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Wearing a helmet while you're riding a bicycle isn't a choice, it's a necessity. Study after study has proven that the use of head protection can significantly reduce the risk of brain injuries if you happen to experience a crash on your two-wheeled stallion.
We purchased a plethora of helmets for our cycling experts to test, who spent hundreds of hours evaluating comfort, ventilation, and usability in real-world conditions, whether it was on the road, single track, the bike path, or the bike park. New for 2025, we purchased an identical version of each model to be impact tested in the lab.
Get the Smith Trace Mips if protection while riding your road bike is your top priority.
Our favorite MTB helmet is the Specialized Ambush 2, which combines a great impact score with incredible ventilation.
If you want solid protection for everyday riding, there is no better deal than the Trek Solstice Mips.
Editor's note: This review was updated on July 24, 2025, to include quotes directly from the testing team.
Who it is best for: For those looking for a budget-friendly all-around bike helmet, the Trek Solstice Mips is first on our list. When it comes to helmets that cost under $100, this model tops the charts of our impact test scores. If you want top-tier protection packaged in a stylish and reasonably priced product, this is the helmet for you.
Why we love it: In addition to the aforementioned reasons, we appreciate the ample airflow. Our budget bike helmet tester says, “I love these big vents. I tested these helmets on some very hot days, and I never overheated in the Solstice.” It also has a dial fit system that we found to work exceptionally well and straps that are simple to adjust.
Should you buy it? Our only real gripe with the Solstice is that it's a bit bulkier than some of the super high-end road bike and mountain bike specific models we've tested, so if you're looking for low-profile with maximum aerodynamics, this isn't the one. All in all, it would be hard to beat the price-to-performance ratio offered by the Solstice, and we'd advise anyone who is looking for an affordable yet high-performance helmet to go with this model.
The Trek Solstice is one of the most comfortable budget bike helmets in our lineup.
Who it is best for: Of all of the helmets in our road bike helmet review, the Smith Trace Mips showed the best results in our impact testing. If you prioritize impact mitigation, comfort, and you're willing to sacrifice a bit of ventilation for these elements, this is the one.
Why we love it: Our favorite elements of the Trace are its outstanding impact test results and its high degree of adjustability, which allows you to hone in on comfort. As our lead tester, Justin, states, “This helmet comes with several useful details to help you really dial in the fit.”
Should you buy it? This model earned a top-tier score, but there are some trade-offs – mainly, the added protection and adjustability seem to obstruct the vents a bit. Our team also discovered that this particular model isn't the best for larger, deeper heads. If airflow is paramount for you, we'd recommend comparing the Trace to models designed for maximum ventilation before making a purchasing decision.
The Koroyd in the vents are both a blessing and a curse. They're purported safety features get in the way of some usability, like having a confident sunglass garage.
Who it is best for: In terms of impact test results, the Specialized Ambush 2 outperformed all of the other models in our MTB helmet review and earned the top score overall. If ventilation while pedaling is important to you, this model doesn't disappoint. This is the helmet for the single-track slasher who values protection, airflow, and a few clever bells and whistles.
Why we love it: Specialized claims to have used computational fluid dynamics modeling to optimize the airflow with this helmet's design. This is noticeable immediately when you roll forward, and you'll feel the air moving over your head through the helmet. Even at low speeds, you can feel air moving from your forehead through the back of this helmet. Our team experienced no sweating or excessive heat issues while wearing this model, even on long, hot, and exposed climbs. It has some great features, such as a well-designed eyewear holder – two small vent ports on the front of the helmet have rubber flaps to hold your glasses securely.
Should you buy it? The Ambush 2 is the way to go if you want supreme ventilation, unique features, and great impact protection, and don't mind investing in your gear. Our only main gripe is the non-adjustable visor. One tester noted, “While it wasn't an issue in testing, we know that visor position is a rider preference that can vary quite a bit from person to person.” Overall, this helmet is a great choice for those looking for an MTB-specific helmet with strong impact test results.
Who it is best for: If you're a beginner or you just need a bike helmet for the occasional jaunt on the bike path or family trip, the Grottico is a good bet. It's also incredibly light, which is ideal for kids and people with a smaller build. Our tester noted, “I was shocked to see the weight of the Grottico on the scale. A lot of cyclists pay top dollar for ultralight gear, so it's great to see a budget option that isn't a brick.”
