Who is Kenny? Nope, not the plumber, this one is French. Kenny is a French clothing and protection brand first launched in 1981, which to this day proudly designs and manufactures in-house in its own French facility.
Going up against the big guns such as Fox and Troy Lee Designs, Kenny has the complete suite of clothing and protection, ranging from full-face helmets, pants and jerseys, all of which come in an impressive selection of colours. We’ve been putting a bunch of the Kenny gear to the test, including the Decade full-face helmet.
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Kenny offers the Decade helmet in a whopping seven different sizes, which cover a 2cm range of head diameters per size. This is a far narrower range of fit per size compared to what we typically see, allowing riders to truly find the perfect fit. Typical of DH helmets, there are no dial adjustments, nor is there additional padding included in the box, however we found the fit to be true to size. Nick typically opts for a 58cm helmet, which, in most brands and in this case, is the medium size. The Decade slipped right on for a snug fit, and we felt no desire to make any tweaks or adjustments.
The cheek padding is a bit of a standout on the Decade, with pads being finished with a velvety style of material. We found this super comfortable and soft to the touch, something we don’t typically find in helmets. All of the padding internally is removable, so it can be washed separately; we all know how sweaty these get.
Underneath the padding is a yellow MIPS liner, allowing the helmet to rotate around the user’s head in the event of an impact. The construction of the Decade starts with an EPS foam inner liner, and is wrapped in an ABS shell that is painted and varnished. And to keep it from flying off your head, a twin D-ring chin strap keeps things secure. All of this allows the Decade to be certified to the AS/NZS 2063:2020 standard.
Kenny Decade Key Details
- Price | $329.95 AUD
- Sizes | XX-Small (51-52cm), X-Small(53-54cm), Small (55-56cm), Medium (57-58cm), Large (59-60cm), X-Large (61-62cm), and XX-Large (63-64cm)
- Confirmed Weight | 1,085g (Size M)
- Colours | White/Gold (Tested), Candy Purple, Matte Black, Holographic Black, Smash Black Turquoise
- Safety Features | MIPS
- Safety Standards | AS/NZS 2063:2020
- Retention | D-Ring chin strap
The brand lists the Decade as suitable for BMX, DH and Enduro use, however we think the latter might be a stretch. Our size Medium test helmet weighed in at 1,085g, which is on the heavier side if you’re looking for a full-face you can pedal all day with, and is more inline with other conventional DH helmets.
There are 16 vents in total, five on the chinbar, three on the forehead, and 8 on the top/rear of the helmet. The 16 vents on the Decade draw air through well, however they simply are tiny in comparison to an Enduro-specific full face such as the Bluegrass Vanguard or the Fox Proframe.
The Kenny Decade is much better compared to the Fox Rampage, one of the more popular entry-level full-faces on the market. Our medium-sized Rampage tipped the scales at 1,004g, an 81g saving over the Decade. The vents on the Rampage are much larger than the Decade, which likely is where the weight savings come from.
Both helmets have a MIPS liner, and the same D-Ring chin strap, apples for apples here. One point goes to the Decade for having an XX-Small size, covering those with noggins in the 51-52cm range. The Rampage only goes down to an X-Small, covering the 53-54cm range. As for price, the Rampage comes in at $399 AUD, being $70 more expensive than the Decade.
All things considered, the Kenny Decade represents excellent value for money for those in the market for a full-face lid that won’t break the bank. There’s plenty of colours to choose from, the size range is impressive, the fit is snug, the weight is reasonable, and the price is very reasonable; there isn’t much more we could ask for, really.
