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What are some of the best helmets available now? I'm looking into getting back into things. Years ago only Bell and Giro were the makers of helmets. Now there's so many brands.
What are some of the best helmets out now?
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2,441 Posts
lots of good helmets, I really like the smith forefront, tld a2, 100% just came out with a trail helmet, sweet protection, really lots of good options! you should try a few and check what works best for you in terms of fit
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1,670 Posts
How are you measuring "best"?
For me, a "best" helmet is one that fits right. Every brand and model fits individual heads differently. For me, at this time, seems the latest Troy Lee A1 MIPS fits the best, so in my opinion, that's the best helmet for me. At least until the design changes, or my head changes shape.
For me, a "best" helmet is one that fits right. Every brand and model fits individual heads differently. For me, at this time, seems the latest Troy Lee A1 MIPS fits the best, so in my opinion, that's the best helmet for me. At least until the design changes, or my head changes shape.
Love my Fox Flux and Smith Venture MIPS helmets.. truthfully as long as they're certified (will have the label from CPSC or ASTM) then the rest is largely about comfort. Everybody's heads are shaped differently and what fits comfortably on me may not fit you.. Money will typically buy you more features and less weight (adjustability, vents, etc) but it's largely a matter of personal preference.
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No one can answer this question.
Helmets have to meet a minimum standard, which means they need to pass a very simplistic test that doesn't relate much to real world mountain bike crashes. So yes, even cheap helmets conform to some sort of standard, but that doesn't mean much.
Are more expensive ones better? Well, they might be. Of course good manufacturers might conduct their own tests and design helmets that are safer but there isn't any way of confirming this. A relatively cheap helmet might be a good design which offers good protection and an expensive one might be outdated and not as good as others at the price.
No one has suffered multiple identical crash impacts on different helmets so personal opinions are just that. 'I have helmet 'X' and I like it' is about as good as you're going to get.
Me? I bought a Smith Forefront because their innovative design kinda makes sense to me. Is it actually any better? Who the heck knows! ;0)
Best of luck choosing a helmet and I hope you never need it.
Helmets have to meet a minimum standard, which means they need to pass a very simplistic test that doesn't relate much to real world mountain bike crashes. So yes, even cheap helmets conform to some sort of standard, but that doesn't mean much.
Are more expensive ones better? Well, they might be. Of course good manufacturers might conduct their own tests and design helmets that are safer but there isn't any way of confirming this. A relatively cheap helmet might be a good design which offers good protection and an expensive one might be outdated and not as good as others at the price.
No one has suffered multiple identical crash impacts on different helmets so personal opinions are just that. 'I have helmet 'X' and I like it' is about as good as you're going to get.
Me? I bought a Smith Forefront because their innovative design kinda makes sense to me. Is it actually any better? Who the heck knows! ;0)
Best of luck choosing a helmet and I hope you never need it.
a helmet that fits is best
get a MIPS, Koryod, or Wavecel...avoid basic plain foam type
Bontrager WaveCel is what I run lately...the science is in, despite what naysayers will tell ya and what MIPS is trying to refute...(Trek really tooted their horn on this helmet design and got a lot of guff about it)I think this is the best one to use if you expect to get clobbered someday (which is what helmets are for amirite?)
get a MIPS, Koryod, or Wavecel...avoid basic plain foam type
Bontrager WaveCel is what I run lately...the science is in, despite what naysayers will tell ya and what MIPS is trying to refute...(Trek really tooted their horn on this helmet design and got a lot of guff about it)I think this is the best one to use if you expect to get clobbered someday (which is what helmets are for amirite?)
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For me best is the one that protect my brain best.
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Not that I know which helmet is best or which area of the world has the safest helmets, but I know that Japanese approved helmets are OK in Japan (they make some nice helmets that fit people with round heads better than most US and EU helmets.
To get helmets approved in Australia must most of the light well ventilated helmets with US approval be made heavier and often less ventilated. Heavier = more safe?
Even EU and US do not agree about everything (has nothing to with the president or prime minister) so where to buy a safe or the safest helmet depend on where you live. Sound silly? To be approved in EU and US the helmet must meet standards that are directly stupid as most of us never ride with the speed that the helmets must prevent cracking of the skull in order to be OK as the standard is having no limit for how much the brain should be protected. Movement of the brain is what causes concussion and the standards for helmets are telling nothing about how to protect the brain – only the skull.
Mips is supposedly good, but the motion that is allowed with Mips stops so abrubt that it is not much better than no Mips in my eyes. Wavecel from among other Bontrager may also be better and the straw in Smiths helmets they call Koroyd® is probably also better than the usually used foam. The rubber like or silicone dampers in 100% Altus and 6D motorbike and MTB helmets are another alternative.
I bought a heavy lid that according to what my concussed brain tell me is more safe than the one I had, as I just crashed in a POC Tectal Race, and the rather hard density foam inside it is well damaged and deformed and no longer of any use; plus my brain got well rattled. I thought a 6D ATB-1T EVO with silicone dampers would be a better choice and ordered one. Silicone is not degrading like the damping material in most helmets when exposed to UV radiation (and we all are if we are out in daytime).
The 6D ATB-1T EVO is not bigger than the POC Tectal I crashed in but definitely has better absorption for slow crashes as the inner part of the helmet is moving on the rubber-suspension where the foam inside the POC was rather hard. The weight of the helmet is also not felt when it is on my head plus the fitting of the helmet is excellent. There are lots of extra rubber pieces with the helmet to put in places where the shell is not touching my skull but I needed nothing. There is no bag for hanging the helmet up after a ride so it can dry, so I use the POC Tectal bag, which is great and well ventilated.
