Tactic

Super comfortable light helmet! I got the orange and it looks sick! I haven’t crashed yet but it seems very sturdy and is rated highly on Virginia tech.

Looks cool. It's light weight. Hopefully if I bump my head it protects me.

I choose round fit. This is what I looking. Very light. Nice fit.

Worst helmet system i ever saw. How can someone design a helmet where a buyer can't adjust the straps that come from the helmet to the chin straps. So these straps rubbing behind the ear. Instant return . . . Never again Specialized . . .

The visor is so high that it pulls my head back in the wind at high speeds and it doesn't block any light on my face. Really disappointed with this visor.

Best and most comfy helmet I have ever owned - just got another for a crazy £20 sale price!!

I usually cant wait to take this off. It is stuffy! A feeling I never had with my old Spech helmets. But it is a perfect fit. I bought 2 and one came with a broken visor seat, thought of using glue but decided not to and returned.

I've bought this helmet and it's great except for the straps around the ears. These can't be adjusted which just seems crazy as every other helmet has adjustable straps. The straps dig into the back of your ears. Major fail in the design and it gives zero advantages. The rest of the helmet seems good but I can't use it, so going to sell and find something that can be adjusted.

I was at River City Bicycles today to purchase a new helmet. I was looking for a helmet with a visor because I ride in the evening when the Sun is low. I really liked this helmet, but the visor is so high up it is totally ineffective. You cannot even see the visor in your field of vision. Why even have one? I purchased a Smith.

Had a wipe out yesterday where the air born e-bike came down on the back of my son’s head. With all that weight, This helmet took the hit and he’s amazingly just fine (only body scratches). The extra protection at the base of the helmet truly saved him from alot of injury.

Having gone through multiple crashes this helmet has protected my head amazingly. The helmet is very comfortable and is a nice weight where it is as If it’s not even there. I lover this helmet. Would 100% recommend

Saw video from Remy Metailler who recommended this helmet after a crash. Was a bit sceptical about it being bit hot but not the case as air flow is spot on. Great bit of kit . It’s so comfortable wear it and forget!

Like a few people have mentioned, the straps around the ears are not adjustable. The straps that go behind each ear rubbed my ears and was annoying after just a minute or two of wear. Unfortunately, had to return it.

Great helmet with a cool appeal and some proper ventilation, it's also super easy to use the head adjustability.

I'm really happy witb this helmet. Fot is good and breathes well. The matte finish gives it a great look and I appreciates the low setting t rear of head protection

Really comfortable in all weather conditions. I like the adjustment. This is my third version of this helmet.

It's lightweight, fits well, and has great ventilation. I recently had a serious bicycle crash, breaking my collarbone and sustaining a head injury. The Tactic 4 took most of the impact, undoubtedly saving my life. Its robust design and MIPS technology provided excellent protection.

Great fitting helmet, and ventilation, although a little disappointed at the visor. Sits a little too high and at sunrise/sunset it doesn't do a lot. I can overlook that as I know I what I was purchasing when I bought a fixed visor helmet. What I can't look past is how flimsyly the visor is attached to the helmet. My visor falls off if you look at it wrong. It has popped out when I've been heading riding down hill, holding it walking, siting in the seat next to me while driving, you name it. I've owned it less than 3 days and have had to reattach it more than 10 times.

Fits great and love that the visor is raised higher than a typical mtb helmet. Allows you to see better without having to crane your neck. Use with our globe and love it

Helmet

This is a very durable and well fitting helmet. Exactly what I was looking for.

Great ventilation. I like the sunglass goggle holder although sometimes a bit difficult to get the glasses intact. Bought mainly for the safety rating on Virginia tech

Purchased from Evans Cycles in Aberdeen in February and only on the second ride, one of the straps came off the helmet housing. Tried to pursue a replacement as I live in Cyprus but cant seem to be able to register the helmet anywhere. Shame as I have many specialized gear and this is the 1st time this happens to me.

Helmet looks and fits great but I feel like the visor pops off way too easy.

Suffered a crash at about 15 mph and was flung from bike with the side of my head hitting the ground. Helmet and I survived with a minor concussion, scrapes, and bruises. Thought I was dead for sure. Highly recommend this helmet!

Received my Specialized Tactic 4 Helmet inside of a week and of course put it on straight away. Extremely light & so comfortable. I am an older suburban MTB rider in extreme humidity Missouri, yet this helmet feels much cooler than my last couple. I highly recommend!

Very comfortable helmet. I bought it because it had the highest ranking from Virginia Tech’s testing and pleasantly surprised on how good it felt as well.

