LS2 FF352 Rookie crash helmet review

ls2-rookie-disc-featured
LS2 Rookie is now discontinued

LS2’s SHARP 4 star rated full face motorcycle helmet – the LS2 FF352 Rookie

NOTE: the LS2 Rookie is now discontinued. For great alternatives either visit our our top 10 full face helmets page or see all our LS2 helmet reviews.

The LS2 FF352 Rookie is their entry-level helmet aimed at folks who don’t want to spend too much but still want a helmet that works well – one that’s comfortable, reasonably quiet with a nice visor and that’s going to protect them in an accident. So even though you’re not wanting to spend too much, it’s  still gotta perform.

Well, at around £60 that sounds like a big ask. So we’ve scoured all the reviews we can find and we’ve incorporated what we’ve found owners think of the LS2 Rookie in our review below.

One thing to note though. At this price point, many owners seem to be new to riding or have limited experience of other helmets – so what’s comfy and quiet to them might be irritating and noisy to you in your £600 Schuberth!

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-matt-black-side-view
Solid matt black LS2 Rookie

Overall/Summary

Folks who bought an LS2 Rookie FF352 resoundingly seem to like it.

Sure, it’s short of a few features you expect on more expensive helmets, but that’s not why people bought it. They want a good all rounder at a reasonable price – and the LS2 delivers in spades.

It’s comfortable, has a nice visor, decent ventilation and – to top it all – scored highly in the SHARP crash helmet tests, scoring a massive 4/5 stars (that’s the same as a £500 Arai!).

So, if you’re after good protection for not much wodge, we’d recommend you check out an LS2 Rookie (along with our suggested alternatives at the bottom of the page). Oh, and the best place to buy one? From our recommended retailers below of course!

Safety

Even though this might be what folks call an entry-level helmet, it has to give good protection.

Well, if it’s on sale in Europe, it has to be ECE 22-05 certified, which the Rookie is. So it offers a decent all-round level of protection.

But it’s also been tested by SHARP and rated four stars out of a maximum five for safety.

That’s a great score for any helmet full stop. But at this price point, it’s an incredible score and proves, once again, that you don’t have to pay big bucks to get a helmet that’s going to offer you lots of protection.

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-fluo-black-white-rear-side-view
Rear view of the Rookie Fluo black/white

So what’s making the LS FF352 score so highly?

It’s got a thermoplastic shell which are tough and durable (even though they’re cheaper to manufacture). That’s backed by multi-density EPS or expanded polystyrene foam liner. Multi-density liners are good at absorbing energy at different speeds and are what you find in the most effective helmets.

And even though the Rookie is only manufactured in one shell size (which is not great for a number of reasons) it obviously works well in the form of the LS2 Rookie.

Looking to buy this LS2 helmet?

Please click below to visit the LS2 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you - a massive THANKS! (it's how we finance the site).

Buy from SportsBikeShopBuy from Ghostbikes UKShop for LS2 helmets at Amazon

Helmet Noise

Owners seem to think the liner on the LS2 FF352 Rookie is pretty plush feeling – that’s nice and thick and soft – which helps with noise reduction. Unfortunately though, it doesn’t come with a chin curtain, which is a shame because that usually helps with reducing noise too.

However, owners mostly seem to reckon it’s not too noisy as it is.

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-flutter-white-purple-side-view
Classy FF352 Rookie Flutter is available in purple/white (above) or purple/black

As usual, we’ve gotta warn you that noise perception is relative – and depends on lots of factors individual to you (riding style, type of bike, last helmet noise etc. etc.).

But having said that, consensus seems to be that it’s pretty good at suppressing noise, as long as you don’t go too fast where things can become a bit noisy.

Of course, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem anyway if you wear decent ear plugs.

Ventilation

No complaints on the ventilation, except that the visor can fog up. But that goes for any helmet without an anti-fog treatment on the visor.

The FF352 Rookie has a single chin vent operated by a slider (that’s easy to use in gloves).

It also has a single brow vent and a pair of rear exhaust vents just below the small spoiler at the back.

And like most higher-priced helmets, it has channels cut in the EPS lining to allow air to circulate around the scalp before it exits the lid via the rear exhausts.

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-ranger-black-red-top-view
Top vents and rear exhaust on the FF352 Rookie Ranger

Word is that ventilation’s good – though as I mentioned at the top of the page, most owners we came across (though by no means all) seem to be new to biking or after a cheap helmet for a pillion for example, so whether the ventilation will work for you on a day’s tour in 30 degree heat is unclear.

However, there’s no issues reported other than the fogging of the visor.

Visor

Which leads me neatly into talking about the visor.

The LS2 Rookie has an optical class A visor – which is amazing because we usually only see those on expensive helmets. Class A visors are designed so they shouldn’t distort your vision at all.

