Mekarium Mat repeats the same graphic language on a satin rather than gloss base, here in black with chrome-effect diagonals and blue accent lines. The flip-back hinge and the two-digit lock at the chin work identically regardless of the finish on top — this is the mechanical part of the OXO that every decor in the range shares, letting the same shell certify and ride as both a closed and an open helmet.

This finish, day to day

The matte base swallows reflections in a way the gloss Mekarium doesn't, so the chrome-effect panelling reads slightly less shiny here than on the two gloss colourways — still a visible brushed-metal accent, still worth calling Silver rather than Grey, just quieter overall. The blue line running through the graphic is a solid mid-to-dark blue rather than a pale or teal-leaning shade, which keeps it filed as Dark Blue for the shop's filters.

How the chin bar actually works

Two release catches sit either side of the chin. Pull them and the entire lower bar — not a visor, not a separate panel, the structural chin piece itself — rotates upward and back until it locks flat against the top of the shell. That's the mechanical heart of what makes the OXO a Flip-Up helmet: one continuous shell that is certified and sealed correctly whether that bar is locked down for full-face riding or locked back for an open, jet-style ride.

The standard, and the flip-up detail inside it

ECE 22.06 became mandatory for newly homologated helmets across the EU in January 2024, and it tests substantially more than 22.05 did: eighteen impact points against five, several speeds instead of one, an oblique-impact anvil test, and a rotational Brain Injury Criterion. For a Flip-Back helmet the standard also allows a P/J rating — approval in the closed and the open position separately — and Shark's documentation states the OXO holds both.

Why one visor tint means two actual parts

Order a tinted OXO visor by colour alone and you're only halfway to the right part. Shark builds the shell in two sizes, and the VZ390 visor family mirrors that split: every tint exists as a small-shell version and a large-shell version, each carrying its own article number on the price list. The shell size a rider takes determines which of the two they need.

Reading a manufacturer's weight correctly

Manufacturers almost always quote their lightest configuration, and Shark is no exception: 1,660 g is the OXO's first-shell weight, not a size-M average. Two independent sources put a fuller number on it — SHARP at roughly 1.7 kg, MotorcycleNews at 1,880 g for their own test helmet — a gap of over 200 g from Shark's own figure that's genuinely felt over a long ride, whatever the spec sheet says.

The real price comparison

Rather than a vague price tier, here are the two actual Shark 2027 helmets closest to this OXO in price, one below and one above:

What reviewers actually found, without inventing a number

Ventilation on the OXO is confirmed at two points, chin and brow, both simple switches rather than adjustable vents — Shark doesn't state how many exhaust vents move that air back out, so this stops short of a number it can't source. On noise, independent reports describe no problems in open, jet-mode town riding, and general expectations of a quiet helmet, tempered by a note that Shark's earlier modular designs weren't always settled at motorway speed. No decibel figure exists for this helmet from any source consulted.

What ships as standard, and what's for the track

Every OXO leaves the factory with a clear VZ390 visor, approved for all riders, Pinlock 70 pre-installed, adjustable tension and anti-scratch coating included. Beyond that standard fit, Shark offers a daytime-legal TE50 light tint and a five-shade Iridium range explicitly restricted to racing use — a distinction worth respecting rather than ignoring on the road. Unlike a shared visor family used across other Shark models, VZ390 has no published optical class.

The confirmed everyday feature set

A sun visor that drops down internally, a shell built to take an intercom, a visor mechanism that needs no tools to change, and a groove cut for glasses — all four confirmed, matching between SHARP and Shark's own documentation. Whether the removable liner is washable, and what pad sizes exist, are two questions neither source answers, so neither is answered here either. SHARP's four-star rating is dated May 2025.

Who this decor suits

Mekarium Mat in black and blue keeps the Sport and Street tags of its gloss counterparts — the satin finish is calmer, but the graphic language and the underlying flip-back mechanism are unchanged. It's a fit for riders who want a livelier look than Blank or Dark Shadow without going as bold as the gloss Mekarium, still built around the same practical open-at-a-stop convenience.

The fit question a two-shell helmet raises

A helmet built on two shells rather than one doesn't automatically fit the same way at every size, and an independent reviewer's account of the OXO backs that caution up: they described the interior as leaning oval, and found it didn't suit their own, less oval head shape. Take it for what it is — one rider's honest, subjective experience — but a genuinely useful flag before ordering blind.

What to check before ordering a spare

Before ordering a replacement visor for the OXO, from a sixteen-strong range spanning clear, TE50 light tint and five Iridium colours, check which shell size you have — every tint comes in two versions, and only one fits. The Pinlock 70 insert carries the identical two-part split, independently confirmed in the range book.

Reading the limits honestly

Absent from this helmet: MIPS, EQRS cheek pads, and any published dB figure for either riding position. SHARP's four-star result, from May 2025, is solid and independently earned, but it's a snapshot, not a promise that holds forever. The number of exhaust vents isn't published. And at least one independent tester found the internal shape too oval for their own head. Better to know all five before ordering than after.

Box contents and long-term support

Clear VZ390 visor fitted, Pinlock 70 included, internal sun visor built in — the OXO arrives ready to ride, closed or open, from the first day. Shark's five-year warranty and genuine spares availability back that up well past the first ride.