Bright and breezy – the Lazer Nova helmet is a joy
12.3.2026
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Pictures: Martin Jungfer
This helmet’s got it all: a flip-down visor, detachable ear warmers, adjustable ventilation, and genuinely smart LED lights. There’s just one small downside.
Yes, I do have one point of criticism about the Lazer Nova – it’s heavy. In size M, the helmet I was given for testing weighs a hefty 680 grammes including the LED strip and visor.
You can find helmets in our shop that – at first glance – appear to have similar features at a lower weight. The Pedelec 2.0 Ace from Abus tips the scales at just 410 grammes. But it doesn’t have a front light. The Aura from Unit1 has integrated lighting and weighs just 440 grammes. Even if you add the visor, which weighs at least 200 grammes depending on the helmet’s size, the Unit1 is still slightly lighter than the Nova.
The most comparable alternative is the Ultra from Lumos, weighing 520 grammes. It also has a visor, front and rear lights and, like the Nova, is certified to NTA-8776, making it especially suitable for e-bikes that go up to 45 km/h.
So yes, the Nova is a heavyweight. But it’s also a champ! Quite a few features impressed me during testing; someone clearly put real thought into them.
Smart light
Any manufacturer that wants to be taken seriously these days pretty much has to offer «smart» products. Most of the time, though, they’re more awkward than smart to use. Lazer’s Nova is different. The helmet comes with a semicircular LED that you can click into the recesses at the top of the helmet. It gives you a bright white light at the front (35 lumens) and a red rear light at the back (10 lumens). What I especially like is how easy it is to switch on and off – no app, no hunting for a button.
All you have to do is gently touch a ridged area for a few seconds and the light comes on. Pressing again for about a second changes the mode, for example, from steady light to blinking light. The helmet lets you know you’ve changed the mode with vibration feedback. This makes switching modes easy on the go, like when stopping at a traffic light.
One genuinely convenient feature is the automatic brake light. A motion sensor in the LED strip detects braking in every light mode. It then signals to the cars behind me with a pulsing light that I’m slowing down.
No matter which mode I use, I can be sure the lights are clearly visible. Both the front and rear lights are positioned in the plastic strip in a way that they can be clearly seen from the front, back and side. The brightness, measured in lumens, is relatively low, but visibility is the decisive factor. For cycling, the built-in front light should be the brightest because it lights the way ahead.
The battery lasts four hours at maximum brightness, and in the most economical mode up to 18 hours. A blue LED shows how much charge is left. If it lights up without flashing, there’s still more than 25 per cent remaining. If there’s less, the LED starts flashing, signalling that it’s time to charge the LED strip. Charging from empty to full takes just under four hours.
Lighting systems are often built permanently into the helmet, meaning you have to plug in the whole helmet to charge it. With the Nova, you simply remove the LED and connect it via the included USB-A cable. The proprietary charging head is magnetic, similar to Apple’s MagSafe. While handy, it also means you really shouldn’t lose the cable.
Well-fitting visor
The Nova’s visor can be set in three positions. Mind you, I only ever use it fully up or fully down. In the lower position, it offers excellent wind protection – much better than other helmets with visors. If you wear glasses, there’s still enough room for them under the visor.
The visor isn’t designed to be removed from the helmet, for example for cleaning. It’s permanently attached on the left and right. Now, I didn’t realise the visor was meant to stay on the helmet at all times and ended up deforming one of the plastic bits.
Comfortable, removable inner padding
If you’re wearing a relatively heavy helmet, you’ll want it to sit properly on your head. It shouldn’t wobble around, as that’ll only put extra strain on your neck muscles. The Nova has comfortable inner padding. You adjust the fit using a dial at the back and close the helmet using the magnetic Fidlock clasp. Both the dial and chin clasp are easy to use, even while wearing gloves.
The inner padding is attached to the inside of the helmet with adhesive dots and Velcro strips. It’s easy enough to remove for washing. To be fair, Patrick, our team’s bike expert, has assured me I won’t be sweating enough as an e-bike commuter for this to be necessary.
The helmet also comes with ear warmers that can easily be clipped on and off the sides of the helmet. They attach with a plastic snap system. While sturdy enough now, I can’t guarantee the mechanism will still function perfectly in a year’s time. The plastic doesn’t seem particularly durable or robust.
Adjustable ventilation slider
In addition to praising the LED’s ease of use, I want to highlight the ventilation slider. You can click it onto the helmet instead of the LED. I switch over to it when I don’t need the lighting. With the slider on the helmet, you can move it through three settings to allow more or less airflow.
In theory, you could also use the helmet without the ventilation slider or LED attached to save weight. But according to the manual, this isn’t permitted. No clue why that is.
KinetiCore instead of MIPS protection
Lazer relies on the KinetiCore protection system, where the crumple zones for impact are integrated directly into the foam. In contrast, the more widely used MIPS system uses a slip layer inside the helmet to absorb the forces.
Both safety systems have their advantages and disadvantages. What matters is that helmets using both systems regularly receive 5-star ratings on Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings, an independent rating platform.
As of March 2026, the platform has not tested the Lazer Nova. It is, however, NTA-8776 certified, meaning it meets specific safety and protection requirements at higher speeds.
Sustainable
No bike helmet lasts forever. If your Lazer Nova ever reaches the end of the road, you can at least rest easy knowing it’s been an environmentally friendly one; the individual components are easy to separate and can be recycled by material.
Note (16 March 2026): In an earlier version of the text, I described how I removed the visor from the helmet and put it back on. That caused minor damage. When I contacted Lazer, it explained the visor on this model is not, in fact, removable. I had originally been told it was. I’ve reworded the relevant text passage accordingly.
In a nutshell
Too good to be lightweight
In the announcement of the new Nova, Lazer says it invested many years in reducing the helmet’s weight, apparently counting every gramme. Well, the effort only paid off to a limited extent; the helmet isn’t particularly light. And this is also my biggest point of criticism. A lot of features inevitably add weight. If I had to give up one of them, it would be the visor, as there are plenty of good cycling glasses to choose from.
Other than that, the Nova is a thoroughly successful option for people wanting to feel safe on an e-bike. The protection system and certification are excellent, the lighting is clever and very well thought through, the helmet is comfortable, and I have no complaints when it comes to sustainability. Even so, it just falls short of top marks for me. Besides the weight, I’m not a fan of the visor and ear warmers’ attachment mechanism.
Pro
- Optional ear warmers that click on easily
- Easy to use, no app needed
- Light switches on automatically in the dark
- Long battery life
- LED includes automatic brake light
- Ventilation level can be adjusted
Contra
- Relatively heavy
- Visor not removable
- Proprietary magnetic charging cable for the LED
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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