Last fall, Lazer debuted the new Impala KinetiCore mountain bike helmet. As the brand’s top-of-the-line half-shell lid, the Impala is packed with unique safety tech, including KinetiCore and DualCore, along with all the features we’ve come to expect in modern trail-riding helmets. Lazer sent me one to test pre-launch, and I liked nearly everything about it. Except for one glaring issue: a sewn, non-adjustable strap design that made it nearly unwearable for me.
It seems I wasn’t alone. Our Editor-in-Chief Zach Overholt didn’t get along with the Impala’s straps either. Nearly every other Impala review I read also mentioned this curious design choice causing discomfort and annoyance on an otherwise solid helmet. While the fixed-strap design may work for some helmets, it clearly was not the right choice for the Impala KinetiCore. It’s fair to assume the negative reviews and feedback probably resulted in low sales, too.
Way back at Sea Otter last April, the Lazer folks told us they heard the criticism, took the feedback to heart, and would be updating the straps. Now, several months later, we just learned that Lazer has finally updated the Impala KinetiCore for 2027 with an adjustable ear cradle strap design.
Problem Solved
I just received the updated Impala KinetiCore, and I’m happy to report that the discomfort issue has been completely resolved. Straight out of the box, the straps are aligned more comfortably, and it no longer forces the chin strap to rest against my throat. Even if it wasn’t perfect out of the box, the adjustable ear cradle allows you to reposition it to personalize the fit. A seriously simple fix to a serious comfort issue.
It’s unfortunate that Lazer didn’t use an adjustable ear cradle system to begin with, but I’m happy to see they listened to consumer and reviewer feedback and fixed this glaring issue moving forward. With the updated strap design, I can actually wear the Impala KinetiCore without feeling like the straps are trying to choke me. Now, I feel comfortable recommending this helmet to anyone, without needing to say, “if the position of the sewn straps works for you.”
Extended Satisfaction Guarantee
The folks at Lazer also recognize that some people who purchased the 2026 Impala KinetiCore may be dissatisfied with its comfort due to the fixed strap design. For those folks, Lazer is doubling its typical 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
“Lazer is extending the satisfaction guarantee on MY26 Impala KinetiCore to 120 days in order to give consumers who have made a purchase in recent months an opportunity to switch to the MY27 Impala KinetiCore with the updated strap-slider-equipped product at no charge. Please contact your original point of purchase to make a qualified return.”
With the new adjustable straps, my initial complaints about discomfort are no longer valid. This is a well-rounded trail riding helmet that checks a lot of boxes and is certainly worthy of consideration. Check it out at Lazersport.com