This guy would rather die in a fashionable helmet than survive in a unusual looking helmet.

"Two hundred years of tradition unimpeded by progress" is the old joke about the fire service. I tried to get the Euro style helmet adopted in my department, I was out voted and very heavy traditional style helmets were purchased. Neck injuries became commonplace, the department then started replacing the helmets with lighter, smaller brimmed units. Safety, useability and comfort trumps appearance and tradition every time.

Don't let traditional get between you and safety.

So I am a firefighter in Germany, I've used 3 helmets in actual incidents so far, all European Style (Schuberth F120, F220 and the newest Gen MSA XF1) but I wore a traditional US Helmet once. To clear some things up first: I dont claim to be able to judge any operational advantages or disadvatages, but what I can say is that the euro style helmets are usually lighter and personally i feel they are more comfortable. Arguments US firefighters have often made against especially the XF1 are that it doesnt protect your neck against ember etc. and I have to say that I can see where the argument is coming from based on a pure first look, but if you do actually try them on and use their neck protection properly I'd say the neck protection is pretty good and - again based on pure looking at it I'd say it does it better than a classic US style helmet. I think we all can agree that as long as its actually a safer helmet and a good innovation, looks is not of importance, as well as the country it origins from or was made in. And i really do hope that more US firefighters at least have an open minded discussion about it when confronted with the possibility of getting euro style helmets in the US. I do get the value of tradition and I do get that you are not used to the looks and overall design, but in discussions about helmets I often just run against a wall of "arguments" like "You look like Astronauts" or for our older helmets "You look like Nazi Soldiers". I really get that you are biased to what you are used to, I am biased too. Its just that so often firefighters from the US just behave like everything they do and every equipment the use is undeniably the best in every situation and wont even have an open minded discussion about wether that is true - which it obviously isn't. I think we could and should learn more from each other than just saying "I dont like what you have and you do so I wont talk about it". I know that probably is not the mentality of the majority of US firefighters but it seems to be a mentality of a lot of US firefighters, especially older ones. Just keep an open mind.

Oh and by the way "It does not look like a firefighting helmet" is not something you can say in a way that makes it seem like that is a fact. YES it does not look like somthing most US americans would consider a fire helmet, but you'll probably find the answer that it looks like a fire helmet in a lot of other places in the world. So dont say it as if it is a always true fact.

I do not really consider this an unbiased review. It's more or less influenced by your bias as US firefighter and you reflect this very well. Funfact, I'm also feeling weird putting on a US helmet, and children also do no recognise me with some kind of cowboy style thing on my head. Also the country of origin is not really an important fact in terms of firefighter safety and displays again some kind of bias. Nevertheless I'd be really interested in the pros and cons of the two helmet types. So maybe if you find time this would be a nice follow up.

The faceshields are used in low denisty smoky areas & using cutting & spreading equipment :)

'It gets done in France!' *raises eyebrows as if that means the helmet is somehow less worthy because the French designed it*...dude, if it works then why does it matter if it was made in France or not?

the previous model, the F1 helmet has revolutionized the face protection in this field in 1985, to such an extent that it has been distributed in 80 countries of the world, which proves its indisputable quality and the FX1 is its descendant, the question is rather how many American helmets are exported in the world for their efficiency ? ...

So I actually use this helmet, not like a few commenters from the peanut gallery. It sits very nicely and is comfortable, as it wraps around your head, instead of sitting on-top in comparison to my old MSA Invader and Bullard LTX (my least favorite helmet). The integrated eye protection is neat and we are issued the integrated helmet lights, they could be a bit brighter in my opinion or have an adjustable brightness. I would opt for the extended neck and throat curtain if possible, specifically for the gap between the back of the neck.

I was looking forward to an unbiased review. I guess I will have to look elsewhere. If the country of manufacture is a bigger concern than "is this helmet safer than what I was wearing in the past" then you hold a bias against the item you are reviewing. Good luck with the channel.

I’m sure once more fire departments start adopting the helmets they would be made in the USA because at the moment there isn’t much point in making something in the USA if it is only used by a couple of fire departments in the USA

I was able to get my hands on an FX1 with light kit and test it out. Like everything in life there are pluses and minuses. The fit is good and it is comfortable enough. At fist it felt like the helmet strap was chocking me out but after some adjustment it was fine. It doesn't bang against my scba bottle when looking up. on the negative side I sometimes swing my scba mask back over my shoulder to keep it out of the way and it would rub on the side of the helmet and keep me from turning my head at times. The field of view is not as good as I thought it would be. It is harder to hear surround noises as your ears are covered. Mask up times were slightly longer and you have to completely undo the helmet strap to mask up. I work in a hot humid area so the helmet became very hot quickly. For me it didn't work and I prefer a traditional American helmet. That being said in Europe they have SCBA masks that clip into the helmet and integrated comms which I didn't get to test out. Those features might improve the usability of the FX1.

made in france...what is the problem? Take a look at the paris fire department that is the place wher the real badasses are. sure it is lighter because there no damn iron eagle on top....final summary, it is not good because it is made in france, more expensive and looks like a motorcycle helmet. I am happy to have you not as a fire chief as people like are the reason others get hurt because of "tradition"

The "made in France" excuse was just that. If Ceirns were to start selling more of these, they would have the factory and tooling to make this helmet in the US. You don't set up a factory in the US if your products are not going to be well liked.

