Every cyclist knows the value of a safe helmet, but you don’t have to invest $200 to $300 to get top safety features in a lid. Here at Road Bike Rider, we think the most important feature of a helmet is protecting your head. So we’ve rounded up this list of bicycle helmets that meet or exceed the bar in safety, without breaking the bank. These helmets might not be the lightest or the most aerodynamic, but they are inexpensive and safe.
Do you ride with one of these helmets? If so, leave a comment and let us know what you think of it.
One feature to look for in a helmet is the MIPS yellow dot. MIPS stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. In a nutshell, the majority of head injuries are not linear, they are angled or rotational blows, which cause more damage to brain tissue. MIPS provides a small 10-15mm leeway layer that takes most of the rotational impact of a fall. To learn more about MIPS, visit their website at https://mipsprotection.com/. MIPS has really taken off in the last few years as a safety feature, and we are believers.
Another key safety feature to look for in a lid is the CPSC sticker. CPSC stands for Consumer Product Safety Commission, and they conduct rigorous testing on many consumer products to ensure our safety. When it comes to helmets, it’s legally required for them to pass CPSC testing, so don’t buy or wear one without the CPSC sticker on it. To learn more about the tests safe cycling helmets go through, visit the CPSC’s page about cycling helmet testing here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Business–Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Bicycle-Helmets
Each helmet on this list sports a CPSC sticker and is also a MIPS model.
Bell Draft MIPS
Bell’s Draft helmet features 25 vents for cooling airflow and a one-handed dial system for convenient fit adjustments. It weighs 299g and rings up for about $60 suggested manufacturer price.
https://www.bellhelmets.com/bike/p/draft-mips-bike-helmet
Learn more and see reviews on Amazon.
Bell Formula MIPS
With 18 vents and weighing 285g, Bell’s Formula helmet is quite light! It sports a “float fit” system with a dial for fit adjustments. It also features a sweat guide pad liner to keep the sweat out of your eyes. At $85 for the suggested manufacturer price, you can’t go wrong.
https://www.bellhelmets.com/bike/p/formula-mips-road-bike-helmet
Learn more and see reviews on Amazon.
Specialized Echelon II MIPS
This lid’s biggest perk may be ANGi compatibility. Developed by Specialized and sold separately at $50, ANGi is a sensor paired with your phone that can monitor your rides, track speed, location, and crashes, and notify emergency contacts in the event of a crash or accident when the speed or rotational forces exceed a certain limit. To read more about ANGi, check out the Specialized page here: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/stories/angi.
At $90, the Echelon II helmet also features an adjustable Headset SL II with six height positions at the touch of a dial. Its 4th Dimension Cooling System provides ventilation and its reflective decals will increase visibility during low-light conditions.
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/echelon-ii/p/162031?color=251040-162031
Giro Isode MIPS
Giro’s Isode helmet is one-size fits all with 22 vents to keep you cool. Fit adjustments can be made with one hand using its Roc Loc Sport system. This helmet is the most inexpensive on this list, coming in at around $50 suggested manufacturer pricing.
https://www.giro.com/p/isode-mips-bike-helmet
See reviews and learn more on Amazon.
Giro Register MIPS
Another universal fit helmet from Giro, the Register has a removable visor and 22 vents. This is another inexpensive helmet at around $55 suggested manufacturer pricing.
https://www.giro.com/p/register-mips-bike-helmet
See reviews and learn more on Amazon.
Giro Foray MIPS
The Foray from Giro has a Roc Loc 5 fit system for two-way adjustments. For ventilation, it sports 21 vents and comes in at $85 suggested manufacturer price.
https://www.giro.com/p/foray-mips-road-bike-helmet
See reviews and learn more at Amazon.
Bern FL1 Pave MIPS
At 248g, Bern’s FL1 Pave helmet is on the lighter side. It features a Boa 360 degree retention system and is around $119.99 suggested manufacturer price.
https://www.bernhelmets.com/products/fl-1-pave?_pos=4&_sid=c3371cddb&_ss=r
See reviews and learn more at Amazon.
Lazer Blade+ MIPS
Lazer’s Blade+ helmet has more features for $100 suggested manufacturer pricing than many other helmets. It has a Rollsys® retention system, a “ponytail-friendly” top- mounted fit system, Rear LED Light, and is Lazer Aeroshell compatible. You can upgrade this lid for strap-free heartrate monitoring since it’s also Lazer LifeBEAM compatible. It has 22 vents and weighs 265g.
https://www.lazersport.com/adult-helmets/blade-mips
See reviews and learn more at Amazon.
