Cycle News Staff | September 22, 2019
Schuberth C4 Pro Carbon Helmet Product Review
The Schuberth brand is popular in Europe and is gaining popularity in the U.S.
Schuberth has been making safety helmets for over 70 years. They make helmets for everything from Formula 1 to Fire Brigade to Special Forces military helmets and is hugely popular in Europe. The C4 Pro Carbon is Schuberth’s top-of-the-line offering in a modular, flip-up helmet, and the only one in this category that features full carbon fiber construction and an integrated communication system.
Advertised as Formula One technology for the road, it’s DOT FMVSS No. 218 approved and wind-tunnel tested for “outstanding aerodynamics.” The Coolmax liner is removable and washable while the visor comes complete with a Pinlock120 anti-fog insert lens and is certified to meet class-one optics, meaning that the visor is distortion-free. The communications system is compatible with Sena SC1 standard and advanced systems, and the helmet comes with preinstalled loudspeakers, microphone, and an integrated antenna.
The C4 Pro Carbon helmet features full carbon-fiber construction and an integrated communication system.
The Lowdown of the Schuberth C4 Pro Carbon Helmet
Stand-Out Feature: Luxurious interior and excellent aerodynamics
MSRP: $849.00
Having almost no experience with the Schuberth brand, our staff was curious to try out this high-end German-engineered helmet. The first thing we learned is that the sizing is way different than most of the other brands we’re accustomed to. This helmet runs a full size smaller than their competitors’ helmets, and everyone on our staff felt that even one full size up from what they normally wear still felt a little tight. That said, once you find the size that actually fits your head, it’s a super comfortable helmet. The Coolmax, Oeko-Tex-certified (tested to be free of harmful chemicals) liner is by far the most luxurious liner of any helmet we’ve ever worn, and the flip feature is easy to open and close. The helmet has an integrated tented sun visor that’s infinitely adjustable and gives you a fighter-pilot look when fully deployed. If you wear glasses when you ride, you’ll love how well they fit inside, thanks to the integrated grooves and seamless head padding.
When you get moving, the helmet is very quiet, and the sound system is as good as any we’ve ever used. Phone calls, FM radio, navigation, intercom, and your own playlist is piped in through the integrated speakers and works well. When you stop for gas or if your friendly highway patrolman wants to chat, the flip feature makes communicating with the outside world much more polite. It’s also nice for letting in some cool air when stopped. When moving at highway speed with the flip locked down, the helmet performs as advertised and there’s almost no buffeting. We rode on both faired and un-faired motorcycles for our review, and in either situation, the helmet didn’t try to lift off.
The ventilation system worked nicely, and while we expected the mechanical open and close mechanisms to rattle while riding, we weren’t able to hear them if they were. They do seem loose when you’re fiddling with the helmet while stopped, but they worked fine and didn’t seem to rattle. On the other hand, perhaps we’re just old school, but the quick-release buckle is bulky and unnecessary in our opinion.
The C4 Pro Carbon is offered in three graphic designs: Tempest White (pictured), Delta White and Tempest Yellow. We were very pleased with our first Schuberth experience and would highly recommend the C4 Pro Carbon to anyone in the market for a high-end helmet.
For more information, visit www.schuberth.com