The Tactic is a great helmet and has received excellent safety ratings. It goes down lower in the back than my previous helmet, increasing protection. The look is stylish, and it feels great on the head. There is just one thing to carefully consider before buying: Size I currently have 3 total of these because I had trouble getting the right size. I read a review on here that claimed "if you are usually an M, buy an L here". I cannot understand where this person comes from. I am usually an M and ordered an L - it is way too large. If you are usually an M, buy an M. If your head measures 58 cm, buy an M. That review claiming that the Tactic helmets run small should be removed. It is highly misleading. It runs exactly like it says. In my specific case: Giro size M is equal to Specialized size M. M=M, it is not that hard. L is very large.

I own 2 Tactic helmets, in different colours. They are so light and comfortable, the fit for me is superb. They offer brilliant protection and are worth every penny!

My bike is at the shop for the third time trying to keep my chain on. When shifting up, the chain will come off the front sprocket. Other than that, the bike has been great. Hopefully the shop can get the problem fixed or replaced needed parts. I’m new to biking and my first bike but I feel certain it will be fixed.

Made 3 purchases before finally getting the right one. I usually use a small helmet but the shape of these was too tight so I tried the small with round fit. Fit was better but felt a little tight so I went with the medium regular fit and that worked but just a bit loose but I can live with it.

This like all Specialized products is well designed, light and clean. I love it.

Loved the round fit of the helmet. However, the straps that can't be adjusted is really weird and didn't work well for me. The strap that should be behind my ear was loose and flopped around and was super annoying so I had to unfortunately return the helmet. If the straps had been adjustable, it would have been the perfect helmet for me.

The sizing is much too broad in range. My measurement sits at the largest size for a medium helmet, and the smallest size for a large. Tried the medium and it was too snug on the sides. Tried the large and it had to be clamped down almost forcefully at its smallest point, but the helmet just looked huge and almost cumbersome. Ended up ordering from the US to get the medium 'round' fit and it's pretty much exact. I reckon a larger range with overlapping measurements would be a great option.

just right!

Overall, the Tactic is super comfortable, lightweight, and has great ventilation. However, the fixed visor has no functionality at all (doesnt block rain or sun) , and looks super goofy. I had a crash and almost replaced my Tactic with an Ambush 2, but can’t get over the same visor design.

Love the helmet itself, but I had to return it because the rear straps partially cover both of my ears. The Tactic does not have the Trifix system, so It was too uncomfortable for me in that sense.

This helmet is super comfortable and light weight.

So this is very appropriate for me to write this recommendation. The helmet saved my life Oct 27th, 2023. I was riding a little too late that evening and had a spill that unfortunately I can’t remember the details of the accident because of loss of memory! Cracked the visor (must have saved my face) and dented the helmet at the left temporal area. In the ER, I received eight XRays and three CT scans. All negative. Received a sizable hematoma on the left outer thigh, a significant scrape off my left forearm (bled profusely), a bruised rib(s) , minor scrapes on both knees and below the left eye and bottom lip. Additionally suffered sprained right thumb and little finger. The left shoulder had a delayed reaction that was very painful, but did not need therapy. So the loss of memory was a far cry better than loss of life had I not had the helmet on! Subsequently have purchased a replacement exactly the same color, size etc. and got it on sale $69.95 using the Specialized on-line ordering method. Because of the memory loss, I didn’t even remember what precipitated the accident and therefore didn’t know the exact location either. My eye glasses and the detached visor were laying somewhere on the side of the road. Three days later my wife drove the perceived route very slowly and I peeked out from the passenger side until bingo, I spotted them! Dan Euting. Owner of the Specialized Vado 5.0 and a more than adequate helmet.

Honestly the most comfortable helmet I've ever worn. Had some really helpful staff at my local bike shop show me the features and benefits (MIPS and my new ANGi device make me feel safer on the trail for sure). For a MTB helmet it's not without class - the sleek design and wide variety of colour options left me drooling. It did, however, fail the lick test. Helmet 10/10, safe and good value for money. Taste 2/10, plastic.

Great fit sir per ventilated and safe. Had a couple of major crashes and my head came out un touched

Incredibly light and comfortable helmet breathes better than any helmet I've had before

Feels very secure and protective. Sits rather low on my forehead which can be irritating but if it means its safe ill take it. Fit adjustment is secure and comfortable. I'd Recommend and buy again.