Why we love it: While it didn't produce the most impressive impact test scores during our assessment, it scored well above average. We also appreciate that the Grottico has an integrated rear light that alerts cars or other cyclists behind you of your presence – and the light is rechargeable.
Should you buy it? Despite this helmet having 23 vents, we were unimpressed with how they functioned. It seems as though the designers were more concerned about the number of vents rather than considering airflow. We also found the buckle to be of shoddy quality when compared to the others. At the end of the day, the number one reason to buy this model is the price. If it's on sale, you can feasibly get two or three of these helmets for the price of one high-end model. Considering its commendable impact test scores, this helmet is one heck of a deal.
The Grottico produced some respectable impact test results, even though it's highly affordable.
Who it is best for: The Lazer Lupo KinetiCore is another model on our list of recommended helmets that are under $100. In our budget bike helmet category, it produced some of the best impact test results, making it a great choice for mountain bikers who value safety but don't want to break the bank.
Why we love it: Designed for mountain biking, this helmet has features such as a large visor to keep the sun out of your eyes so that you can focus on the trail and an integrated eyewear storage space so that you can quickly take your glasses off and stow them without stopping. It also has great coverage on the back of the head. “I feel more comfortable wearing helmets with lower backs on the single track. Mountain bike trails tend to have a lot more obstacles than roads or bike paths, so the extra coverage feels great,” said our main tester.
Should you buy it? The Lupo is not exactly an all-around helmet – the large visor can cause wind drag at higher speeds, like you might experience on a road bike. It also does not offer the best ventilation, so if you sweat a lot or tend to pedal in the heat, a model designed for maximum airflow might be a better choice. However, if you're a mountain biker who's seeking a helmet with great protection and some attractive design features that won't cost you an arm and a leg, we say go with the Lupo.
Instead of a rotational system, the Lazer Lupo KinetiCore has cube-like “crumple zones” that did well in our impact tests.
Who it is best for: Of all the mountain bike-specific helmets that we've tested, the Lazer Coyote KinetiCore showed the best impact results. This is the trail helmet for those who are willing to sacrifice a few bells and whistles for superior protection.
Why we love it: Aside from objective data, our team found a lot to love about the Coyote. This helmet is light. Our tester states, “Considering that this helmet had some of the best impact test results, but it's also one of the lightest, it truly breaks the mold.” It also did well when compared to the rest in terms of comfort, ventilation, and features.
Should you buy it? The one element of this helmet that may turn some people off is that it's bigger than some of the high-end mountain bike helmets we've reviewed. A few people on our team weren't fans of the large visor, but just as many of us actually prefer it. In terms of overall performance vs price in an MTB helmet, the Coyote takes the cake. Our team all agrees – this is essentially a top-tier model at a fraction of the cost of the high-dollar models.
Who it is best for: The Giro Manifest Spherical is what we would call the Cadillac of mountain bike helmets. If you are a person whose bike saddle is your second home, you will not be disappointed with this model.
Why we love it: Above all, our team found the Manifest to be exceptionally comfortable. This is by design – it's highly micro-adjustable with the combination of a foam liner, phenomenal ventilation, and ease of use, details, and features galore. In terms of ventilation, our tester said, “You know a helmet has a good ventilation system when you're climbing in stifling heat and you can still feel the breeze in your hair.” To top it off, it's really light.
Should you buy it? The main tradeoff for all these bells and whistles is that this helmet had mediocre impact test results. While it still meets all federal safety standards, our testing uncovered substantial differences in how each helmet in our various reviews can handle a crash. This helmet isn't cheap – but if you're willing to make the investment for a top-tier, innovative product, we think it's worth it.
Who it is best for: The Trek Velocis Mips is a road bike-specific helmet that is for the person who needs outstanding overall performance and is ready to make the investment for a premium cycling model.
Why we love it: The aspect where this model shines is its outstanding comfort, which is largely a product of its large degree of adjustability and ultralight build. For the rest of our tests, the Trek doesn't top the charts in any of them, but it scores above average for all of them – something that is rare for a road bike helmet. In most cases, a helmet will have a great impact test score, but might be heavy, or it might have great ventilation, but it's not especially comfortable. The Velocis, however, does a great job of checking all the boxes.
