RBK 8K Helmet

[Chadd 916]

Open for review

[Tex 0]

7 5/8" hat size

Fit

I spent seven years wearing a CCM HT200 before purchasing this helmet. After trying on most of the usual suspects (Itech 100, Bauer 5000 & 8000, CCM 1052) I kept coming back to the fit of the RBK 8k. This is an incredibly light helmet. It also fits comfortably on bigger heads ... there is adequate space in width and length. The microdial fine tunes the tightness of the helmet mainly stablizing the fit of the width. The tool free adjustment worked great when modifying the fit right on the bench.

Wearing this in a game is a refreshing difference from previous helmets. My head doesn't sweat as much (not as much sweat in my eyes or flicking onto the inside of the visor). You just don't notice that you are wearing a helmet (I can't think of a better compliment for helmet fit). The helmet fits a little looser than I'm used to (width), but it was a quick adjustment. I should have tried on a medium in the store for the sake of comparison (used to going straight for size large). The microdial adjustment doesn't tighten my head into the helmet as well as it should.

8/10

Protection

I've had this helmet for a month and a half now (play 2 games a week) and have only had two solid collisions involving the 8k. One I came away not noticing anything head or helmet related, and on the second the helmet swiveled a little during contact (not a protection negative). That comes back to the loose width fitting. I've not been aware of any other head contact ... maybe there's been some but I haven't noticed. So far so good ... If I headplant into the boards or get slashed in the head I'll update this review.

10/10

Weight

Incredibly light. Lighter than any other helmet. You don't even notice it during a game.

10+/10

Durability

This is one of the question areas I had before buying this helmet. After doing all the research on MSH the main complaint was the carbon inserts moving around inside the helmet. Sure enough ... right after game 3 one of the inserts started sliding around. It is only cosmetic and can be moved back into place, but after dropping this kind of cash on a helmet you expect all the details to be solid. I treat the helmet pretty well (don't throw it around and keep it in a pillow case) and it hasn't shown any other signs of wear. Because of the weight of the helmet it feels not quite as solid as previous helmets. The microdial is still functioning (I've heard many people have had this feature break quickly)

8/10

Intangibles

Who in their right mind would drop $130 USD on a helmet?? It took me four months of trying on other helmets and finally realizing that only the RBK would make me happy.

This seems to be a helmet that has been embraced more by the younger players. I play at a senior beer league level, and there is only one other RBK helmet in the league (so far). About 20% of the HS players seem to be wearing this helmet.

The helmet looks great (personal taste deal)!

5/10

Conclusion

I was heading to the store to buy a 1052 and tried the 8k on for the heck of it. After trying on the 8k, the 1052 seemed obsolete in fit and weight. It took four months to talk myself into spending this much on a helmet. I'm still very happy with this helmet and would make the same purchase again.

[forsberg91 0]

Product- Rbk 8k Fitlite size Medium, Navy blue.

Cage Used- CCM 480 size medium.

Fit-When I tried this helmet on for the first time, it felt amazing. I had a Bauer 5000 size small, which hurt my head right above my ears. I decided to go one size up, which was a great choice. The padding is very comfortable as well. The microdial didn't really do much. The stabilizer things would but get pushed back down right as the helmet was put on. The toolless adjustment system was great. No complaints at all.

10/10

Protection- Good but not great. If I get hit in the head at all, I definately feel it, but no injuries have happened yet (knocks on wood.)

9/10

Weight-What weight? Amazingly light. Can't even feel it on my head.

10/10

Durability-I have heard numerous complaints of the composite sub shell becoming loose, but nothing like this has happened yet to mine. I got this for Christmas so I will need to check back in about a month.

10/10 for now

-EDIT-After about a year of use the thing is still in great shape. It scratches easily but other than that it has been soid. The composite subshell hasn't come loose either.

Intangibles-Pricey. $140 for a helmet is very expensive, but I was lucky enough to be given one.

I love the look of this helmet too. Goes perfect with my team's colors (navy blue and silver.) :P

Conclusion- I had been wearing a 5000 for about 3 years until I got this. Definately a light helmet, fits great. The only problem is they are expensive. If you are looking for a new helmet and have an extra $140 laying around, go for it.

