RBK 11k

[Scopes 4]

Product:

Reebok 11k Helmet - Large

Time Used:

4 months

Personal Specs:

22 Years old, 5'11'', 195lbs, Hat Size: 7 3/8'' On ice ~5 hrs/week in Men`s league and Drop-in hockey

Fit: 9/10

This helmet has a very good overall fit, which is further assisted by the adjustability provided by the fit clips and the occipital lock microdial. Compared to other helmets I tried, such as the Cascade M11 and Bauer 9900 the RBK 11k sat lower on my head which I felt gave a better fit. The Occiptial lock microdial helps a lot with fine tuning of the helmet, but there are two lock settings for the entire dial - a high and low, though the lock does not seem to want to stay in the lower position without first loosening the dial and putting on the helmet and then tightening it. The interior foam liner is very comfortable and in general the helmet feels like a well fitting hat. I was in between the medium and large size and was instructed to size up, which has treated me quite well.

Protection: 10/10

As I said before, the helmet comes down quite a bit on the head, sitting just above the eyebrows and extending down the back of the head quite a bit giving ample protection. I have taken a few good shots including a slapshot off the top of the helmet without any issue. I removed the ear protectors as I felt they were not adding to the protection of the helmet and have not noticed any problems in doing so.

Weight: 10/10

Compared with previous helmets I have used this helmet is on the lighter side, although there is enough to the helmet for me to feel sufficiently protected.

Durability: 10/10

I have not had a single issue with this helmet during my time of use.

Breathability: 10/10

I sweat quite a bit because of my longer hair, and this helmet keeps my head at a good temperature in any situation, from hot arenas to cold outdoor shinny games. I would say the helmet has excellent breathability.

Intangibles:

There are many colorway options for this helmet's inserts, which I think may help match team colors and can provide an extra bit of customization for wearers.

Conclusion:

This is a great helmet, it does everything that a solid hockey helmet should do, and despite the somewhat steep price tag you can't really be too careful with your brain.

Final Score: 9.8/10

[Stewie 721]

Product:
Reebok 11k Helmet - Large (combo)

Time Used:
4 months

Personal Specs:
31 Years old, 5'8'', 170lbs, Hat Size: 7 5/8'' On ice ~4 hrs/week in Men`s league and Drop-in hockey


Fit: 7/10
Reebok Helmets fit me the best. I have a rather large head and find that the 11K gives me better fit than any other helmet I tried on in the store (roughly 10 models). For this, I will not include fit in my overall scoring, but rather score this section on how adjustable it is with the dial. The dial helps me lock in, and I haven't noticed any change in its performance over the time I have had it. That being said, I think their are some better adjustable setting systems on the market, but the dial helps for sure.

Protection: 9/10
I was going to hold off for a few more months on doing a review of this product, but feel as though I have tested it enough to know how good it works. The main "test" came unwillingly in an adult league hockey game where a guy basically lined up my head when i was going to poke a puck forward to move past the D. It was probably the most impact my head has taken in a while, and although it wasnt a wall, the guy was the skating equivalent. This helmet protected my head very adequately, as I mostly just felt some neck pain afterwards from awkward bending. I have also taken many shots off the cage and helmet, as for some reason I like to use my body to block shots even in the beer leagues, and upgrading my helmet was definitely a great decision. My one point knock in this section is for the chin cup. It holds onto my chin decently, but there is definitely some give. If I played in a league with more contact, that could be an issue, and it is likely just my chin shape that creates this. Also note they changed the chin cup on the combo at some point, the one I have is a softer rubbery material which I think will help absorb impacts better and is way more comfortable on the chin, I exchanged the one i bought originally for one with the softer cup as the other cup felt awkward and too hard. (both 11k combos)

Weight: 9/10
Its light, but not the lightest on the market. For its protection level, it has a good weight for sure.

Durability: 9/10
Held up very well thusfar. The cage does have a few coating chips from pucks and other abuse, but otherwise, this helmet is holding up to the abuse fairly well. Also, the sticky padding inside the helmet is holding on much better than the adhesive in my previous 6k model.

Breathability: 9/10
I notice a big jump in how breathable this helmet is, but it's not quite at the 10/10 mark.

Intangibles:
as previously mentioned, the colorway options are nice to have. One big drawback, Is that it will take some modification to fit a Re-akt cage on, its not seamless. I tried in the store, and it would take some bending of the cage. You can find this helmet on sale, however, at some places, and at the price I got the combo for, I went with it and have been happy. The biggest drawback of this helmet so far to me, has been the black color of the chin cup. The other chin cup I tried on was a lighter gray, but the black of the more comfortable cup sometimes makes puckwork at the feet and my peripherals slightly more problematic, not a deal breaker, but I liked the Gray.

Conclusion:
Find one of these on sale and be happy with the high performance and level of protection. A great balance of performance, and luxuries, makes this a solid investment.

Final Score: 8.5/10