Should you buy it? The elephant in the room of purchasing decisions is the Trek's price. For the top-scoring cycling helmet, you're going to need to pay top dollar. But if you're someone who puts serious miles on the tires on a regular basis, it's the best option.
Who it is best for: For the avid cyclist that is shopping for a road bike helmet on a tight budget, we recommend the Lazer Tonic Kineticore. While it doesn't top the score charts, we must note that in terms of price vs performance, it's a good deal.
Why we love it: The aspect where the Tonic outperforms much of the field is its weight – at a mere 240 grams in size medium, it's one of the lightest bike helmets we've tested out of any genre. This model is also highly adjustable, and it's available in an impressive range of sizes.
Should you buy it? The evaluation where the Tonic fell behind the pack was in our impact test. It surpasses federal standards, but in our detailed testing, we found that other roadbike helmets in our lineup are substantially better at absorbing forces experienced during a simulated crash. Still, at this price, you'd be hard pressed to find a better road bike helmet.
The Kineticore is a simple and timeless design, and it's easy to forget it's on your head.
Credit: Emily Hollomon
How We Tested
Almost everyone recalls the thrill of their first bike ride without training wheels, a joy that keeps us pedaling. But we also remember our first tumble onto gravel or pavement. Biking has risks – a reliable helmet is essential to protect you or your loved ones. We tested dozens of helmets on trails, mountain roads, city commutes, and long rides, purchasing them at retail price from popular stores where our readers shop. For more information on our testing process, head over to our How We Test Helmets page to learn more.
An example of our impact test on the Giro Fixture II Mips.
Credit: GearLab/ACT Lab
To review bike helmets, we use the following five performance metrics for scoring:
Impact Testing
Comfort
Ventilation
Usability
Weight
Every helmet we choose to test is impact tested in a high-tech lab and brought out on the roads, bike paths, and trails for real-world use.
Credit: Zach Lovell
You don't need to spend a fortune to protect your head. Below are select award-winning bike helmets from three of our reviews, comparing price and high-speed impact scores. We were surprised that some budget-friendly models delivered solid impact performance.
Impact Score Relative to Price
Name
Helmet Type
List Price
Impact Score
Smith Trace Mips
Road Bike
$250
9.5
Specialized Ambush 2
MTB
$180
9.2
Lazer Coyote Kineticore
MTB
$110
9.2
Trek Solstice Mips
Everyday
$75
8.1
Trek Velocis Mips
Road Bike
$300
7.9
GROTTICO
Everyday
$38
7.0
Lazer Lupo KinetiCore
MTB
$75
6.7
Giro Manifest Spherical
MTB
$260
6.4
Lazer Tonic Kineticore
Road Bike
$110
5.7
Why Trust GearLab
Testing for this review is led by a team from all forms of pedal, with avid road cyclists, downhillers, trail bikers, mountain bikers, weekend warriors, and true work commuters. Pat Donahue is a former Senior Mountain Bike Review Editor at OutdoorGearLab and has been obsessed with mountain biking for more than 20 years while simultaneously working in the bicycle industry for over 8 years. He has extensive experience in enduro and downhill racing, as well as riding for fun, and uses his knowledge to inform our full-face helmet recommendations. Zach Wick can be found riding and racing bikes in Santa Cruz County, and he heads our mountain bike helmet reviews. Zach has been riding, racing, and fixing bikes his whole life and has spent several years working in product development in the biking industry. Luke Hollomon has therefore been our most direct source of mountain bike information and culture. Luke has been racing bikes for over 20 years. He lives and bikes in Richmond, VA, living a (mostly) car-free lifestyle. Whether commuting, exercising, or playing, he gets on his bike at least once every day of the year, if only to commute to his other job as a physical therapist.
In addition to these three, our team of testers includes three additional gentlemen who call Colorado home. Zach Lovell is a professional mountain guide and avid outdoorsman who is IFMGA certified and enjoys sharing his passion for gear through writing and photography. Justin Simoni, who is a pioneer amongst the Southern Rocky Mountains and makes for a perfect hands-on tester, seeing as his fingerprints can be seen on nearly every peak in Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Alex Glades was an international travel enthusiast before settling in Colorado. He coaches Jiu-Jitsu, works as a Physical Therapist, and utilizes everything the Colorado outdoors offers, giving analytical and scientific approaches to his testing and research. Our extensive team of GearLab specialist are the bees' knees with over 100 combined years of experience riding, coaching, racing, fixing, designing, selling, or otherwise living and breathing bikes.
