Geeky Goodies Review: Kylo Ren's Voice Changing Mask

Published March 2, 2016

How does it fit?

The helmet fits okay. There is a head strap that is adjusted before attaching it inside the helmet, and can be removed to be readjusted. I did have trouble getting the straps properly measured, and found that even then they didn’t securely hold my head. It can also just be plain uncomfortable for some, though that’s to be expected for merchandising masks and helmets. Putting the helmet together was also a bit of a hassle, as the two main parts just don’t line up as neatly as I’d like, and you’ll need to take it apart to readjust the head straps or replace the batteries.

The helmet suffers from wobble if you move to quickly or angle your head too much to one side, and I would have loved an additional strap for the lower back of the head to help relieve this. That said, I also understand that the lower strap may have been omitted for those who are much younger.

How does it look?

It looks good, though it’s not an amazing recreation. The helmet design’s visual simplicity does mean it looks fully authentic from a good distance, however. The visor hides the eyes well enough, though not under closer inspection. The paint job is great, though the damage detailing becomes obviously “painted on” with any casual inspection.

Be warned though – unlike Kylo’s magical perm in the film, your lovely locks will not survive extended exposure in the helmet unruffled!

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How fancy is it?

The big feature is the voice modulation. On either side of the helmet are disguised buttons, one that turns the voice modulation on, another that controls the pitch of the modulation. The modulation certainly works, and it sounds really cool when you’re wearing the helmet. It is very sensitive, and will pick up anything louder than light breathing, and will even softly pick up the voices of people around you. This can be used for a faux Darth Vader respiration effect to some degree, even though Kylo had nothing to do with that particular piece of famous Star Wars nostalgia.

Unfortunately, the voice modulation is somewhat spoiled when you realise that others listening to you don’t understand what the modulated voice is saying half the time, and can always hear your normal voice under the modulation. As such, the voice modulation tends to fall more towards a gimmick, rather than actual feature.

Conclusion

How much you get out of this depends entirely on what you want it for. If you want a cool piece of Star Wars merchandise to have on display, to pull out to show and impress your friends, then this is absolutely fantastic.

Storming out of the Star Wars merchandising gates, we have Kylo Ren’s helmet. Not a mask, but a fully-fledged helmet, with bonus voice modulation! It’s comes with a hefty price tag, but certainly looks the part. First impressions are good, it looks and feels solid, while bearing a very strong resemblance to the source material. Let’s see how it holds up! How does it fit? The helmet fits okay. There is a head strap that is adjusted before attaching it inside the helmet, and can be removed to be readjusted. I did have trouble getting the straps properly measured, and found that even then they didn’t securely hold my head. It can also just be plain uncomfortable for some, though that’s to be expected for merchandising masks and helmets. Putting the helmet together was also a bit of a hassle, as the two main parts just don’t line up as neatly as I’d like, and you’ll need to take it apart to readjust the head straps or replace the batteries. The helmet suffers from wobble if you move to quickly or angle your head too much to one side, and I would have loved an additional strap for the lower back of the head to help relieve this. That said, I also understand that the lower strap may have been omitted for those who are much younger. How does it look? It looks good, though it’s not an amazing recreation. The helmet design’s visual simplicity does mean it looks fully authentic from a good distance, however. The visor hides the eyes well enough, though not under closer inspection. The paint job is great, though the damage detailing becomes obviously “painted on” with any casual inspection. Be warned though - unlike Kylo’s magical perm in the film, your lovely locks will not survive extended exposure in the helmet unruffled! How fancy is it? The big feature is the voice modulation. On either side of the helmet are disguised buttons, one that turns the voice modulation on, another that controls the pitch of the modulation. The modulation certainly works, and it sounds really cool when you’re wearing the helmet. It is very sensitive, and will pick up anything louder than light breathing, and will even softly pick up the voices of people around you. This can be used for a faux Darth Vader respiration effect to some degree, even though Kylo had nothing to do with that particular piece of famous Star Wars nostalgia. Unfortunately, the voice modulation is somewhat spoiled when you realise that others listening to you don’t understand what the modulated voice is saying half the time, and can always hear your normal voice under the modulation. As such, the voice modulation tends to fall more towards a gimmick, rather than actual feature. Conclusion How much you get out of this depends entirely on what you want it for. If you want a cool piece of Star Wars merchandise to have on display, to pull out to show and…

Geeky Goodies Review: Kylo Ren’s Voice Changing Mask

2016-03-02

Kharrak

Total

Total - 7

70 7

If you’re looking to use it for cosplay, it’s a fair solution and could work well, though the wobbly nature of it makes it cumbersome, and thus difficult to wear for any length of time. The damage detailing, which as mentioned above doesn’t look great under close inspection, can easily be hidden behind the cloak cosplay which conveniently accompanies Kylo Ren’s look.

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Kharrak

Guest Contributor - Tabletop

Kharrak loves and owns a lot of boardgames, which have over time mutated him into a being solely sustained by schadenfreude and dice. Hopelessly addicted to Fantasy Flight card sleeves, and fears the inevitable intervention by geek friends.