Helmet is the basic protective gear we have to wear during various activities especially for extreme sports like mountain biking. If you are also a fan of MTB, Leatt DBX 3.0 Vs 4.0 are two ideal options to consider because they are both protective and ideal for the application that needs maximum protection. But, as different models these helmets are also different and before deciding to go with one, it is good to know what they can offer or any possible differences below.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- Which MTB Helmet to Purchase
- What are Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0
- What Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 Look Like
- How are the Construction of Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0
- What are the Safety Features in Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0
- Are Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 Comfortable
- Leatt DBX 3.0 Vs 4.0
Mountain Bike Helmet
Safety is our first concern when doing anything that has a high risk of injury and if there are any possibilities that it will affect your health or wellbeing. Even while driving from home to the workplace and going back home later there are always possibilities that something wrong may happen hence our vehicle must be featured with safety functions such as the basic seat belt or airbag and anti lock brakes. For those who love doing dangerous activities mostly sport, we also have to pay attention to the safety gear.
Since our head and brain is the most important but also fragile, this is what most of our focus on as none of us want to end up with brain damage or any other serious head injuries that may not only affect your mobility but also live. If you are here then mountain biking is what you do to fill the free time and for this sport, a helmet is probably the most necessary gear we have to own after the bike itself.
| Leatt DBX 3.0 | Leatt DBX 4.0 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 16 x 10 x 11 inches | 16 x 11 x 13 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 3.2 Pounds | 3.7 Pounds |
| Best offer | Check price | Check price |
Bike helmets or any other helmets will not reduce the chance or risk of an accident but only the seriousness of your event. The outer hard shell will act as a protective case to prevent direct contact from anything out there such as gravel or rocks and dirt while the inside soft foam will absorb the energy before it reaches the head. The construction of helmets also allows less impact to be transferred and reducing the amount of burden we receive.
When looking for a helmet especially for mountain biking, the construction and level of protection will be the most important as safety is a must here and depending on your riding application, some may only protect the top area of the head and some are covering your face as well. The latter is often called a enduro or DH helmet and after deciding which seems to fit in your application or riding discipline the most, it is wise to also check their certification.
Certification is probably the easiest way to choose your mountain bike helmet because each application has their own proper rating. The open face or traditional bicycle helmet including skate style BMX usually need CPSC, ASTM F1447, or Snell B-90/95 AND N-94 while the full face will need CPSC and ASTM F2023 and F1952. In addition if you have a specific taste for the helmet we can also look for certain features or functions that will make the riding experience better, such as a removable chin bar or lots of vents for cooling.
About Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0
Shopping based on what the helmet is made for is safe as well as convenient but at the end of the day we often see people are more towards their personal choice and what most comfortable for you so at least we want to recommend to find the model that is made for your certain riding discipline so then we can ride with ease. For the options however, they will be massive and among brands or models, there must be one or more that attract your attention.
Some may choose to stick with their favorite brand and there is nothing wrong with this as long as the options are made for your application. Talking about MTB helmets, there are various brands we love and one of them is Leatt besides the more popular Bell in which helmets you can check in our Bell Super Air R Vs 3R here. Both of them are nice choices but Leatt is more affordable just in case you need to save some or want to try a new brand.
They also carry some nice choices to let you pick one but for those who want to protect their neck as well while adventuring, Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 are going to be two amazing options to choose from but, as the name suggest they are also close brothers and it means they will be so much similar to each other. We do think you can go well with just any of them but we also recommend the latter if your riding discipline will need more serious protection.
Talking about these Leatt helmets, the DBX 3.0 is actually almost like an upgrade of the also popular 3.0 AM helmet in case you have one already as it is based on the previous model and it is like a beefed up of your mountain bike model. In our opinion if you want to consider between AM and DBX 3.0, the latter will be a better choice because it is like you get two helmets in one. As for the DBX 4.0, this big brother is a solid choice for DH riders.
Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 Design
Even from the first glance you can already know the differences between Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 because these two are quite different from the design only. As you can see from the sample picture above the latter is more solid, not about the material but more of the build design as it has less vents and more coverage in comparison to DBX 3.0. The point on where they put vents however is still similar but smaller windows are being applied now.
The rest are still the same including the overall shape of the helmet but when you wear both on the full face mode it is also prominent that DBX 3.0 is lighter. What we want to mention here is that you can remove the chin bar of the little brother for uphill riding and for regular riding which is not possible on the DBX 4.0. For the sizing they are also available in various measurements and they do have lots of colors to pick or match with your taste.
Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 Construction
As it has been mentioned above, the most important part of bike helmets is their safety and we can easily shop based on your riding discipline and their safety rating too but first let’s see the construction of Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 as they are identical in this side. The outer shell is polycarbonate and the foam is injected to reduce the thickness of the outer material as well as to reduce the overall weight allowing the helmets to be more comfortable.
What’s special is now the DBX 4.0 has a dual type of foam for the inner layer and this foam is both soft and hard. The hard type is installed near the outer shell while the soft type is put on the inner portion next to your skin.
Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 Safety
If you have the older AM helmet, there are these blue turbines inside and they are also present in both helmets which is both cushioning and reduces rotational acceleration to head and brain. What’s different is DBX 3.0 is not ASTM F1952 rated and only for traditional DH application rather than racing which is why we don’t recommend this helmet if you are going to race with gravity since for this application a solid helmet with a fixed, non-detachable chin bar will be the better option.
Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 Comfort
The last part we want to talk about is their comfort because while safety is necessary, it is difficult to stay loyal to an uncomfortable helmet. To help your head feel the breeze while riding, Leatt DBX 3.0 and 4.0 are packed with so many vents at 18 and 22 respectively but the shape is different as now the DBX 4.0 is narrower and enclose the head more compared to the open design. But, they are very cool to ride with probably because of the lightweightness.
There is no serious issue with sweating that stands out from the common DH helmets we have seen but the lighter DBX 3.0 is probably better for uphill riding and since this model’s chin bar can be detached to form a half-mode, it reduces the weight even more. We do think it is far more convenient for different types of terrain or application; including regular mountain biking.
Leatt DBX 3.0 Vs 4.0
These helmets are ideal for mountain biking but they are also different despite having similar features and the difference is prominently because the DBX 3.0 is a hybrid model which means the chin bar which makes it a full face model, DH compatible helmet not suitable for a more serious riding especially DH racing and this helmet doesn’t have the certification for this application as well. But, it is breezier for regular mountain biking and when in half construction itsr weight will be much lighter than DBX 4.0.
Conclusion
All in all it is the right helmet for the right riding discipline so it is best to follow what type of activity you will do and if DH racing is what you do then we highly recommend to get DBX 4.0 as it is safer but for the lighter application, DBX 3.0 is more comfortable.