It’s also quick release (open the visor, push a lever and out it comes) and is supposed to come with an anti-fog coating.

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-gloss-white-side4-view
This one’s the solid gloss white version

Having said that, one or two owners reckon it steams up pretty easily so don’t expect it to stay clear if it’s cold or raining and your visor’s closed.

But that’s not a fault of the Rookie – it’s just what all helmets do without an anti-fog treatment or Pinlock on the visor.

Comfort & Sizing

The FF352 Rookie is rated as nice and comfortable by pretty well all owners.

It has a nice thick comfort lining that’s hypo-allergenic and breathable and it can be unclipped and removed for washing.

Again, removable and washable linings used to be the preserve of more expensive helmets so it’s good to see budget helmets like the Rookie now being fitted with them.

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-x-ray-rear-side-view
Want to shock? Try the LS2 Rookie X Ray

If you’re going to buy an LS2 Rookie, one or two owners reckoned they needed a size larger than they’re used to. So if you’re in two minds about which size you need (or in between sizes) we’d go a size larger – and buy from a retailer who’ll accept returns/replacements without quibbling (like one of our recommended retailers).

Looks & Graphics

The LS2 Rookie FF352 is a nice and modern looking helmet. It comes in the usual plain colours (matt/gloss black and gloss white) as well as six other designs – at the time of reviewing.

They are the Fluo and Fan designs (including hi-vis yellow versions) as well as the Flutter, One and Ranger. There’s also a skull design called the X Ray.

As usual, we’ve put pics of those designs up and down the page – but to check out any new designs and see the latest prices, please click the links to our recommended retailers below.

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-fan-matt-orange-side-view
LS2 Rookie Fan matt orange (also available in hi viz yellow)

Best places to buy this LS2 helmet?

Please click below to visit the LS2 helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you - a massive THANKS! (it's how we finance the site).

Buy from SportsBikeShopBuy from Ghostbikes UKShop for LS2 helmets at Amazon

LS2 Rookie Video

A quick spin around the LS2 Rookie Flutter…

Other stuff – fasteners, audio, warranty

ls2-ff352-rookie-motorcycle-crash-helmet-ranger-black-white-bottom-view
Rear of the LS2 Rookie Ranger

The LS2 FF352 Rookie comes with a micrometric fastener (dead easy to use and safe as houses).

There’s not much information around about how well it works with bluetooth headsets – but check out the video above as he explains how he’s attached a mic and a Go-Pro, so it sounds like it’s possible to fit one.

Finally, the LS2 comes with a one year warranty. That’s not quite the five year warranty some of the best known brands offer, but probably acceptable at this price. We’ve heard tales of the occasional screw coming loose in the visor base plate but other than that, it seems to be pretty well built.

Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s

For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.

Alternatives to the LS2 FF352 Rookie?

First off, we suggest you look at the MT Thunder – which is another SHARP 4 star rated polycarbonate full face that’s available in kids sizes to XL for just £50.

That’s amazing value – until you see the MT Revenge – which is slightly more expensive at £70 but scores the highest possible SHARP 5 star rating and is both comfortable and has great ventilation.

You might also want to look at the Box BX-1 – thermoplastic shell, SHARP 4 star rated and does everything well.

If you can stretch to a bit more money, you can start looking at some of the better known brands. There’s the four star rated Nolan N64 – which is good but noisy and around £80. Or for a bit more still you can have the very capable AGV K3 – another four star safety rated helmet with great build quality and finish that’s a well-liked good performer.

Definitely want an LS2?

Here you'll find all our LS2 crash helmet reviews and previews.

Star Ratings

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Safety
Comfort
Noise
Features
Value
Previous articleShark Skwal Review
Next articleCaberg Modus flip-up motorcycle crash helmet review
ls2-ff352-rookie-crash-helmet-reviewThe LS2 FF352 Rookie isn't the most feature packed full face helmet around. But at this price it's an almost unbeatable combination of SHARP 4 star safety rated helmet that's comfortable, with a fantastic visor system and great ventilation. If you're looking for a new full face crash helmet that's well rated for safety but don't want to spend lots (and you're not too bothered about masses of features) then the LS2 Rookie could be the helmet for you!

3 COMMENTS

  1. Helmet has a very good build quality. I have 3 of these models. Wind noise on these lids are harsh and makes long trips tiring..

  2. Why does your article have a large “discontinued” sticker at the top, This helmet is still available on the LS2 website and many other places with no mention of it being discontinued.

    • When it’s no longer made and disappears from the manufacturer’s website, we’ll generally swap it to a discontinued image. Which website did you see it on – as it’s not on the official LS2 site that i can find. They may be available at a distributor’s or at retail tho, which is why we put ‘good deals to be found’ because they’re usually available at a discount.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here