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509 Altitude VS. Klim F4

agalen

Active member
Lifetime Membership
I am looking to upgrade helmets this year. I'm looking @ either 509 Altitude or Klim F4. As a side note all of my goggles are 509. Any thoughts?
 
I bought a lot of helmets last year

trying to get a good one, i bought the klim, didn't like it. then got the Bell Moto-9, didn't like that either finally settled on the Motorfist which is built by Kali protectives, and am happy with it. I haven't tried a 509 yet.
 
I have a 509 Evolution helmet with Sinister goggles and really like the setup. They fit well and the combination looks really good! I stay warm and fog free on cold days. But, when it gets warmer I don't think there is quite enough venting and my goggles will fog. I'm going to try the Klim F4 this year but am not giving up on the 509 and will keep it if the Klim is too cold.
 
The F4 is a great Helmet and with the venting options makes it a great warm or cold weather helmet. It only takes a back seat for me to the 509 carbon fiber because of the weight.

I only run 509 goggles (Sinister X5's and Aviators) and have run them for 3 seasons now with the F4 and they are a great fit. I typ. just run the lightweight KLIM balaclava with it and have run that combo down to 30 below temps.

About 3/4 of the way though last season I picked up a 509 Carbon Fiber helmet and now the F4 is my back-up for sledding. But for summer biking and ATVing I went back to the F4 because when you remove the windstopper liner it breathes better then any helmet I have tried.
 
I love my Klim F4 and it works with 509 goggles, both Sinister X5 and Aviators wonderfully.

I do have two 509 Altitude helmets on order however, one for my wife and I, to try out this season. I can take some comparison pics and such if you would like, once the new helmets arrive.
 
A comparison picture would be much appreciated.......I've heard from a few people I ride with that the F4 is stupid cold even with the liner in. Any thoughts? The snow specific features on the 509 make it look pretty enticing along w/ the lower price.

I love my Klim F4 and it works with 509 goggles, both Sinister X5 and Aviators wonderfully.

I do have two 509 Altitude helmets on order however, one for my wife and I, to try out this season. I can take some comparison pics and such if you would like, once the new helmets arrive.
 
Remember.
KLIM makes TWO varients of the F4 helmet.

The SNELL 2010 and the ECE.
The ECE is much lighter in weight.
 
A comparison picture would be much appreciated.......I've heard from a few people I ride with that the F4 is stupid cold even with the liner in. Any thoughts? The snow specific features on the 509 make it look pretty enticing along w/ the lower price.

I have never had an experience where it was too cold for me, and I never ride with the liner in on the coldest days. I never get cold really though. I used to ride with glasses before I got contacts for riding, and for that the vents on the F4 were awesome, really helped keep glasses from fogging.

I am definitely going to keep my f4, but I really like the look of the altitude. Looking forward to seeing how I like this new one.

I will get some good pics, the new ones should be here by Friday hopefully.
 
As promised, here are some pics of the two Altitude's that showed up today, compared with a Klim F4, and showing off goggle fit.

First thing I will say is that the Altitude is definitely a good deal lighter than the F4 (Snell 2010). Not that I have a scale, but the difference is obvious.

The pictures were taken with the breathbox in the Altitude helmet, which is who it was shipped. With my aviator black ops in the F4, you can see gaps, which are still there with the Altitude, the breath box just cover the gap there.

The Frost (purple) colored helmet is obviously my wifes, and those are Original sinister goggles, and they seem to fit great. My helmet is the Lime colored one, with Lime colored Sinister X5 goggles.

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I obviously will not be riding with it for a while, so I cannot tell you how well the vents work compared to the F4, which I love, but I cannot wait. So far I really like the look and feel of this new helmet, a lot more than the Carbon Fiber I tried on last season.

Hope that helps, if you need to know anything else, just ask.
 
Remember.
KLIM makes TWO varients of the F4 helmet.

The SNELL 2010 and the ECE.
The ECE is much lighter in weight.

What are your thoughts on lighter one only being ESE certified and not DOT or Snell? Is this a concern, is ESE a higher standard ?
 
quick update.......finally upgraded helmets, went with the klim ece rated one.......looks really sharp in red! I've ridden with it a couple of times now and absolutely love it! the venting is great, it stays nice and cool all day long and feels very light weight
 
I think I'm going to switch over to the klim helmet this year.I currently have a 509 but not too happy with it.Im a heavy mouth breather and hot head so I'm always having fog issues.My 509 is fine for me boondocking in Upper Michigan but doesn't cut it for out west riding.
 
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