HJC i100 review | Flip-over modular helmet tested

Date reviewed: March 2025 | Tested by: Jon Mansfield, BikeSocial member | Price: From £249.99 | www.oxfordproducts.com

The HJC i100 flip-over helmet on review here has endured around 12,000 all-weather miles, but as I’m a riding instructor it’s also been on my head all day, every day even when I’m not riding, so it’s had a tough life…

Outer Shell

Starting at £249.99 for plain colours and rising to £279.99 for graphics like this ‘Beis MC3HSF Yellow’, the finish of this ECE-22.06-certified helmet is very good, with well-applied graphics over the matte top-coat… it’s only got chipped and scratched because it fell off a sack-barrow!

The HJC i100’s chin bar goes up over the helmet and latches at the back, which makes for a much more aerodynamic lid when riding with it open than a traditional flip-up. There’s a red locking lever on the right to secure the chin bar in the rear position but it seems pointless to me – this isn’t going to fall back over to the front without being lifted.

If the visor’s shut when the chin bar is opened or closed it automatically opens itself and then closes again, but that auto-closing adds a level of complexity to the mechanism that does see it jam sometimes when closing the chin bar with the visor down. While a nice idea that isn’t seen in many of this style of helmet, to be honest I’d have preferred it to have just left the visor open after the operation.

Besides the occasional fouling caused by the visor mechanism, the chin section locks down easily and securely during use.

Weight

Weighing 2,020g on my scales in size large, this is an undeniably heavy helmet. The average now is about 1,700g, and while aerodynamics are usually the biggest cause of discomfort, the HJC i100 does seem too much for me, and given the arthritis I started to suffer in my neck, I’ve had to retire this lid.

I should stress that my problems haven’t been caused by the HJC, and with it flipped open to the back I still prefer riding in this to a traditional flip-up, which can act like a sail.

Editor’s note: The weight of the i100 is really noticeable when you pick it up, and this is the first time I’ve thought a helmet was truly ‘heavy’. In fact, it’s the heaviest helmet we’ve ever tested at Bennetts BikeSocial.

Ventilation

Of course a flip-over helmet like this can give fantastic ventilation when open, but with it closed it feels fairly airy too.

The chin vent is either open or closed, but I find it a little fiddly to operate as your finger gets wedged in the hole in the bottom as it opens.

Air flow from the top two-stage or closed vent is good, going across the top of your head to the always-open exhaust on the rear. I would like this vent to be a little easier to feel with thick gloves on, but it works well.

Visor

I do like the action of the visor, which doesn’t have any ratchet stages. It’ll crack just open for improved ventilation, then you can set it where you want, or fully up. If you have it open an inch or so it does move around in the wind a bit, but overall it’s a nice, smooth design.

There are two tabs on the lower edge of the visor, which makes it easier to operate with either hand, but they could do with sticking out a little further to be easier to operate.

Removing the visor for cleaning is easy enough, with just a sprung slider needing to be pushed to release it.

The HJC’s visor doesn’t leak in the rain, and it comes with a Pinlock 70 mid-range anti-fog insert.

The drop-down sunshield fits well, without much light-leakage at the bottom, but mine appears to have delaminated, leaving it looking severely worn. This can be a problem with some shields if inappropriate cleaners are used, but while I’ve only cleaned this the same way as all my other helmets, every so often someone will ‘helpfully’ clean any lids they find at work with god-knows what, so I can’t pinpoint what’s caused this. All I’ll say is that it’s important to only use a mild soapy solution when cleaning any visor.

Lining

Before I had to stop using the HJC i100 it was on my head for a very long time, being worn all day. The lining’s been in and out several times for washing so is wearing out now and has gone a bit flat and compressed, but that’s pretty much to be expected given the hard life it’s had.

The only slight problem I’ve had is that the ear pads that fill the speaker slots fell out and got lost very early on. That’s not caused me any discomfort at all, but there are hard plastic edges in there that might be an issue for some head and ear shapes.

Fastening

The HJC i100 has a six-stage micrometric ratchet that I find very quick and easy to use. Once the strap has been adjusted to suit you, this style gives plenty of adjustment to ensure a secure fit every time you put it on.

Fit

Fit is of course extremely subjective so always try any helmet on before you buy it. This HJC fitted me very well from the first use, but thanks to a hard life it is rather sloppy now.

HJC i100 - Noise

You need to wear earplugs with any helmet when riding over about 40mph, but the i100 seems good, with no noticeably excessive wind noise, and no creaks or squeaks.

For more information on why earplugs are vital with any helmet, and advice on which are the best, click here.

Can I fit my own intercom to the HJC i100

HJC offers its own ‘Smart HJC 10B’ Bluetooth intercom for £139.99, though stock is hard to find now. The biggest problem will be mounting your comms unit, but consider using a clip mount, or sticking it on the black plastic lower and the shell above this as the ridges and chin mechanism will limit where you can put it.

As with other brands, if you buy an intercom at the same time as the helmet from most stores, you’ll not pay VAT on the comms system, saving 16.66%.

Three alternatives to the HJC i100

Here are some other helmets you might want to consider…

• AGV Street Modular, from £239.99 | It's not without its faults, but the AGV is good for the money, mainly let down by an annoying chin bar release catch. Read the full review of the AGV Street Modular here.

• LS2 Advant X, from £299.99 | I love flip-over helmets as they’re so much better to ride in when open. This is one of my favourites, with one caveat about the visor seal. Read the full review of the LS2 Advant X here.

• Nexx X.Lifetour, from £359.99 | A full review will be coming soon, but first impressions are of an excellent flip-up.

These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the helmets we’ve tested here  and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.

HJC i100- Verdict

The street price of the i100 has dropped a lot recently, with some plain colours available at just £149.99 and graphics at £169.99, which makes this a very tempting bargain-priced flip-over helmet.

I’m disappointed I had to retire mine due to the weight playing up recent problems with my neck (and its age meaning it’s worn out), but if you’re okay with that I’d definitely recommend trying this HJC on.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk or at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.