Garneau Raid MIPS
This Raid helmet from Garneau weighs 315g. With 14 vents and its X-Static® XT2T padding, you’ll be kept cool and dry. The Raid visor has three adjustable positions, and this helmet’s Spiderlock® Pro MTB adjustment system also allows you to control both horizontal and vertical fit. Its Tri Glide PRO adjustment will help keep straps from tangling. This lid is priced at $119.99 suggested by the manufacturer.
https://garneau.com/us_en/raid-mips-cycling-helmet-1405571
See reviews and learn more at Amazon.
Nutcase Midnight Black MIPS
This commuter helmet from Nutcase, Midnight Black has suggested manufacturer pricing of around $60. Its cloth visor is removable and it features a Fidlock® magnetic buckle as well as a reflective dial adjustable fit system. It has 10 vents, but also sports a CoolControl™ vent system for added cooling. Its straps from 3M™ are reflective for extra visibility.
https://nutcasehelmets.com/collections/adult/products/midnight-black?variant=5147304394789
See reviews and learn more on Amazon.
Bontrager Solstice MIPS
The Bontrager Solstice helmet has a one-handed Headmaster adjustable fit for both height and width. It weighs about 310-350g and has a built-in brim and LockDown dividers for easy adjustability for straps. It is another inexpensive helmet with $54.99 suggested manufacturer pricing.
One neat things about this helmet is its Crash Replacement Guarantee, which provides for a replacement if you get in a crash within the first year of purchase. A second neat thing is Bontrager’s support for PeopleForBikes! $1 from every Bontrager helmet sale goes to PeopleForBikes, whose mission is to create a bike-friendly nation.
Bontrager Starvos MIPS
Another helmet from Bontrager, the Starvos is around $99.99 suggested manufacturer pricing. Featuring a Crash Replacement Guarantee, its reflective parts on the rear will help prevent need of the guarantee due to added visibility. Weighing 265-340g, it also features a Boa® System and FlatLock dividers to keep straps easily managed.
Smith Portal MIPS
Smith’s Portal helmet weighs 300g and features VaporFit adjustability, 18 vents, and AirVac ventilation to keep you cool. It also sports XT2 anti-bacterial padding. Smith’s Portal goes for around $110 suggested manufacturer pricing.
https://www.smithoptics.com/us/Root/Men%27s/Helmets/Cycle/Portal/p/E007263775155/sizeVariants
See reviews and learn more at Amazon.
Giant Rev Comp MIPS
Coming in at $85 suggested manufacturer pricing, Giant’s Rev Comp helmet is Numen+ Link TL magnetic light mount compatible! Its LiteForm™ webbing can be counted on for added comfort and security, and claims to be anti-absorbent so it won’t absorb or stretch the way some other webbing does. This helmet has 14 vents and a Cinch Pro fit system. For extra resistance against bacteria, its TransTextura Plus™ anti-microbial padding will wick sweat away from your head and out of the vents.
I went with the Specialized Echelon because it’s the only one on this list that also past the Virginia Tech tests with the max of 5 stars.
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
Uhhhh, no it didn’t. It literally go the worst score.
I accidentally used the wrong model name when I wrote that because I had just bought the helmet within a day or two of posting after reading about a hundred different makes and models, the one I got was the Chamonix MIPS because it was the lowest costing one that offered MIPS and got a high ranking. I can’t believe it took this long to catch that error I made! LOL sorry about that, but I would never discovered the error of what I wrote if you hadn’t discovered it. So thanks!!
Bought a Scott Taal back in 2015 when I first learned about MIPS. It cost around $90 back then. Still using it today (is that a good idea??) Great helmet for the money.
Hi Charlie, in response to your question “is that a good idea?” (you said you have had this helmet for 4 years).
If you look at what Scott has online for their helmets on their site, this is what they say – quoting:
“Bike helmets generally have a lifespan of three years. Scott is not liable for damages arising from the use of this helmet three years after its production.”
So, I believe Scott would tell you it’s time for a new helmet. Hope this is helpful,
Jim Langley – RBR Tech Editor
The aforementioned Bicycle Helmet Safety Institue has tested aged helmets and found that calls for time-based helmet replacement are grossly exaggerated. It takes exceptional circumstances to make the foam deteriorate.
Those with a knowledge of plastics in this application would be hard-pressed to agree that a helmet needs replacing after three years. Of course a lot depends on conditions of use and storage. Does your helmet get left on the rear shelf of your car in the sunshine? Do you live at 10,000 feet and ride in that sun for hours a day? Are you careless with your spraying of WD-40 and get it on your helmet? Have you decided you need to paint your helmet with rattle-can spray?
Or do you ride in the morning or evening and ride 1,000-2,000 miles per year and store your helmet in a cool, shaded place? Makes a big difference in helmet life! In my experience, helmet hardware (buckles and straps) and foam pads are the failure point for helmets, not the foam or the shell.