Very cool n comfortable, not heavy. surprised, with my head, 7 5/8 being bigger I thought I might need xl but large would even fit a bigger head,

As the best value helmet with a 5-star Virginia Tech rating and with an ebike rating, I had to get it for my new commuter ebike. The helmet itself fits great and it's really comfortable. I am confused, however, why the ear straps aren't adjustable. I have tiny ears for an adult and the helmet straps just about fit under my ears. When I look at the pictures, the models' ears seem way above the straps! I don't think a larger helmet would help.

Amazing color, great quality, perfect fit, best prices. There are few brands that offer such great comfort at this price and such diverse colors. Specialized will always be my go to brand for bikes, gear, apparel, and safety equipment.

Ear straps with TriFix is not adjustable as it rubs against the ear after awhile. The visors keeps coming off with the slightest handling. If these two things were different, I would be totally happy with my purchase.

This is probably the best fitting helmet I've worn, they just keep getting better.

Great fit and lightweight

Great helmet, fits great!

Looks good, fit is snug but the straps lack andjustment under the ears. Noisy - it creaks as the mips liner moves about. Also the brow pad was a little uncomfortable at first - sort of sharp. Now it’s worn in, i am getting on better with it. Try it on first. Good coverage and protection. If it fits it’s great.

My main reason for purchasing this helmet was the Virginia Tech rating and cost overall. There is no better helmet for the money. I will say I’m a 55-56cm and I usually wear a size medium helmet without issue. I originally purchased a size medium and it did not fit my head even with the adjustment all the way tightened. I purchased a small and it’s a tad snug and with the straps not being able to be adjusted around my ears it’s close to being to small. It’s not the most comfortable half shell I’ve ever had but I think my head is the issue and not the helmet. Definitely try before you buy.

Good service from Specialized. The helmet looks well made. As a roadie it looks big to me but that aids to the extent of the protection it provides. As others have noted the peak is fixed but it can be taken off.

It is the best choice for people with round head! Thank you, Specialized!

Simple, light and very comfy.

Helmet fits well

Great design

I like the fit, and it has tons of airflow. I cannot figure out why they decided to put the visor so high though. It would only ever help with sun or rain if the sun was directly above you or if the rain was coming straight down...and you were not moving. Kind of defeats the purpose. Only thing I can think of is that it helps with the routing of airflow?

Superb Fit / Protection / MIPS / Low weight and Funky Styling from the T4 - Got mine (in Dove Grey) during Q1 2023 online sales , so its easy to give 5 Stars for this excellent helmet. Great for gravel / Trails / XC on my Chisel !!!

Really comfortable, and a bargain on sale at half price.

Great fit, comfortable

Perfect fit fully adjustable - This was a desperate try after no suitable fitment for me from POC and FOX. Design is very cool and slim whilst offering the best available protection without compromising visibility. The quality is superb at this price point. Well done Specialized

Great fitting & looking Not to mention the safety rating. Had to buy two. Morné @ Bicycleworx

I normally rock a Poc helmet, but tried the Specialized lid for 1/2 the price , great coverage , comfortable and Styley to say the least , thumbs up from me :-)

Light as a feather. Very comfortable fit. Superior safety rating.

My first reason for a five star review is the comfort of this helmet! Wow! Out of the four helmets I have bought in the last 3 years, this is by far the most comfortable. No need to buy another until this one breaks, which I hope it won’t!! The adjustment components are easily accessible and you don’t look like Kazoo from The Flinstones when you wear it! The only flaw I have found is that the air vents are a little too large. They have caused enough inconveniences to knock off a star because they could be a little smaller. I have had to stop riding to remove a branch and a bee. The bee I am okay with but the branch should have ridden or skidded over the plastic dome and not had enough room to go inside and reach my scalp. No damage done to make this purchase regrettable by any means! This is a great helmet that should please any rider on any trail!

Good fit, comfortable and rated as the safest MTB helmet by Virginia Tech helmet safety rating…that just about fits the bill for me. I have not extensively used it while riding my bike yet so can’t comment on ventilation yet.

Fits great, looks great and does the job.

Comfortable.

Like all Specialized products it’s well made and designed. Like all Specialized helmets it doesn’t fit my head.

I love it

I'm attracted to this particular model based on its superb protection test results from Virginia Tech. As of today, this model is #1 for mountain bike helmet in terms of protection. Too nerdy a reason to buy? Well, I'd like to have my coconut intact, and this is the most extensive comparison data out there. Don't like that the visor is not adjustable and is fixed high on the helmet so it hardly shield any sun. Nothing to say about the fit 'coz if it doesn't fit, I'd have return it. Shipping is fast. Return / refund process is super easy and fast.

