Subsonic Black Blue Matt puts a matt black shell under a single accent colour, and that accent sits exactly where the Y.100R does its aerodynamic work: on the double-blade spoiler at the back. Everything else stays dark and quiet, so the blue reads as a signal rather than a pattern. On the product photos it is paired with a blue mirrored visor, which completes the look but is worth checking separately before you order (more on that below).

Shaped in the wind tunnel, finished with a twin-blade spoiler

Nexx developed this shell through extended aerodynamic study and wind-tunnel sessions, with two goals named side by side: stability at speed and sound insulation. Those goals are less in conflict than they sound. Both come down to how cleanly air leaves the back of the helmet, and that is the job of the twin-blade rear spoiler. It splits the flow off the crown into two cleaner streams instead of one large wake, which reduces the buffeting you feel as a tug on the neck when you look over a shoulder on the motorway.

The R in the name stands for exactly this addition. Compared with a plain, rounded sport shell, the spoiler is the visible reason to pick this model: it is a functional part, not a styling cap, and on this colourway it is also the one surface that carries colour.

About the Subsonic Black Blue Matt finish

Subsonic is the cleanest of the Y.100R graphic families. There are no stripes and no lettering across the dome; the black base runs uninterrupted from chin bar to neck, and the only colour on the side profile is the blue of the spoiler blades and the mirrored visor shown with it. MT stands for matt, and that changes how the helmet lives day to day. A matt surface does not show the fine swirl marks a gloss shell collects from cloths and gloves, and it looks the same in direct sunlight as under a car-park light. The trade-off is cleaning: matt is washed with a soft sponge and plenty of water, never polished, because polish leaves shiny patches that do not come out. Insect residue should be soaked off rather than rubbed. Treated that way, a black matt shell ages evenly and still looks deliberate after several seasons.

How quiet is it?

We do not quote a decibel figure of our own, because noise depends on bike, screen, speed and the rider's head as much as on the helmet. What we can tell you is that the one independent scored road test of the Y.100R rated its noise 4 out of 5, and that the design leans on construction to get there: the wind-tunnel shell, the spoiler, anti-noise cheek pads, a removable neck roll that closes the gap under the helmet and a chin wind stopper that blocks the draught coming up from below. For long motorway stints, earplugs remain the best addition to any full-face helmet, this one included.

Air through the shell and the dual-EPS chamber

Ventilation runs through two intakes and two exhausts: a large upper port on the crown and a chin vent that feeds air towards the visor. Behind them, the impact liner is built as a dual-EPS structure with an air chamber, so incoming air is guided around the head and warm, damp air is pushed out of the back instead of collecting under the padding. The same independent test that rated noise also gave ventilation 4 out of 5. For a thermoplastic sport helmet without a forest of vents on the surface, that is a strong result, and it explains why the shell can stay this smooth.

X-SWIFT visor change and the Pinlock 70 lens

The outer visor uses Nexx's X-SWIFT quick-release system and comes off and goes back on without tools in under eight seconds. That matters because a second visor is part of the box, and a second visor only earns its keep if swapping it is easy enough to do at the roadside. A Pinlock 70 MaxVision anti-fog lens is also supplied, which keeps the inside of the visor clear in cold or wet weather. The eye port is generously cut, so the view to the sides is wide for a sport-oriented helmet.

Internal sun visor

Behind the outer visor sits a drop-down sun shield that filters 99 percent of UV light. It is operated by an external button on the shell, sized so that it can be found and pressed with a winter glove. With the sun shield, the Pinlock and the outer visor together, one helmet covers bright mornings, tunnels and evening rain without carrying anything extra.

Polyfusion shell in two sizes, and the weight

The shell is moulded from Polyfusion, Nexx's lightweight thermoplastic, in two outer sizes: one for XS to M, one for L to XXL. Nexx states 1,575 g with a tolerance of 50 g, depending on size. An independent reviewer weighed a size M at 1,617 g, which sits inside that tolerance at its upper edge. In the context of a full day in the saddle, that is a mid-weight helmet: noticeably lighter than a touring flip-up, heavier than a carbon sport shell. The spoiler keeps the mass from feeling top-heavy at speed, because it calms the air rather than adding lift.

What ECE 22.06 means on this helmet

The Y.100R is homologated to ECE 22-06, the regulation that has been mandatory for new helmets sold in the EU since January 2024. Compared with the older 22.05, it tests at more impact points and several speeds, adds oblique impacts against an abrasive anvil to look at rotational loading, and checks the visor more strictly. It is also certified to DOT FMVSS 218, CCC GB811:2022 and NBR7471:2015. There is no SHARP star rating for the Y.100R; the five-star SHARP entry for the Nexx Y100 refers to a different model.

Things to know before ordering

The mirrored blue visor on the photos is part of the presentation, but Nexx does not specify which tint the fitted visor or the supplied second visor has for this colourway. If the mirrored look is the reason you want the helmet, ask us before ordering and we will confirm what is in the carton. Iridium and dark visors are road legal only where your local rules allow tinted visors; a clear visor is the safe choice for riding at night. Comfort was the weakest of the three independent scores at 3 out of 5, and the shell comes in only two sizes, so heads at the edges of a shell size get thicker padding rather than a smaller outer shell. The Nexx X-COM3 communicator and any action camera are sold separately.

Communication and camera mounts

The helmet is prepared for the Nexx X-COM3 and X-COM3 PRO Bluetooth 5 systems, with recesses for the speakers and the unit. Side mounts for an action camera are included in the box. Moulded reflectors on the shell add visibility from several angles after dark, which is a sensible complement to a mostly black helmet.

In the box

• Nexx Y.100R helmet in Subsonic Black Blue Matt (Polyfusion shell, two shell sizes)
• Pinlock 70 MaxVision anti-fog lens
• Second visor (tint not specified by Nexx)
• Nose guard (breath deflector)
• Wind deflector / chin curtain
• Side action-camera mounts

Specification

• Helmet type — Full-face, road and sport
• Certification — ECE 22-06 (UN), DOT (FMVSS 218), CCC (GB811:2022), NBR7471:2015
• Shell — Polyfusion lightweight thermoplastic, two shell sizes (XS–M and L–XXL)
• Weight — approx. 1,575 g ± 50 g, varies by size
• Retention — micrometric ratchet buckle
• Visor — X-SWIFT tool-free quick change in under 8 s, Pinlock 70 MaxVision lens included
• Sun visor — internal drop-down, filters 99 % UV, glove-friendly external button
• Aerodynamics — rear double-blade spoiler on a wind-tunnel-optimised shell
• Comms and camera — X-COM3 / X-COM3 PRO ready (Bluetooth 5), side action-camera mounts
• Ventilation — two intakes, two exhausts

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