Riding bikes is a big part of our lifestyle; we have also chosen to incorporate safety into our lifestyle.
Credit: Emily Hollomon
What Type of Bike Helmet is Best For You?
Seeing as you will be wearing your bike helmet for hours at a time, it is essential to spend a moment choosing the right features and comfort to fit your needs. Though some helmets work across many general types of riding, there are some specialty helmets you'll want to consider for certain terrain and riding styles, such as a huskier helmet, a more durable helmet for aggressive downhill mountain biking.
Not all helmets are created equal, meaning some are designed specifically for road biking, while others are designed for smashing and bashing down rock, dirt, and rooted trails.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
If you focus on riding long distances in a more heated climate, having a helmet with great ventilation can maintain a cool head, keeping sweat out of your eyes. In some cases, such as downhill mountain biking, where high-speed crashes are more common, having the right helmet can prevent you from getting a severe head injury. In this review, we will walk you through all the different types of helmets available to help you decide which products have the right features for your needs.
Where Do You Want to Ride?
Before choosing a helmet, you must know what kind of riding you will do. If you want a helmet superior for commuting to work or school, it will be quite different in size and shape compared to a larger full-face helmet built for downhill mountain biking.
Many helmets here fit into the “standard bike helmet” category. What we mean by “standard” is not too specific to one type of bike riding. Most of the helmets in this guide are aimed at meeting the needs of a casual rider. Although many of these helmets look like standard bike helmets, most are intended for a specific use. You don't have to own the exact right helmet for each riding style, but there are certain factors you should consider if you're serious about a specific style or type of riding.
Budget Bike Helmets
Perhaps the most widely used and sought-after bike helmets by the billions of bicyclists worldwide are helmets that don't have a highly specialized purpose or a hefty price tag – they protect your head and don't break your bike account. Aside from the price, a key benefit to a budget model is that they don't have a specialized design and purpose, and many of them are perfectly suitable for a dirt single track, a commute to work, or maybe a weekend cruise on the beach cruisers down the bike path.
Key Metric Scores - Budget Bike Helmets
Product
Impact Test
Comfort
Ventilation
Usability
Trek Solstice
9.3
9
7
8
Smith Signal
6.9
9
8
8
Giro Fixture II
4.9
10
9
6.5
Cannondale Junction
4.9
8
10
6
Lazer Lupo
8.6
7
5
7.5
GROTTICO
7.5
5
5
6.5
Bell Nomad 2
5.9
6
5
5
Exclusky
4.5
5
7
5
Thousand Heritage 2.0
4.2
2
2
8.5
Schwinn Thrasher
3.5
4
5
3.5
In an unexpected yet welcome surprise to our testing team, we found a few highly affordable models that earned great overall scores, shown in the chart below. On the other hand, we found a few helmets with household names on them that we'd recommend leaving on the shelf. To see a complete breakdown of our testing, scoring, and process, head to our review of budget bike helmets.
Road Bike Helmets
Road-specific bike helmets are typically the lightest and well-ventilated helmets. They have specific features designed to fit the needs of road cyclists. These helmets usually sacrifice a little protection to be as light and breathable as possible. Since road crashes less frequently involve colliding with an object after falling off a bike, they have less protection on the back of the head than other helmet styles. Road bike helmets usually don't have an integrated visor as well. This is most likely due to tradition more than anything. However, it does allow for easy differentiation between road and mountain bike helmets. Since road helmets typically don't have a visor, road cyclists often wear a cycling cap underneath to keep the sun out of their eyes.
With plenty of ventilation and lightweight builds, road bike helmets will allow your noggin to view many beautiful places.
Credit: Ryan Baker
We have tested over 100 road bike helmets over the last 13 years. Below, you can see the lineup from our latest side-by-side tests. For further details on how each model performed, check out our full review of road bike helmets.
