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The Stage Stunt is based on Troy Lee Designs’ lightweight, enduro-focused Stage full-face helmet, but ditches the chin bar.
It joins the growing ranks of three-quarter coverage helmets – such as the Fox Dropframe Pro, Bell 3Qtr-Air and iXS Trigger X. The Stage Stunt is built for riders with a gravity focus who are looking for additional coverage at the back of the head and around the side of the face, but who also want to maximise airflow on the climbs.
It’ll also suit ebike users, who perhaps don’t need quite as much ventilation on trail rides as those who don’t have any pedalling assistance.
Commendable performance
The primary job of mountain bike helmets is to protect your head during an impact, but a good lid also needs to fit and vent well. The Stage Stunt, as you’d expect, conforms to all the safety standards expected of an open-face helmet.
TLD uses dual-density EPS foam to help spread impact loads over a wider area, and it has integrated the latest MIPS Integra Fuse system into the liner. This low-friction layer, moulded onto the EPS, enables the relatively thin padding to move independently during a crash, hopefully reducing the transfer of rotational impact forces to the brain.
In terms of coverage, the helmet sits below the skull at the back and extends to the lower jawline.
Safety out of the way, you’re most likely to notice the fit and ventilation. If you’ve worn a TLD Stage or any of the brand's open-face helmets, the sizing is consistent.
While the half-shell lids use a traditional retention cradle, the Stage Stunt – mirroring the Stage – relies on replaceable pads of differing thicknesses to dial in the fit.
There are two options for the cheek pads, and two for the neck-roll pad that sits at the base of the skull, which can also be moved between three vertical positions.
I found it easy to get a comfortable and secure fit, opting for thinner pads at the cheeks and thicker at the neck. There’s ample space over the ears, too – mine didn’t get squashed when wearing the helmet.
While everyone’s head is shaped differently, this is the most comfortable three-quarter helmet I’ve worn. It’s secured with a simple Fidlock magnetic buckle, which is easy to use with one hand. The straps depart the helmet just above the cheek pads, and don’t interfere with your ears.
When it comes to ventilation, I was expecting the Stage Stunt to be a bit of a sweatbox, so I was pleasantly surprised by the airflow on offer.
The helmet has nine front-facing vents and 13 exhaust ports to get warm air out. While the internal air channelling isn’t the deepest, it does a decent job of dumping heat.
Although the cheek pads limit airflow at the side of the head, you can feel some air entering around the temples. The space surrounding the ears keeps them cool and helps prevent the helmet from feeling too stifling.
The Stage Stunt is an easy lid to live with. I’ve struggled in the past with pulling three-quarter helmets over my ears. However, here there’s a little flex in the cheek sections, which can be exploited by pulling gently on the straps, and the cheek pads themselves sit forward of the ears a touch. Getting it on and off doesn’t make it feel as if your lugs are about to be ripped off.
Offering ample sun and rain protection, the peak is large and long. Although it has three positions, the top one isn’t quite high enough to stash a pair of MTB goggles under, unfortunately. Goggles fit nicely under the shell when worn, though, as do most MTB glasses, so long as the arms aren’t too wide. Glasses stowage is acceptable, with options under the peak or in the back of the helmet.
Weighing 571g (M/L), the Stage Stunt is a touch heavier than the iXS Trigger X, but it’s still no heavyweight and its heft doesn’t feel overbearing on the trail.
At £250, it’s priced on a par with the Fox Dropframe Pro (£259.99), but is a bit more expensive than the Bell 3Qtr-Air (£204.99) and iXS Trigger X (£207).
Troy Lee Designs Stage Stunt helmet bottom line
I was impressed by the Stage Stunt. While I was expecting it to be too hot for everyday use, it’s well-ventilated.
I’ve always found TLD’s helmets to be comfortable and this one is no exception. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s priced in line with some of the best three-quarter lids, leaving the goggles storage as the only significant niggle.
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