Final Grade 9.75/10

Edited October 22, 2006 by forsberg91

[jbyun04 7]

RBK 8K (Medium Black)

Visor - Oakley 2.0

Fit - Fit is very good. The dial at the back and tool-less adjustment makes it perfect for the perfect fit. The soft cushion padding inside the helmet is great and it easily molds to your head. (Visor also went on without any problems) 10/10

Ventilation - One of the best things about this helmet is the ventilation. It keeps me cool during games and I don't sweat as much as I would in a Nike/Bauer 4000/0004. 10/10

Protection- I'd say it has decent protection. I've been knocked around pretty hard in this and I only got a slight buzz but other than that, good enough protection for me. 9/10

Weight - When I first got it, I couldn't believe how light it was. You probably already know how light it is. 10/10

Durability - It's light so it might seem weak but it's not that weak or flimsy. It's held up very well with the exception of a few scratches. The composite subshell does it's job. 9.5/10

Intangibles- My manager gave me this bucket for free at the end of one of my days in at work. RBK gave this to us to give to a customer for a warranty replacement but it turned out that the FitClip was a little mangled up so they sent us another one to give to him. Turns out RBK said we could throw it away but what good would that do anyone? :)

You get what you pay for I guess. For $200 CDN it's a good helmet, if your willing to pay that much that is. If you want to save money, buy the 8000 or wait for the lower model RBK helmet to come out.

Conclusion - I was in love with the Nike 0004 helmet and Bauer 4000 helmet so when this dies i'll probably end up going back to a NBH 4500. The fit on this helmet is great and all but I still think that the classic yellow foam is good as well.

Final Grade 9.7/10

[Chadd 916]

RBK 8K

Fit - Damn, this bad boy is small. I can normally wear a medium in most helmets but this one required some modifications. I got mine used here on MSH and got it without trying one on. After removing the dial and the straps and putting it at the largest setting, it's a decent fit. Your mileage will vary.

Ventilation - Coming from a Jofa 690, I didn't notice any improvement in airflow. In fact, I would say that my 690 seemed to be cooler. I haven't worn them both on the same day to test this impression though. The EPP foam seemed to block a lot of the air vents (even before my modifications). I don't know if this was just a mis-alignment in the foam on mine or if this is a common problem with 8K helmets. 6/10

Protection- It's the only helmet that I've every owned that bends and squeezes so much with almost no effort. Ok, my old Jofa 235 is worse but nobody expects an ounce of protection from that. The plastic shell seems much softer than any other helmet that I've owned. I don't know if that the shell is a different material or just thinner to achieve the lighter weight. 6/10

Weight - No doubt about it, this thing doesn't weigh much at all. That is the number one selling point of the helmet and it really delivers on that feature. 10/10

Durability - I've only been using the helmet a couple months so it's premature to make any type of decision on durability. It does seem to collect scratches, on the way to and from games so I've started using an old Oakley helmet bag. N/A

Intangibles- It's very light and fairly comfy (after a bit of work). I don't really notice it on my head and I guess that's what you want in a helmet. I still find my 690 to be more comfortable but I look forward to trying the RBK in some cooler months to see if it feels better.

Conclusion - I would never pay full retail price for the 8k, it's an astronomical price for a helmet. I have some concerns about the overall protective-ness (if that's a word) of the helmet, but it's more than enough for the (normally) pretty mellow beer leagues where I play and ref.

[Ice Pirate 0]

RBK 8k: Medium in black w silver inserts

Purchased: New around December of 2006

Fit: I have a kinda/somewhat wide head and the fit was perfect for me in a medium. I am a 7 and 3/8 hatsize. The comfort gel pads ontop of the EPP inside the helmet are noticeable while being worn, but aiding only slightly in comfort. The adjustible dial for the occipital stabilizer bars on the back of the helmet is a gimmick and the bars go right back to flat with any minor pressure on them. 8/10

Ventilation: The helmet feels cool when wearing it. Slightly cooler than previous helmets I have owned. 9/10

Protection: It's HECC, CE, and CSA certified, and being worn by thousands of players, so I guess that's as detailed as my comment gets without performing major research. What's curious to me is the reduction in padding at the front of the forehead. They molded it thin there to fit the front of the shell, is that not a bad thing? 9/10

Weight: It is a nice and light helmet, maybe the lightest I've had. 10/10

Durability: Ok here is where I am angry and what prompted my review. This helmet has seen no abuse and after only two years there is a big crack that has suddenly appeared from the cage screw hole running down to the brow. The screws are not over tightened. For a $140 dollar helmet that is only 2 and a half years old I am very dissapointed. Anybody know if Reebok would perform some type of warranty service on this? 5/10

Intangibles: The helmet looks fantastic, great aesthetics.

Conclusion: A great looking, great feeling helmet that up until yesterday when I saw the crack I would have highly recommended to people. Now I might still recommend it, but without the same enthusiasm.

[Chadd 916]

Durability: Ok here is where I am angry and what prompted my review. This helmet has seen no abuse and after only two years there is a big crack that has suddenly appeared from the cage screw hole running down to the brow. The screws are not over tightened. For a $140 dollar helmet that is only 2 and a half years old I am very dissapointed. Anybody know if Reebok would perform some type of warranty service on this? 5/10

I generally don't respond to reviews but you should bear in mind that all helmets should be replaced every 3 three years of so.