Key Metric Scores - Road Bike Helmets
Product
Impact Test
Comfort
Ventilation
Usability
Giro Synthe II
7
8
8
8
Trek Velocis
7.3
9
7.5
7
Giro Aries Spherical
5.6
7
9.5
8
Bell Stratus
7
7
7
7
Smith Trace
8.9
7
6
5.5
POC Ventral Air
7
7
6
6
Smith Persist
4.1
8
6
7
Bontrager Starvos
7
8
3
6
Lazer Tonic
3.6
6
5
8
POC Omne Air
4.4
7
5
6
Giro Agilis
5
7
4
6
Mountain Bike Helmets
Mountain bike helmets typically have more protection than road bike helmets. A mountain bike helmet covers more of the back of the head since you'll likely take a tumble during a mountain bike crash. In general, mountain bike helmets provide more significant protection than road bike helmets; they often weigh quite a bit more. Also, mountain bike helmets have the potential to be less ventilated than road helmets, seeing as they have the extra material for protection. Below, you can see the latest group of MTB helmets that we have tested. While the overall score is listed below, you should read our MTB helmet review to see how each model performed in each metric.
Mountain biking comes with many different variables, from trail consistency to weather, mountain bike helmets are built to handle a wide range of impacts.
Credit: Sarah Strobel
Key Metric Scores - Mountain Bike Helmets
Product
Impact Test
Comfort
Ventilation
Usability
Giro Manifest Spherical
6.5
9.6
10
9
Specialized Ambush 2
8.6
8
10
8
POC Tectal Race
8.8
9
8
8
POC Kortal Race
7
8
9
9
Fox Speedframe
6.7
9
9
8
Lazer Coyote
9.3
8
8
7
Smith Engage
4.9
9.8
9
8.5
Bell Sixer
7.6
8
8
8
TLD A3
6.1
9
8
8
Leatt MTB 4.0
6.9
8
7
8
Oakley DRT5
6.7
8
6
9
Fox Dropframe
8.7
8
6
7
Smith Payroll
6
8
8.5
7
Giro Tyrant
5.1
9
6
9
Bell 4Forty
6.3
8
7
7
Specialized Camber
5.5
8
8
6
Smith Forefront 2
3.4
9
6
9
Giro Radix
5.3
9
7
6
Smith Session
4.3
8
7
8
IXS Trigger AM
4.6
8
8
6
Smith Convoy
5.5
9
6
6
Giro Montaro
3.3
8
8
7
TLD Flowline
6
7
6
7
Full Face Helmets
Full-face bike helmets or downhill helmets look like motorcycle helmets, and they're designed for speeds close to what you can reach on a motorcycle. Full-face helmets prioritize protection over everything else. They cover your entire head, including your chin, so you'll be protected even if you go face-first into the ground. Full-face helmets are the heaviest style since they have the most material. And because they're not designed for the rider to be doing much pedaling, they have the potential to be quite hot.
Full Face helmets are built to withstand aggressive impacts, meaning they're built for aggressive terrain.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
How to Pick the Best Bike Helmet for You
Once you've figured out the helmet style that best suits your needs, looking at the specific design features of different individual models will help you narrow down the field considerably.
Whether going for a morning commute or enjoying a long ride on the bike path, this classic style is an ideal choice for those daily pedalers.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer
Protection
The entire reason you wear a helmet is to keep your head safe. Therefore, at GearLab, we consider crash protection the most important category for a brand-new bicycle helmet. Any helmet from a reputable manufacturer should protect your head to a minimum standard, but we aren't that certification agency. We're not crash test dummies, either. Although we sometimes eat dirt, we aren't going out getting in crashes while wearing these helmets to see how well they protect our cranium.
Our analysis of a helmet's protection starts by assessing its overall construction quality, from materials to layers and design. We take ample time mulling over every facet of each helmet. Our next step is to understand each product's head coverage and fit, taking note of open spots and particularly coverage on the back of the head. This is a particularly finite focus of ours because head coverage varies and affects protection in a crash.
With proper coverage on the back of the head comes more security when riding intense trails.
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Some helmets we cover here protect more of the back of the head than others. Full-face helmets provide the most head coverage, followed by mountain bike and skate helmets, while road bike helmets generally offer the least overall protection. One of the most fun parts of our protection evaluation is understanding any additional protection features, such as rotational impact systems or new technologies. Finally, the data from our impact crash tests is considered to sum up and evaluate the protection of each helmet. Remember that every helmet in our review is certified through the CPSC Bicycle standard.
