 This Product
Giro Switchblade Mips | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Full Face |  Best Balance of Price and Performance Downhill Helmet | Best Buy Downhill Helmet | ||
| Price | $139.98 at Evo Compare at 4 sellers | $300.00 at Backcountry Compare at 5 sellers | $139.95 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $150 List $149.99 at Amazon | $110 List $89.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A full face helmet with a removable chin bar that is a great option for gravity fiends | A killer enduro lid that works well for shuttle laps or the racecourse | A park-worthy helmet at an attractive price that offers serious protection | A comfortable helmet with solid protection levels at an excellent price | A solid-performing downhill helmet at an outstanding price |
| Rating Categories | Giro Switchblade Mips | Smith Mainline Mips | Troy Lee Designs D3... | Leatt Gravity 2.0 | 7Protection M1 |
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Protection (20%) | |||||
| Weight (20%) | |||||
| Ventilation (15%) | |||||
| Visor (10%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Giro Switchblade Mips | Smith Mainline Mips | Troy Lee Designs D3... | Leatt Gravity 2.0 | 7Protection M1 |
| Weight (grams, size medium) | 980 grams | 765 grams | 1219 grams | 1008 grams | 947 grams |
| Weight (ounces, size medium) | Half shell: 24.2 oz Full face: 34.6 oz |
27.0 oz | 43.0 oz | 35.5 oz | 33.4 oz |
| Number of Vents | 20 | 21 | 20 | 11 | 17 |
| Shell Material | Polycarbonate | Aerocore | Fiberglass | Polymer | Polycarbonate |
| Rotational Impact Protection System | MIPS | MIPS | None | 360 Turbine | None |
| Sizes | S, M, L | S, M, L | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL | Youth M, Youth L, S, S, M, L, XL |
| CPSC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CE EN1077 | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| CE EN1078 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| ASTM F1952 (DH) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| ASTM F2032 | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| ASTM F2040 | No | No | No | No | No |
The Switchblade is a reasonably comfortable helmet in both full face and trail mode.
Testers found it to offer a great feel over the ears. While some DH helmets tend to squeeze your ears, the Switchblade is spacious. Hearing remains impressive, and it doesn't sound muffled. Giro's Roc Loc retention system on the back of the head sits at a nice point on the occipital lobe and feels secure.
No matter how hard you crank the retention dial, there are no pressure points. Our only complaint is that the fit on the very top of the head is a little funky. We wouldn't call it uncomfortable or painful, but it would have been nice to have a slightly wider space at the crown of the head.
The Switchblade is outfitted with the Multi-directional Impact Protection System (Mips) system. The Mips is a layer of material underneath the pads but on top of the foam of the helmet. In the event of an angled impact, this layer is intended to move slightly to reduce rotational forces that reach the brain. This technology has become more and more prevalent in recent years.
The full-cut design includes extra protection over the ears when used without the chin bar attached, and it has significantly more head coverage than most other convertible models on the market. The addition of cheek pads and a sturdy D-ring chin strap help to provide a very stable and secure fit that adds a confidence-inspiring sense of protection. The Switchblade is ATSM DH 1952, CPSC, and EN1708 certified. This DH certification applies for when the helmet is in full-face or half-shell modes.
Our medium Switchblade Mips hit the scales at 34.6-ounces with the chin bar attached. With the chin bar removed, the helmet weighs 24.2-ounces. Due to its full-cut design with extended ear coverage, it doesn't drop as much weight in half-shell mode as other convertible models.
The Switchblade is the heaviest of the convertible helmets we tested, but given its substantial feel and DH certification, it isn't terribly heavy. That said, there are now much lighter models on the market if you're concerned with weight or plan on doing significant amounts of pedaling.
The Switchblade offers reasonably good ventilation in both settings.
In the half-shell mode, the ventilation isn't top-notch, but it is respectable. Obviously, you can breathe far better than you would with most of the non-convertible helmets. The way the shell extends over the ears and high-cheek zone limits airflow to that part of the head. This issue simply comes with the territory of the extra coverage. When motoring down the trail, the airflow over the top of the head is pretty good. Plenty of air gets through when you are carrying a head of steam. Still, convertible helmets that don't cover the ears in trail mode are a far better choice when if you care about airflow in half-shell mode.
In the full-face setting, the ventilation is impressive. The lack of fabric inside of the helmet near the ears definitely helps keep your head cool.
Two bolts secure the visor. One bolt near each temple. The visor is pretty sturdy when you attempt to rock it side to side with your hands. Adjustments to the position are made by hand without loosening up any bolts. Simply pull the visor up and down into one of the three positions. There are three indexed stop points to choose from.
The visor works well in full-face mode and serves its purpose. In the half-helmet mode, the size of the visor can be problematic. If the visor is in the lowest position, your visibility is seriously limited on mild terrain. On steeper trails, this issue is far less problematic as your looking further down the hill. In the middle visor position, the issue is less noticeable, and in the high visor position, it is nonexistent. That said, the helmet looks a little goofy with the visor pointed into the sky.
A second visor is included in the box. The additional one comes with a camera mount.
Throughout our test period, we did see anything that would concern us about the durability of this helmet. Removing and installing the chin bar takes a little getting used to. We recommend being very careful not to force the mechanism when reattaching the chin bar. We could foresee some problems developing by improper install/removal.
The Switchblade Mips uses a classic D-ring system. This tried and true method feels secure, although it can be a little difficult with gloves on. When you are ripping park laps, it can be a little clunky clipping and unclipping this before and after every run. That said, you never doubt the security of the closure. It feels like there is essentially no risk of the helmet is going to come off in the event of a big crash.
The Switchblade Mips is a solid value. This helmet offers Mips technology, and the convertible function does its job very well. If you are looking for a one-helmet solution, we recommend checking out the Bell Super DH which is a much better trail helmet that breathes very well.
