Team Total Energies might best be described as ‘breakaway merchants’, such is their journeyman style standing in the WorldTour, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get access to some very decent kit, via some presumably quite lucrative sponsorship deals.
One such kit provider is helmet experts HJC. And you might be forgiven for assuming it’s also a bit of an underdog.
That might well be true in cycling, but if you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, you’ll recognise those three initials alongside Shoei, or Arai—brands which have been associated with the top-flight of motorcycle racing since the invention of the internal combustion engine. They’re helmet sponsor for Monster Energy Yamaha, and you’ll see HJC logos all over any superbike or MotoGP paddock. When it comes to pedal power, HJC is not nearly so visible, and that could be a real blindspot if you’re after a really good alternative to the higher profile brands.
(Image credit: Future)
HJC know what they’re doing in protective headwear. We last tested the Furion some seven years ago, and both this helmet and helmet technology have come on in leaps and bounds since then, when it compared very favourably to some of the highest profile brands in the market at that time.
That’s unsurprising, since they have actually been making motorcycle helmets for over 80 years and whereas brands who don’t have such a lustrous heritage in protective headgear might buy-in helmet ingredients like Mips, HJC just borrow theirs from the motorcycling division and sprinkle them liberally into their cycling designs. They even have their own wind tunnel where the Furion 3 is developed.
Design details
The HJC Furion 3 is apparently, therefore, what happens when a motorcycle brand brings all that safety and performance expertise to bear in a cycling context. The result is, in its words a “semi aero, highly ventilated, racers’ helmet,” which it says, “is aimed at those riders looking for the ultimate in speed.”
It sits at the top of the range, way above HJC’s more entry level helmets such as the Antara, which we tested a while back and gave a not far from top mark of four stars to, and rated it for it’s excellent value at just £75. This one is an altogether more premium affair at £209. But that puts it at the more accessible end of WorldTour helmet tech. It’s more conventional less-aero intentioned road-racing helmet is the similarly specced Ibex, which also tested well last time we got our hands on one, and was singled out for an editors choice award.
But despite Furion 3’s unashamedly techy intentions, it is mercifully conventional in its design, with a lovely matte blue finish and discreet white logos. It looks very smart indeed. At the rear of the helmet, above the exposed head cradle, the rear vents are finished in a matte burgundy red, which give a nod to an afterburner on a jet fighter, but not so much in its darker hue that it feels silly.
(Image credit: Future)
Inside the helmet, the proprietary tech promised with multiple individual brand marks and icons in the press release is discreetly placed. In fact, on first glance, the interior appears minimal.
There’s no red and yellow Mips cradle, which is common in so many helmets these days, and you’re hard pressed to spot the padding, but that’s a deliberate approach which it calls ‘Coolpath’. This, it says, removes the padding that blocks airflow or causes turbulence inside the helmet.
The Mips type system is there, or at least HJC’s own version, which it calls ‘SLID’ (Sliding Layer Impact Distribution). It’s similar in appearance to systems like Kineticore in Laser’s helmets, in that there’s a cage structure in the crown of the helmet. This one is joined to the EPS liner at four corners, with two four or five cm gel pads. These, it says, not only work to reduce rotational impacts but also reduce impact energy. The system was first developed for their motorcycle helmets, and HJC claims with some confidence that it is the ‘Apex of cycling helmet safety.’
We cannot confirm or challenge that assertion, except to say that we have criticised brands like HJC in the past for not adding in the familiar ‘branded’ helmet ingredients that drive enhanced safety in helmets, but in this latest version here, like Laser and other brands have done, they’ve sought their own solutions to the same problems. This particular HJC system comes across from its motorcycle division.
Third party testing of these systems, would give consumers more confidence of course. HJC helmets are not sold in the USA, so it doesn’t have the now very common and reassuring Virginia Tech rating, sadly.
The pads, whilst discreet and few, include what HJC calls X-Static technology, which is essentially a way of embedding the antibacterial properties of silver into the thread used to make the pads. Handy for keeping nasty smells at bay, and presumably, overall more hygienic than conventional pads.
(Image credit: Future)
The helmet takes the form of the common semi-aero design, with limited ventilation, and channels to direct air over the surface, with a focus on maximum aerodynamics. That said, it’s certainly not an unventilated affair, with ten discreet vents and channels designed to accelerate air over the surface of the helmet as it detaches at the rear.
There’s a fitting system inside which it calls ‘Selfit-pro’, with five individual points of attachment to choose from for fore and aft positioning of the adjustable cradle. Once set, the internal adjustment is actuated with a large, round, easy-to-locate and move dial which pulls in the frame and cradles the head snugly. It’s similar to everyone else’s alternative system, and will be familiar.
(Image credit: Future)
Whilst the focus is on lightweight and aero performance, the helmet has an overall feel of class, and all of the materials involved help that sense of quality along nicely.