[Leafsrule16 5]

RBK 8k: Medium in black w silver inserts

Purchased: New around December of 2006

Fit: I have a really big head. I was wearing a nike 004? Nike version of the bauer 4000 anyways and it was just way too tight for my head, especially around the top crown and it was giving me some fit issues. I decided to look at a new helmet and the 8k really struck me as a pretty good fitting helmet. Its pretty wide yet fairly deep and its comfortable all around, its very adjustable as well for people with different size heads with the microdial but Ive heard of people breaking them, however mine never broke. Id have to give it a 9/10 because of the versatility but take a mark off because of the microdial, it was just kind of unnessecary really when you can just push the shell together.

Ventilation: The vents on this helmet are pretty big and numerous. Theres two major ones on each side of the reebok logo but also a pair set under the subshell around the edges on the side of the helmet which also actually made a pretty big difference, its a pretty well vented bucket. 9/10

Protection: Its got carbon fiber all around the helmet and full of epp foam, does it really get much better then that? This helmet is top of the line, so expect good protection. I wore it for a season of some pretty rough hockey and rougher helmets and gloves and never had it fly off my head, get a concussion or anything so 10/10.

Weight: Very light actually, probably the lightest helmet ive ever worn in my life. 10/10

Durability: Its hard for me to comment on durability because helmets are something that doesnt simply wear that much but i did hear quite a bit about the microdial, a little button on the back of the neck to be turned to adjust the helmet. Its kind of a gimmicky thing really, as it rotates it pulls padded straps on the inside together drawing the shell in. Really any need? Most tool free helmets you just undo the flaps and pull it apart or push it together. Plus there were a great deal of people who had this piece break on the first gen helmets, not sure if they fixed it. I had a first gen helmet black on black 2006 and i never had any problems however. 7/10

Intangibles: Pretty nice looking helmet really, i like the fact that it can fit a great deal of cages and visors and looks fairly well and is well made, still cost quite a bit more then the other helmets at the time. 8/10

Conclusion: A bit more costly then a 5500 or a v10 but still a great helmet, def recommend it if you can stay away from playing with the microdial too much.

[the_sock 1]

RBK 8K Custom Pro L

Midnight blue with silver inserts

Fit - The fit is somewhat normal, I'm a large with most helmets. I found that this helmet does have more volume around the top of the head plus around the temples. Being a wider head, it fits me just perfect around the temples. Circumferance wise, it's smaller than the 5500 L I've been using. I find the dial does absolutely nothing for me. It's either broken or not effective with the one I purchased but I wouldn't use it anyways.

Ventilation - I found the Bauer 5500 has almost no ventilation, I was sweating like a sauna with it on. One of the reasons why I went with the 8K is the ventilation and it's leaps and bounds better. I can actually feel air going around my head which is the main selling feature to me.

9/10

Protection - This is an interesting question...does it do a better job than the competitors? No. Do the carbon inserts give any kind of protection bonus? No. Is it like any other EPP helmet on the market? Yes.

7/10

Weight - Do the carbon inserts help with the weight? Sure...I guess. It's one of the lightest helmets I've ever worn, only second to the S19 and Gretzky's Jofa.

10/10

Durability - I find that the shell scratches fairly quickly. Some of the carbon inserts are starting to move a bit on the inside. Dial doesn't work. EPP foam is a rock...good so far. Gel pads are quite soft, but I find that the back panel is starting to wear...not good.

7/10

Intangibles- Great looks, you can get different colour options or even stickers for the inserts if you want different options.

Conclusion - Good ventilation and very light, the two reasons why I bought it (well, that and I got it for dirt cheap). The "features" that are supposed to make this helmet a higher end have failed in my opinion and it's price way too high for the quality you get. If you find this helmet for around $100, I'd buy it, but you can find some similar quality helmets for cheaper.

[lsamped 0]

RBK 8k: Black with silver inserts; Size:M

Purchased: i Have used the helmet for about 2.5 seasons

Fit: The helmet fits great and the adjustable side clips really help out with the overall fit of the helmet.however red dial in the back of the helmet is very ineffective, and i would prefer it to be left out.

8.5/10

Ventilation: The ventilation of this helmet is superb. There are many air vents that keep me cool during games and practices. This also provides comfort for me because i am not as hot out there and i don't sweat as much.

9.5/10

Protection: This Helmet offers protection just like any other top of the line helmet would. However, i did suffer one mild concussion while wearing it, but that is not that big of a deal.

8.5/10

Weight: The 8k is a very light helmet and one of the lightest i have ever used. 9/10

Durability: The helmet seems pretty durable. all of the foam and padding in the helmet, is still in good condition. Also, the outer shell is still in tact and just has scratches from normal wear. 9/10

Intangibles: I think this is one of the better looking helmets on the market. the inserts really make this helmet stick out from any other helmet. 9.5/10

Conclusion: This is one of the better helmets I have owned. It feels great and looks great. However it is a little expensive but you can find good deals on it now. 9.5/10