Best Fitting Helmet I've had.

Awesome helmet, I have 63cm head ordered large it fix but had to racket down several cm to fix which resulted is a big gap at the back. So returned for medium which fix perfect. Customer several was awesome. Bottom line the product is awesome and the customer service was awesome.

Prefer additional padding on the rear.

Overall a good enough lid for the price, but the visor is too high to be useful.

Excellent helmet

Purchased when product was on sale. Great price for this quality of helmet.

Fit is perfect for my head and the finish seems excellent. Can’t fault it.

I ride 100+ miles a week on trails. I had a bad crash (22 mph) in September wearing a Echelon helmet. My head was safe, small concussion, although the helmet cracked. This was a wake up call for me. As a replacement I decided to go for the No 1 rated Helmet from Virginia Tech, which is the Tactic. The crash made me realize how fragile we are. I removed the visor. I wear a sweatband under the helmet. I am not into looks or the best Aero helmet etc. I want to ride with the safest helmet that is out there. The Tactic feels very strong. A bit heavy but so what. It fits my head well, and the straps are good. Ventilation is good also. Only suggestion is I wish Specialized would produce them in bright colors, to aid visibility on the trails. We have some very stupid trail users who do not follow the rules! Every little bit would help. Thank you & have a great day.

I'm a big fan - it fines nice, looks good, the price is right, and most importantly it's super safe.

I haven’t used the product yet but it arrived on the dated it said as expected with no damages! Looking forward to using it soon! I did try it on and no concerns there.

Very nice helmet overall. The finish is beautiful. The fit is fantastic. Great ventilation. Reasonable price. Scored high in Virginia Tech’s helmet safety study. MIPS protection as well.

Lightweight and extremely comfortable. Most important, it protects the skull. I’m on helmet #2 because #1 did its job. Highly recommend!

Outstanding helmet

Fits well, very comfortable. The finish of the shell is excellent. With a 5 star rating from Virginia Tech you can’t go wrong.

Comfortable adjustable fit

Bought this for my son who loves it! We found research citing this one as the number one rated for safety. He had a Kali before and the liner in it was not replaceable with the same type anymore and that helmet wasn't as breathable as this one. He has great ventilation and the liner and inside is very comfortable. I want one for myself, but can't justify the expense just yet, as my current helmet is perfectly functional, albeit not as breathable and comfortable as this one.

Visor is too high, and not useful. Prefer older style. (No need for so-called "eyeglasses placement" not sold on gimmicks) wish visor was kept lower matching brim of helmet. Only thing I like about it is - visor (can mount GoPro on front, under visor) - vent holes (easier to place/mount GoPro) has cleaner look but I prefer more open vented design. - MIPS is darker, blends in alot more. More appealing than "yellow" I remove MIPS. Not sold on plastic liner.

Nice design, light, and stylish. At a reasonable price.

Because of the liner it tends to be hot.

I really like this helmet. I must have a weird size head (most mediums were too small, most largest were too big). Tried on a dozen different and this one felt right.

I was planning on getting the Ambush 2, but when I looked at the Tactic, I felt like it offered the performance features I was looking for and decided to save $60. The quality of fit and finish is top rate. The visor is in the perfect spot. The straps work really well for me, and the vents provide a surprising level of cooling. My previous helmet was an Oakley with glasses storage, so I was really happy that feature was incorporated here, and improved upon. The eyewear storage being under the visor keeps the glasses safe and out of the way. The pads are a little budget oriented but sweat isn’t running into my eyes, and that is what matters. The safety rating cinched it for me, making it the best thought out MTB helmet I’ve had.

Nice helmet, well ventilated. Extremely high rated protection, but has zero trifix adjustment at the ears.

VirginiaTech has been eating helmets since 2011. This was their top safety pick. Having previously survived a bad crash wearing a different Specialized MIPS helmet, choosing this was was a no brainier which is what I may have been without one!

Comfortable

Excellent fit, color is great and quality as expected

Title says it all: this is a really comfortable helmet. I wish it had a Fidlock clasp or something similar like my Fox and IXS shells, but I like the rear adjustment and this is my most comfortable helmet, yet. The visor maybe snaps off a little too easy, but it keeps me from breaking it when I occasionally hit limbs and branches. I also like that two sets of pads were included with the helmet. At $120, it’s a pretty exceptional value for MIPS, great comfort with generous cooling channels and fairly unique stylish look that is subjective, but it appeals to me.

Very comfortable

Wonderful product!