Most of today's bike helmets are constructed with Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam, designed only to withstand one significant impact. The foam liner in these helmets is designed to compress and get crushed while absorbing impact forces. Once a helmet is cracked or impacted, you should replace it as it will no longer provide the same protection. Helmets made using Expanded Polypropylene (EPP), often found in skate helmets, have a more rubbery rebound with multi-impact capability. You can take more hits in these helmets without losing their form and performance, but your skull will absorb more of the impact on each hit.
Third Party Technology
As years pass, many manufacturers add new and uniquely named technologies to their product lineup to sell more units and push the boundaries of advanced protection. All current helmet models have in-mold construction, with a polycarbonate shell wrapped around an EPS foam liner. Fortunately for our noggins, many of today's newer helmets have dual-density foam designs with a mix of EPS and EPP foam. These manufacturer-specific blends of foam help with high and low speed impacts, and they utilize a similar blend of foam to strengthen against rotational impacts.
Many technologically advanced helmets contain two types of foam, EPS (Dark Grey) and EPP foam (Light Grey).
Credit: Jeremy Benson
Rotational Impact Protection Systems
Rotational impact protection systems are being incorporated in more and more helmets. Mips (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) was the first type of rotational impact protection system to come to the market. Recently, many other technologies have been introduced in other helmets. Leatt, 100%, Bontrager, and 6D have all implemented proprietary impact technology. Some designs, like Smartshock, LDL, and 6D, employ direct and rotational impact protection, while the original Mips system is designed strictly to help with rotational impacts.
Mips has been the leader in proprietary protection technology. However, more and more companies are beginning to push the forefront of advanced protection.
Credit: Alex Glades
Many of these manufacturer-specific technologies are challenging conventional protection with the introduction of new materials like the D30 impact protection gel. This particularly advanced protection science uses a gel-like, non-Newtonian substance with variable viscosities, allowing it to harden on impact. Another forefront in brain bucket protection comes from Koroyd, which takes its inspiration directly from car crashes. Their product uses a welded tube core designed to mimic crumple zones on a vehicle by having consistent and instant force absorption throughout specific parts of each helmet. Similarly, Lazer has created its advanced proprietary protection, Kineticore, which also imitates the crumple zones on a vehicle. However, their design is different due to its crumple zones being built into the helmet's vents. They claim this allows for superior airflow while providing proper protection from direct and rotational impacts.
Which technology is best? The jury is still out. We recommend doing some research and deciding for yourself. The cost of these systems has also come down in recent years, adding on average 5-10% to the price of a helmet, so we think they're worth the slight price increase.
Most helmets we have tested have rotational impact protection of one kind or another.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer
Comfort
Some cyclists spend long days in the saddle, so a comfortable helmet is crucial if this is you. Ideally, you shouldn't notice your helmet once it's been strapped on; preferably, you shouldn't think about it during a ride. Even though head sizes and shapes vary from rider to rider, our testers consistently found certain design elements that helped a helmet fit comfortably on different-shaped heads, adding to the overall comfort regardless of the user.
Comfortability of a helmet comes from many variables, from foam, to shape, size, and strap adjustability.
Credit: Zach Wick
Padding design, full circumference headband adjustability, and chinstrap design all play an essential role in the comfort of a helmet. Since the headband adjustment systems on most helmets tighten in the back and push the head against the front, good padding is essential in both the forehead and temple areas. While quality padding is important, we have found during all our testing that the location and coverage of the padding, along with the shape of the foam liner, were more important than the thickness of the padding itself.
The best internal headband system designs make a complete loop around the head. Some helmets only circle partially around the head and anchor into the helmet liner near the temples. This isn't as comfortable, generally.
Chinstrap design also plays a massive role in the comfort of a helmet. Our testing team appreciates helmets incorporating thinner webbing straps and a Y-buckle, allowing the straps to lie flat against the face.
A comfortable chin strap can make a long ride seem much more effortless.
Credit: Zach Wick
Adjustability
Any climber will tell you that a properly fitting harness is the most important safety feature to save their life from a fatal fall. Then why not have a similarly appropriate fit in the most important protection device a biker can wear, a helmet? For a helmet to work properly in case of a spill, it must fit well to protect the specific shape of your noggin. Correct fore/aft positioning, headband tightness, and chinstrap adjustment will help your helmet stay in the proper position atop your head for the highest amount of protection.
