Newsflash: Female anatomy is not the same as male anatomy. Sure, we all know this and apparel manufacturers have been making women’s jackets, pants, boots and gloves for some time now, but for some reason helmet makers have been slow to adjust. Germany-based Schuberth stands out as an exception, and has been making helmets specifically to fit the female head—with its generally narrower facial profile—for years. Last year it introduced an updated version of its modular helmet, the C4 Pro (Gear Lab, September 2019), with improvements to fit, comfort and noise reduction, and now it has announced the C4 Pro Women, making the updates available in a female-specific design.
The C4 Pro Women has the same general construction as the regular version, with a Direct Fiber Processing fiberglass and resin shell, single large vent on top and smaller visor vent on the chinbar, pre-installed Pinlock visor insert, integrated drop-down sun shield, patented Anti-Roll-Off System (AROS) to prevent the helmet from coming off in an accident, and speakers/microphone pre-installed for plug-and-play accommodation of the SC1 Standard or SC1 Advanced Bluetooth communication systems. The plush, removable/washable liner is optimized for the female head, with 5mm-thicker cheek pads and a lovely dark lavender color that sets it apart from the men’s version.
My head measures 56 cm, which is between a small (55) and a medium (57) in the C4 Pro Women, and as expected the size small I tested fits quite snugly. Like every Schuberth I’ve yet worn, the helmet sits rather high on my head, the back just covering my occipital lobe and the cheek pads firmly settled around my cheekbones rather than my jaw. As with any helmet, I recommend trying the C4 Pro Women on before buying to ensure you like the fit. If you do, great news: this is a well-designed, Schuberth C4 Pro Women Helmet high-quality lid. It proved to be quiet, even with the top vent open and pulling noticeable cool air across my scalp, and aerodynamic as well, even when turning my head side to side on a sport bike with little wind protection. The chinbar mechanism is very easy to use and pops open/closed without a fuss; I do wish the drop-down sun shield lever had a larger grip, as I sometimes struggled to find and operate it with thick gloves on.
At 3 lbs., 14 oz. (size small), the C4 Pro Women is on par with other high-end modulars, but its excellent aerodynamics make it feel lighter and less tiring to wear. It’s available in two solid colors ($729) and three graphics ($829) in sizes XS-L (53 to 59 cm).
Visit Schuberth for more information.
MSRP: $729 (colors), $829 (graphics)
Sizes: XS-L (53 to 59 cm)
Weight: 3 lbs., 14 oz. (size small)
Source: RiderMagazine.com