Here is the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute report on MIPS and bicycle helmets:
https://helmets.org/mips.htm
I bought the Bell Draft MIPS about 2 years ago for $60. It is a bit dorky looking from the front (or maybe it’s just me). It doesn’t fit that well. It has sort of a long oval shape. The rear adjustment system quickly gave out (the dial spins but doesn’t tighten). With those issues, I began to wonder whether I had stumbled upon a Chinese imposter helmet. I purchased mine from the big A, so it’s my fault if I got a counterfeit.
I also own a regular Bell Draft ($30) that fits just right. It also looks dorky on me. YMMV.
I suffered an intraparencyhmal hemorrhage / subdural hematoma last year after being smacked from behind by a 50 mph drunk driver while I was stopped in the bike lane at a red light. I’m not dead because I was wearing a brand new Bell Falcon mips helmet. The helmet was both cheap to buy and priceless to have (and the retailer replaced it after hearing what happened).. It didn’t help much with all my broken bones and other injuries, but kept me alive to recover from those.
Wow – sorry to hear about the awful crash, Jon, Thanks for telling us that the inexpensive Bell Falcon mips worked so well.
That’s very impressive,
Jim
I remain skeptical that MIPS helps. As you state, MIPS provides “a small 10-15mm leeway.” Well, guess what? When there is a rotational component to a head strike, the helmet moves on your head that far and farther, The straps stretch. The helmet moves on the head.
That’s why the Snell tests haven’t found any benefit to MIPS.
If I understand this correctly, the Virginia Tech tests are different. They have the helmet rigidly adhered to the head form, which is not how helmets are attached to human heads. (Humans use straps, which can stretch and also can compress the soft tissue under your chin — that’s why the helmet can rotate on the head, with or without MIPS.)
Therefore, I would need a lot more information to embrace Virginia Tech’s findings of apparently better performance with MIPS helmets.
The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI) page, posted above by reader Jeff, supports my skepticism. (That page is very carefully worded, so don’t look for a splashy headline.) My many in-person conversations with BHSI’s Randy Swart also support my skepticism. And Randy is the brightest kid in the class.
So why do all the helmet companies pay royalties to have MIPS? Because someone convinced people that “It must be a safety feature,” and they don’t want to say, “We don’t offer this so-called safety feature.” (Whether a feature actually improves safety is a technical question, but whether you should increase your product’s costs to include a so-called ‘safety feature’ is a political and legal question.)
Rotational acceleration is a serious cause of brain injury. I fear that the branding of MIPS as a solution may only slow down the process of finding technical solutions that would, indeed, work better.
Interesting points, John. I’ve had a few crashes and head injuries as a result, both without and with a helmet on my head – going back to about 1978 when I first started wearing a Pro-Lite helmet (pretty sure on that date). Here’s a fun helmet history page I found: http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2015/03/hardshell-helmets-history-through.html
Of course, the worst head injury happened when I wasn’t wearing a helmet, in 1982 – I was briefly paralyzed and the doc told me it was a miracle he wasn’t putting me a wheelchair. I still have neck and back issues from that crash but nothing I can’t live and ride with.
But, that crash made me wear a helmet on every ride after, so it was a blessing. My worst recent crash was from a front blowout while descending Felton Empire road, a 3-mile twisting descent here in the Santa Cruz mountains. You can hit 40mph. I had on an Ultralight Limar helmet – not MIPS.
I’m convinced the helmet saved my life that day because the way the tire rolled and I was thrown down, my forehead was what would have hit the road first save for the helmet being in the way. The force compacted the helmet to the width of a piece of cardboard. But, all that happened to me, was a concussion and road rash all over.
My point with all this, is that to me, what’s important is that people realize how crucial it is to wear a helmet in the first place, and that ANY bicycle helmet that fits correctly will be much safer than no helmet. Oh, and since I still run into people riding without helmets – I’ll add that the best reason to wear one is not to protect yourself, but to protect your family and friends – hopefully my meaning is clear.
Thanks for sharing your insights, John!
Jim
To add another crash tale: In 2000 (Thanksgiving morning) I was hit by a car while crossing in front of it at a parking lot entrance. The kid didn’t see me even though I had on the usual garish kit and a red, white and blue helmet. I was thrown 2 and a half lanes and woke up going into the emergency room. The helmet was a Giro made of foam with a nylon cover. That’s as basic as a helmet can be. But, I’m here to tell the tale. My current helmet is MIPS. Will it make a difference next time I’m clobbered? Who knows. But, I’m guessing it can’t hurt and it may help.
As I understand it MIPS was developed for the NFL. We got pass down technology. I tend to believe that there will be some benefit.
Very frustrated in my attempt to purchase an American made, or at least a helmet NOT made in a totalitarian dictatorship like China. Could someone please tell me where these helmets are made? Such important information that uses so few words but non-existent in journalists coverage.
Hi Jacob!
We have your answer!
As always, whenever a helmet question arises, my great scholarly friend Randy Swart has a thorough answer.
https://helmets.org/madewhere.htm