Many helmets have an adjustable head strap to fit securely on your head when taking long rides, allowing for more comfort.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer
The best helmets have a chinstrap system that attaches under the chin and splits into two straps in front and behind the ear, before attaching to the helmet. Usually, the straps are joined by a plastic Y-buckle just below the ear. The Y-buckle allows you to adjust the straps on many helmets in front and behind. Helmets that utilize an adjustable Y-buckle often earn better scores in our adjustability metric; however, each beautiful cranium is unique, and some helmets without an adjustable Y-buckle still seem to fit a wide variety of head shapes and sizes.
Dials are among many manufacturers' favored fast skull protector methods. These dials are generally near the back of the helmet to tighten and loosen the helmet's headband. While the tension dials usually work as intended, some are harder to use, particularly on a wintery day with cold hands or while trail riding and wearing gloves.
With even pull and tension, the Roc Loc adjustment system is easy to use and very comfortable.
Credit: Kelby Spore
The best dials are easily accessible and easy to operate with gloves. It's also crucial that these adjustment dials do not cause discomfort in the neck when the neck is flexed, which is most of the time when riding extreme terrain.
Weight
Formula 1 drivers can experience up to 6.3 g of force on their heads while braking, cornering, and throttling; therefore, they must undergo specific weight training for their necks with a helmet on. Now that is a pretty extreme amount of force that hopefully none of us will have to experience while riding our bikes; however, after a long ride with a heavy helmet, one can sometimes have a neck ache for days after, which is why we encourage all of our readers to consider this a factor when purchasing a new helmet.
Some cycling pursuits are more weight-conscious than others, but a lightweight helmet can alleviate the neck pain that any of us has experienced. Weight, therefore, will affect the comfort of a helmet. Yes, extra grams can slow you down on an uphill climb, but comfort is the most important benefit of a lightweight helmet.
By having more coverage, a helmet will often weigh more.
Credit: Sarah Strobel
However, the lighter a helmet is, the less material there will be to protect your head in case of a tumble. More material equals more protection. Generally, road bike helmets are the lightest for long rides and least protective due to less need for protection from obstacles. Mountain bike helmets provide better head coverage and are typically heavier to fend off rogue tree branches and the occasional dirt spill. Full-face helmets cover most of your head, so they give the most protection and weigh the most; however, they can affect the rider's neck if not used to the weight.
Most helmets have a specific weight associated with their purpose for each type of riding. Generally, road bikes are much lighter, while full-face helmets are much heavier.
Ventilation
On any hot day, ventilation will come into play when you take your first pedal. With excess heat or long uphill rides, a well-ventilated helmet helps keep your head cooler, keeping your overall body temperature down. Ventilation, therefore, enhances the comfort and performance of a helmet. The best-ventilated helmets are not always those with the most vents, either. Some helmets combine well-placed vents with channels built into the helmet's internal design to create adequate airflow. The Mips system's inner liner is known for sometimes having ventilation blockage, but some of the best helmets have a liner with holes that line up to a helmet's vents.
Nearly half of this helmet's surface area is for ventilation.
Credit: Ryan Baker
Durability
Most helmets use a soft EPS foam liner that is susceptible to abrasion. Durable helmets use a design that wraps the shell around the foam's base, leaving very little of the liner exposed to dents and dings. This design keeps helmets relatively protected from minor everyday dings. However, this extra durability measure also adds to the helmet's weight.
As you can see, this helmet has foam wrapped in a layer of plastic, creating a shell to protect the interior foam from day-to-day wear and tear.
Credit: Zach Wick
No matter how well-constructed, most bike helmets are designed to function for a single impact. So, if you get in a crash and your helmet makes an impact with something, you should replace it to be safe. Some helmet manufacturers even have a crash replacement program to encourage you not to keep wearing a helmet that might not protect you as well as the next time you need it.
Since helmets are single-impact, our durability assessments look at how well a helmet can withstand the daily abuses of minor bumps and scrapes.
We hope this review has helped you find the just-right helmet! Happy pedalling.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer
Conclusion
This guide should help make your helmet-buying decision a little bit easier. This list of helmets is the best of the best. So, choose the one from this list that fits your needs appropriately and get pedaling. Rest assured, we will keep buying, using, testing, and reviewing the newest, most technologically savvy, and high-grade helmets the industry offers to keep this list relevant.