The safety aspects of the helmet, aside from the clever ingredients, comes down to how the EPS and shell is made. In this respect, there’s an internal and rigid structure inside the EPS to add strength, and the shell is bonded to the EPS liner in the mould, which adds a degree of strength to the system as a whole.
Setup
Getting the product out of the box for the first time, it’s striking how well they’ve nailed the overall feel. The tactile finish and matte tones add to an initial sense that the people who made it know exactly what they’re doing.
My initial concerns about the lack of padding quickly fell away as the helmet settled on to my head. There’s no sense of sharp edges, or cheap materials as it finds its fit. Adjustment is fuss free, and I was struck by how comfortable it is straight out of the box.
HJC’s system cradles my skull a little higher up than some, which is good for me. That’s very subjective, however, and here and on the forehead, it seems very ergonomic and very well considered, giving a real sense of security in the fit, without any of the pressure points or edges that can become a nuisance over time.
Crucially, the helmet features dedicated ports for stowing sunglasses in the front vents – table stakes these days genuinely – and they hold my various pairs securely without rattling, even over rougher roads. I tested it with 100% and POC models and a couple of casual pairs for good measure. The majority located easily when wearing the lid, locked in nicely, and sit nicely off the helmet.
Pre-ride, first impressions are exceptional. The plain looks, and lack of visible ‘ingredients’ or worries about tech not ‘falling out’ of the box initially, quickly give way to quiet confidence in the overall quality. Like any good helmet, once it’s on, you don’t think about it again. Except when admiring it, when stopped.
It does come in some absolutely lovely and seemingly unlimited colourways. I loved the red and blue version I had, but there’s a lovely Rosewood version or a dark grey and gold, and even a neon orange option if you’re moving on from a POC, but need the visibility. There’s white, silver, and black also.
It comes in S (51-56cm), M (55-59cm) and L (58-63cm). I have a big head and fit a large in most helmets, and sizing seemed similar, with no surprises. The helmet weighs a claimed 245g which is very competitive, and lighter than helmets more expensive than this one.
Performance and accuracy
Out on the road, you quickly forget it is there. There’s no wind noise, no buffeting, and the venturi system works beautifully to contribute to a breezy feeling which at no point made the helmet feel in any way uncomfortable.
Out of the saddle efforts couldn’t overheat my head, and despite the relatively cold weather I was testing it in, I tend to run hot in everything and the HJC Furion 3 gave me no sense of claustrophobia, or that it might retain too much heat. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking it was a normal vented helmet, one perhaps with far less aero pretension.
(Image credit: Future)
I do sweat pretty profusely in almost any riding conditions and, even when pretty damp, the limited pads never felt overwhelmed or sodden, which suggested they were wicking well and doing their job. No helmet can work hard enough to keep your head fully dry in the summer, but back to back with lesser items, this HJC is noticeably higher spec in the fabric choices, and the premium materials do work harder. I can’t judge if they’re better or worse than a comparable spec helmet in that department, but they’re comfortable and competent for the price point and beyond.
(Image credit: Future)
Despite having a wind tunnel at their disposal, which they say they’ve used in the development of the helmet, there was little comparative data provided. There was a graph, on which it appears faster than three other helmets on test. I don’t know why brands still insist on showing us graphs with anonymised data on them, with no sense of the speed tested at, or anything else. It makes it feel somewhat meaningless, and let’s be honest, it is.
In that sense, my experience on the road can’t enlighten us further. I can’t tell you how fast it is, anymore than I can tell you how safe it is – I didn’t headbutt any cars – but it certainly seemed to be well considered in both departments. The aero in the helmet is very quiet, despite the aforementioned breeze from the venturi effect vent designs being noticeable.
The shell is made in a mould with the liner and internal frame, which gives some structural advantages and is a technology shared with the very best road cycling helmets – it’s clear it’s a very high quality item, even when set against spendier equipment.
Value
HJC is an underdog in terms of brand visibility alongside Met, Giro and Kask, but from the time I’ve spent – really enjoying – using this helmet, the product is right up there, and comes with the credibility of a brand that may not be so visible in cycling just now, but that makes some of the best motorcycle helmets in the market. As a cyclist and ardent biker too, that does count for something in my book.
Under £200 for a wind tunnel tested, WorldTour level equipment, aero-intentioned helmet is extremely good value indeed. Compared to very high end kit such as the Met Trenta it is considerably cheaper by around £100, but POC, Kask, and many others are more expensive also.
The elephant in the room, when comparing ‘WorldTour’ level helmets is and remains the incredibly well-specced Van Rysel RCR-F Mips, which despite HJC’s apparent value alongside more prominent brands, cannot compete with the VR helmet on price. It remains an unbeatable £90 cheaper than the Furion 3.
If you can afford the jump up and want to prioritise style and finish, the Furion 3 doesn’t lack anything that the more expensive competitors. Comes with that biker brand heritage baked in, and it stacks up as really good value alongside the really expensive gear.
