The Lazer Tonic is an excellent budget road helmet that looks and feels like a much more expensive lid. At 230g for a Medium, it weighs the same as helmets more than twice as expensive, such as the Specialized S-Works Prevail or the Bontrager Velocis.
- Best road cycling helmets: our pick
- Best bike helmets: a buyer's guide to help you find what's right for you
Internal channeling on the Tonic keeps air moving across the head, and probably reduces the weight a little, too. Ventilation is very good for a helmet at this price point — not as airy as something like the Prevail but much better than helmets in its class.
The 29 vents offer plenty of places not only for the air to come in, but also to store your sunglasses.
As with most helmets in this category, the Tonic comes in three sizes, but unlike some other brands, the Tonic comes in a whopping seven styles, from the more muted (white, black, black/blue and this white titanium) to see-me-now hi-vis options (flash yellow and flash orange).
An easy-to-use dial at the back handles circumference fit, and the rear cradle can be adjusted for height. The chinstrap material is a touch heavier and more inflexible than higher-end helmets, but once it is adjusted you likely won’t notice it at all.
The generous pads are easily removable for washing, and generally keep sweat from running into your eyes.
You can also get a MIPS version of the Tonic for about 25 percent more.
