REASONS TO BUY
Incredibly comfortable
Low weight
Breathable
REASONS TO AVOID
Lower impact scores
Smaller sun visor
Smith Engage Mips Review
A lightweight mountain bike helmet that’s most at home on trail and cross country rides
Credit: Zach Lovell
By Zach Lovell ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ April 25, 2025
Our Verdict
The Smith Engage Mips mountain bike helmet boasts top-tier comfort in a lightweight package. Smith has long been a leader in head protection, with an impressively broad range of offerings, and this helmet further confirms their commitment to quality. While the Engage didn't score as well as the competition for our impact tests, it was a joy to wear in less downhill-intensive terrain on long trail and cross-country rides. Even when things got toasty in the sun, the Engage kept us happy, whether we were huffing uphill or not. The adjustment wheel in the back of the helmet is well-designed, ensuring a quality fit that was quick to dial in and capitalizes on the comfortably contoured interior. Simply put, this comfortable option is the helmet you want when you're spending hours on the trail.
Our Analysis and Test Results
At some point, many helmets get uncomfortable to wear, whether due to a bumpy ride, intense heat, or long ride duration. The Smith Engage Mips kept our testers' heads happy through all of it, making for an excellent option if you're prioritizing comfort, particularly for trail or cross-country biking.
The Smith Engage Mips meets the required helmet standards by the CPSC, though it wasn't the highest scoring option in our impact tests.
Credit: GearLab & ACT Lab
Impact Test
The Smith Engage Mips landed towards the back of the pack in terms of impact testing. That said, it surpasses all necessary impact requirements to be sold in the United States and Europe.
Slow Impact Test Results
The Engage scored lower in the slow impact tests where we dropped a dummy head, wearing the helmet, from 1 meter. The higher the chart, the higher the g-forces on the dummy head. As you can see, the highest-scoring model had much lower g-forces exerted on the helmet.
Fast Impact Test Results
Similarly, in the Fast Impact tests, the Engage had higher g-forces than the highest-scoring bike helmet.
Comfort
Comfort is the best attribute of the Engage, coming in at the very top of the charts.
This low-profile helmet was easy for our gear testers to continue wearing hour after hour on lengthy rides. The low weight of this option also aided in unencumbered movement, with the rear adjustment wheel allowing one to tighten the fit enough for the helmet to ride more securely on the head. Smith prides itself on offering a shell design that accommodates a wide variety of eyewear, which we were able to confirm ourselves. While comfort is subjective, the Smith Engage is likely to be among the most comfy helmets you try, and if it doesn't fit your head, Smith likely has a similar model that has a key difference in the shape.
The Smith Engage offers an exceptional blend of padding and quality shaping, making it a helmet we were happy wearing all day long.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Ventilation
The Engage is one of our favorites in terms of ventilation.
Airflow was abundant throughout the Smith Engage, with 21 vents offering some of the best breathability in the lineup. While the number of vents doesn't exclusively indicate decent performance in this metric, many of the vents on the Engage were more generously sized. Additionally, the padding struck a rare balance between comfort and ventilation, with just enough padding to offer some head cushion without causing too much sweat.
This lightweight helmet offers excellent breathability, offering a thoughtful venting design that encourages airflow.
Credit: Syd Knadler
Usability
While a helmet is a relatively simple piece of gear, elements like strap configuration, adjustability, and eyewear compatibility can make a tremendous impact in purchasing decisions. The Engage came in towards the top of the pack.
The Smith Engage Mips is a simple and easy-to-use helmet, with intuitive adjustability and no unnecessary features. The supple chin strap is easily adjusted around the ears and jaw, with a unique buckle system allowing you to dial in the ear opening.
The ear opening is easily adjusted with a well-designed buckle.
Credit: Zach Lovell
The chin buckle is the no-frills classic design, which we never had an issue with, even when we deliberately tried to pull it apart. The rear adjustment wheel and support system were effective and worked well throughout field testing, even after we beat up the helmet on several trail rides.
We had no qualms with the classic chin buckle.
Credit: Zach Lovell
We love the eyewear integration that Smith's helmets offer, and the Engage Mips easily worked with a variety of eyewear types.
From classic sunglasses to speeders, we could utilize a variety of eyewear with the Engage.
Credit: Syd Knadler
Weight
For the final portion of our review, we simply weighed each option and formulated a final score using a formula. The Smith Engage Mips came in near the top of the lineup.
At 13.10 ounces, this helmet is easy on the head and neck, further confirming how ideal it is for longer rides. As with many of the lighter-weight helmets in the lineup, it didn't score as highly in impact testing, but it still comes with the necessary certifications needed for being a worthy mountain biking helmet.
This is an excellent, lightweight helmet for those particularly weight conscious.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Should You Buy the Smith Engage Mips?
This option is among the most comfortable and lightweight mountain bike helmets we've had the pleasure of using. The best part? It comes in at almost half the cost of some of its competition, further confirming that the Smith Engage Mips offers great value. While this isn't the most ideal option for heavy downhill biking use, it's a phenomenal consideration for trail and cross-country bikers.
What Other Mountain Bike Helmets Should You Consider?
If you're seeking another option for a lightweight and comfy helmet, the Giro Manifest Spherical offers great comfort with better impact test and ventilation scores. If you're looking for another option that's similarly budget-friendly, the Lazer Coyote KinetiCore is inexpensive and offers some of the best impact test scores in the entire lineup.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Smith Engage Mips versus top competing products:
—Zach Lovell
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