Cartoon Nardo Purple is the boldest of the Cartoon colourways without needing a single bright accent. The base is a deep violet in gloss that turns almost black in shade and flares into vivid purple wherever light catches the curves of the shell, and Nexx's hand-drawn black strokes trace those curves like the outline of a comic panel. It suits riders who want personality on the bike every day, on the way to work as much as on the weekend loop.

About the Cartoon Nardo Purple finish

Purple is a colour that depends heavily on light, and gloss makes the most of that. Where the shell bends around the brow and the cheeks, highlights run almost white; across the flatter areas the violet deepens. The Cartoon linework sits on top in black, with tapering brush ends and small cross marks near the chin bar, and it echoes the black spoiler blades at the back so the whole helmet reads as one drawing. Gloss is the easy finish to keep clean: road grime and insects lift off once softened with water, and light hairline marks can be polished out with a helmet-safe product. What gloss does not do is hide wiping marks, so use a wet microfibre rather than a dry cloth. Strong sunlight over years will fade any saturated colour a little, and storing the helmet out of direct sun is the simplest way to keep the violet rich.

Made for the everyday ride

Nexx describes the Y.100R as a helmet for urban riders and long-distance riders alike, and the equipment backs that up. Everything that makes a daily commute easier is already on board or in the box: a drop-down sun shield, an anti-fog Pinlock lens, a second visor, a wind deflector and a nose guard for cold mornings. The sporty, slim profile with its rear spoiler fits a naked bike or a sports machine, but nothing about the helmet is reserved for the track.

An interior you can wash

Comfort on a daily helmet is mostly about hygiene. The X-Mart Dry lining is soft, anti-sweat, anti-allergic and anti-bacterial, and the 3D-formed padding comes out completely, cheek pads, crown pad, neck roll and chin-strap covers included. Wash it by hand, let it dry away from a radiator, and it goes back in. The removable mouth cover and the chin wind stopper are worth fitting from autumn on; in summer they come out for more air. For honesty: in one independent scored test, comfort received 3 of 5, the lowest of its marks, so the padding is supportive rather than soft.

Ready for intercom and camera

The Y.100R is prepared for Nexx's own X-COM3 and X-COM3 PRO communicators, both Bluetooth 5, with space for speakers and the control unit; the PRO version adds Mesh 2.0 and Harman Kardon sound. Neither unit is in the box. What is supplied are mounts for an action camera on the sides of the helmet, so filming a ride needs no adhesive pad of your own.

Visor care and spare parts

Most visors that end up scratched were wiped dry. Dust is abrasive, and dragging it across polycarbonate leaves fine lines that flare in oncoming headlights. Soak the visor first, then wipe gently. If it does get scratched, the X-SWIFT mechanism makes replacing it a matter of seconds, and Nexx lists visors in several tints, Pinlock lenses and a complete lining set for the Y.100R as separate parts. A helmet whose wear parts can be replaced lasts as long as its shell and liner are sound.

X-SWIFT visor, Pinlock 70 and sun shield

The outer visor is removed and refitted without tools in under eight seconds. It comes Pinlock-ready, and the Pinlock 70 MaxVision anti-fog lens is included. Behind it, the internal sun shield filters 99 percent of ultraviolet light and is lowered with an external button that works with gloves on. The eye port is wide, giving a generous field of view for a sport-styled helmet.

Climate control

Ventilation runs through two intakes, one large on top and one at the chin, and two exhausts at the back, plus a visor ventilation system. The EPS is made as two layers with an air chamber between them, which channels fresh air over the head and pushes stale, damp air out. The same independent test that scored comfort rated ventilation 4 of 5.

Wind tunnel, spoiler and noise

The shell's form came from many hours of aerodynamic work and wind-tunnel testing, aimed at keeping the helmet steady and quiet at speed. The double-blade rear spoiler is the most visible part of that. Noise scored 4 of 5 in the independent test; we do not publish a decibel value of our own. The anti-noise cheek pads and removable neck roll seal the helmet around the ears and neck.

Shell, weight and sizes

Polyfusion thermoplastic in two outer sizes, XS–M and L–XXL, over the glue-less dual EPS (Nexx's patent-pending EPS Glue-Less System). Nexx states 1,575 g ± 50 g depending on size; a reviewer's size M weighed 1,617 g. Sizes run from XS for 53–54 cm to XXL for 63–64 cm, and the fit suits an intermediate oval head. Retention is a seven-step micrometric ratchet buckle.

Approvals

Homologated to ECE 22-06, compulsory for new helmets in the EU since January 2024 and stricter than 22.05, with more impact points, oblique impacts to assess rotation and tougher visor tests. DOT FMVSS 218, CCC GB811:2022 and NBR7471:2015 are listed too. There is no SHARP rating for the Y.100R; the five-star SHARP entry for the Nexx Y100 refers to an older, different helmet. Cheek pads can be pulled out by first responders, and moulded reflectors improve visibility after dark.

Compromises

At around 1.6 kg this is a mid-weight helmet, not a light one. Two shell sizes cover six helmet sizes, so the smallest size in each shell carries thicker padding. The visor on the product photos is dark, but Nexx states no tint for the fitted visor or the second visor of this colourway; ask us if a particular tint matters, and remember that tinted visors are for daylight only.

The new Y.100R finishes side by side

In the box

• Nexx Y.100R helmet, Cartoon Nardo Purple
• Pinlock 70 MaxVision anti-fog lens
• One more visor (tint not published by Nexx)
• Nose guard
• Wind deflector
• Action-camera side mounts

Specification

• Helmet type — full-face for the road, sport-oriented
• Certification — ECE 22-06 (UN) / DOT (FMVSS 218) / CCC (GB811:2022) / NBR7471:2015
• Shell — Polyfusion, light thermoplastic; two shells (XS–M, L–XXL)
• Weight — around 1,575 g ± 50 g, size-dependent
• Retention — micrometric ratchet closure
• Visor — X-SWIFT, no tools, swapped in under 8 s; Pinlock 70 MaxVision included
• Sun visor — internal drop-down, 99 % UV filter, operated by a glove-friendly external button
• Aerodynamics — rear spoiler with two blades; wind-tunnel-optimised shell
• Comms and camera — X-COM3 / X-COM3 PRO ready, Bluetooth 5; side action-camera mounts
• Ventilation — 2 intakes / 2 exhausts

• 1x helmet (Polyfusion, two shell sizes)
• 1x Pinlock 70 MaxVision anti-fog lens
• 1x second visor, Smoke 80% (dark tinted)
• 1x nose guard (breath deflector)
• 1x wind deflector / chin curtain
• Side action-camera mounts