When you think about deodorant, the word luxury doesn’t pop into your head. There isn’t anything sexy about deodorant. You go to the aisle, pick up your favorite brand, smell it and purchase it. Pretty simple shit if you ask me. Here at Gents Among Men, I am always looking to try out products that take a unique approach towards a traditional one. I came across Helmm through Instagram and asked them to send over a box to try out the “first high-end deodorant.” A few email exchanges later, I received a package in the mail.
They Say: Helmm’s mission is to upgrade the life of modern men by innovating a product that we all use every day, but don’t think about enough – deodorant. Our product is crafted with equal parts form and function, elevated in quality, and distributed through a subscription-based business model for optimal convenience. Put simply, Helmm is the first high-end men’s deodorant that smells great, looks good and actually works.”
Packaging: At first glance, you would think this is cologne or maybe a traveling cigar holder. This is what I liked about the packaging. You don’t know what it is until you open it. Helmm’s unique interchangeable plastic deodorant refills clicks in and out of the zinc alloy container wrapped in hand-stitched Horween leather. The low-level window lets you know when a replacement is needed.
The Test: Setting up the deodorant is simple: choose between two scents (I like the Hudson), slide it into the chamber, and apply to your underarms. I used the deodorant during one of my intense boxing sessions. Reason being, I sweat and probably smell something fierce afterward. An hour later, the sweat was reduced, but there wasn’t a hint of odor. The second test was during my daily activities: traveling across town for meetings, photo shoots etc. Helmm stood up without any problem. At one point I forgot that I put on deodorant due to the dryness under my arm.
We Say: Sweating is a natural bodily function. However, underarm odor is the main discomfort. I didn’t experience any of that with Helmm. The design and environmental approach are both great but it means nothing if the product doesn’t live up to its claims. With Helmm you don’t have to concern yourself with the latter. Not only is Helmm a new approach towards deodorant but it is also a functional approach towards odor control.