards feels unnecessary.


Value for Money
Is it worth full retail? No.
Is it worth it with £100 less? Absolutely and in true sports-bike fashion the helmet was discontinued.

You re getting a helmet that s:

Comfortable
Stable at speed
Excellent in heat
Great for glasses wearers
Built with noticeably improved materials
Road focused and refined

And tested 54 hours of touring with zero hotspots or pinching after only purchasing the helmet a couple of days before.

Final Verdict
The Klim Alpha X1 is a high quality touring helmet that shines in comfort, optics, and heat performance. It s not perfect ventilation is milder than the Krios Pro, the peak catches wind during shoulder checks, and the DD strap is a step backwards but overall it s a helmet you can trust for long distance riding.

After numerous trying on helmets using the try or buy, narrowed down to this X1, most comfortable Helmet ever put on my head, light, lovely lining material, Visor incredibly clear, after trying when riding it is not the quietest as you will need ear plugs anyway and then it’s Ace! Rolls Royce i would say. Really happy with Harlow Sportsbikeshop as i always feel guilty requesting about 8 helmets to try, the lesser expensive one’s really feel the difference in quality so get what you pay for. I have been fed up with purchasing cheap stuff every year so shelled out this time and absolutely no regrets!

Great fit from the first time I used the helmet. The Sportsbikeshop team provided great advice to ensure a proper fit.

The helmet looks sleek. It is incredibly light and feels well made and very comfortable to wear. However, after using it on two rides, so far, I have found the helmet not to be as quiet as my previous helmet, a Schuberth E1. Whilst the photochromatic visor is very good, I have found it not to darken as much as I'd like, so really miss having an internal visor. In retrospect, I should have gone for the Schuberth E2.