Every FF in Europe wears them. If it keeps them safe then it keeps you safe.

I can understand why American firefighters don't like it because many of them started their careers with a traditional American leather helmet and it's what they're used to. It's the same here in the UK but we are used to the MSA Gallets instead as the older models such as the Gallet F1SF, F1E12, and the F1S12 have been used here for over ten years.

It all depends.... for me the EU helmet is a "real" Fire helmet and the US one is the one they use in US movies. Never saw them in use outside the US/Canada. Not saying one is better than the other. You can't compare the styles of Firefighting. Things are done very differently in the US. Never saw a hook on an EU Fire Engine for example and we don’t cut open roofs to vent.

Remember the cost is not an issue for us over here, we are issued with all our safety equipment radios lights the lot and the helmet. This is why you never see us do EDC or best buy kit videos. We don't have to buy it, its given to us and if you think your helmet is the best because you paid 250 bucks for it over my issue 750 bucks then thats ok too. But as America is the absolute best why does Europ, the middle East and Far East all use the same style Helmet. 3/4s of the planet say the Gallett but Merica are right 🤣😂🤣😂

An American has an hard time to compute that there might be good reasons if more and more countries have adopted the F1-style helmet than the typical North American one. A bit like the metric system. They often confuse being used to something with what might be the better option.

the helmet is an EU style and every firefighter, in The netherlands, in France, Germany and so on has these. so yeah it's produced in the country where it came from. complaining its manufactured in france make no sense

If American want to keep exporting stuffs, they have to be open to importing stuffs as well. To prefer purchasing stuffs locally made is one thing, to deny a good product because it is built abroad or to de facto close a domestic market to foreign products (hello the US Defense Department but don't forget the US State Department forcing foreign "allies" to purchase US made stuffs) is reacting like the PRC.

In a nutshell: "XF1 is better but meh...."

You are kidding me right? If you are going to evaluate products, use some objective criteria.

how was your hearing affected by wearing the helmet. I know from wearing the old army PASGT helmet and the newer high cut ACH that the way the helmet covers your ears can affect directional hearing significantly.

wow its amazing hearing the difference with the faceshield down. Made it sound like you had a mask on

Great vid mate

do you have a used xf1 fire helmet. i need it sir🙏

How does it fit with SCBA mask scots or msa

There is a small shot in the middle and a pic on the sides

Looks like an astronaut helmet, not a motorcycle helmet.

I wish my dept would adopt these newer helmets. We’re running cairns traditional helmets and my god they’re awkwardly heavy. I used an older “turtle shell” type fire helmet during my fire academy and it was far better in terms of weight and function. The brim on the traditional helmets stick out way too much and don’t even get me started on the front holders that stick out on top of your helmet. No reason to have stuff on your helmet that you’ll constantly bump onto things entering a dark building.

very interested in hearing unbiase opinion on this helment,I been looking at them

It is the future.

This is literally the most rural ass volunteer firefighter I have ever seen

I know that big companies often take no notice of people's ideas, but for European helmets to sell better in America, they need to be more Americanised. An outer shell with an 8 comb pattern on the top, with trapezoid markings, and delicate embossed patterns on the lower rear. The option of a rubber band around, like on traditional helmets, to carry equipment such as wedges. A front plate that can be customized, and might be made of leather, although it would be a fraction of the size of a traditional front plate. (I have seen this on another make of European helmets in the US). And also, maybe, for the edges of the eye shield (not the full face visor) to be visible when retracted, to give a passing resemblance to Bourkes.

You sound very biased honestly.

Lol, this is not a review! "my teenage daughter who has no firefighting experience whtasoever doesn't like it so it sucks". Get real!

How fuckin heavy must those american helmets be if the full shell MSA one is LIGHTER. In my department in Germany we use Stahlhelm-type half shell aluminium helmets which are even lighter than the full shell ones

This is coming from the fire chief with facial hair. Yeah, no thanks. I'll keep my N6A.

So... Tradition is over safety and comfore.... Cool... Typical for americans

Sorry sir you talk like a volunteer your terms words don't reflect knowledge of what advantages or disadvantages opinions ,not actual tested dont use it no have, i feel ,give examples facts show proof of words tests and is not standard helmet is traditional yes vias opinion!

Plastic melts, leathers forever

Nice salad bowl haha

Leather forever!!! Those Spaceballs helmets will never replace traditional helmets!!!

Astronaut helmets, keep the US traditionals you can actually fit your helmet through smaller spaces than these dorky space helmets. I would consider US traditionals for easier ways to make it fit into small holes, etc. I’ve seen a video of US firefighters and one smaller guy has a European style helmet and the guy is super small, and another firefighter has a US helmet on and he is twice the size as the smaller guy and fits through a tight space with the US traditional fire helmet.