Hope not to find out the hard way that I bought a safer helmet, but I do think that silicone is better to protect my egg than the polystyrene or whatever not soft enough material that is mostly used in helmets, and for me a bigger and a bit heavier helmet with maybe even less ventilation is a small price to pay if my brain will be better protected.
In a couple of month’s doctor hopefully think I can ride again and then I will tell if I think the new helmet is better than the old.
To get helmets approved in Australia must most of the light well ventilated helmets with US approval be made heavier and often less ventilated. Heavier = more safe?
Even EU and US do not agree about everything (has nothing to with the president or prime minister) so where to buy a safe or the safest helmet depend on where you live. Sound silly? To be approved in EU and US the helmet must meet standards that are directly stupid as most of us never ride with the speed that the helmets must prevent cracking of the skull in order to be OK as the standard is having no limit for how much the brain should be protected. Movement of the brain is what causes concussion and the standards for helmets are telling nothing about how to protect the brain – only the skull.
Mips is supposedly good, but the motion that is allowed with Mips stops so abrubt that it is not much better than no Mips in my eyes. Wavecel from among other Bontrager may also be better and the straw in Smiths helmets they call Koroyd® is probably also better than the usually used foam. The rubber like or silicone dampers in 100% Altus and 6D motorbike and MTB helmets are another alternative.
I bought a heavy lid that according to what my concussed brain tell me is more safe than the one I had, as I just crashed in a POC Tectal Race, and the rather hard density foam inside it is well damaged and deformed and no longer of any use; plus my brain got well rattled. I thought a 6D ATB-1T EVO with silicone dampers would be a better choice and ordered one. Silicone is not degrading like the damping material in most helmets when exposed to UV radiation (and we all are if we are out in daytime).
The 6D ATB-1T EVO is not bigger than the POC Tectal I crashed in but definitely has better absorption for slow crashes as the inner part of the helmet is moving on the rubber-suspension where the foam inside the POC was rather hard. The weight of the helmet is also not felt when it is on my head plus the fitting of the helmet is excellent. There are lots of extra rubber pieces with the helmet to put in places where the shell is not touching my skull but I needed nothing. There is no bag for hanging the helmet up after a ride so it can dry, so I use the POC Tectal bag, which is great and well ventilated.
Hope not to find out the hard way that I bought a safer helmet, but I do think that silicone is better to protect my egg than the polystyrene or whatever not soft enough material that is mostly used in helmets, and for me a bigger and a bit heavier helmet with maybe even less ventilation is a small price to pay if my brain will be better protected.
In a couple of month’s doctor hopefully think I can ride again and then I will tell if I think the new helmet is better than the old.
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32 Posts
I just got back into riding after many years off due to injury/recovery so had to get all new gear. I am super impressed with my Giro Switchblade, its light, vents like crazy and almost forget you are wearing a helmet. I got my daughter a Bell Super Air R and its even lighter! Both are a great choice if they fit your head.
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284 Posts
I really like my Smith forefront with the Koroyd technology. My career in healthcare involved helping take care of patients with head injury's and more than a few MTB riding mishaps. I am all about spending the Ducats for any new innovation in helmet technology. just looking at my helmet I think it is obvious that the crush zone is quit impressive and adding the MIPS tech is nice. I own two of them.
"a helmet that fits is best"
Couldn't agree more with this, fit is way more important than brand.
There can't be many worse things than an uncomfortable helmet.
I was using a Kask Protone for a couple of years and was totally happy with it.
I got my head turned by the Giro Aether MIPS, mostly for the safety features. Tried it on in the store, it felt good, so I pulled the trigger. However after a couple of rides, I realized it wasn't as comfortable as my Kask Protone (it just didn't fit as well). Ended up selling it.
Now back to my Kask and it's happy days again.
Couldn't agree more with this, fit is way more important than brand.
There can't be many worse things than an uncomfortable helmet.
I was using a Kask Protone for a couple of years and was totally happy with it.
I got my head turned by the Giro Aether MIPS, mostly for the safety features. Tried it on in the store, it felt good, so I pulled the trigger. However after a couple of rides, I realized it wasn't as comfortable as my Kask Protone (it just didn't fit as well). Ended up selling it.
Now back to my Kask and it's happy days again.
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2,908 Posts
Fit is the number one priority when buying a helmet, as long as it is a certified helmet for safety.
I used to be a Giro guy until they changed their sizing. Used to fit a medium. Now the medium is too small and the large is too big. I've used Fox helmets, they fit me really good.
TLD fit me good but the best fitting, best quality construction, I went with the POC Tectral Race Spin.
I used to be a Giro guy until they changed their sizing. Used to fit a medium. Now the medium is too small and the large is too big. I've used Fox helmets, they fit me really good.
TLD fit me good but the best fitting, best quality construction, I went with the POC Tectral Race Spin.
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468 Posts
How much is a "good" enough helmet ?
Coz in my area, a $30 helmet is common. I wonder should I invest to $100-$150 helmet.
Coz in my area, a $30 helmet is common. I wonder should I invest to $100-$150 helmet.
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35 Posts
I currently have a Bontrager Rally with MIPS and I don’t think I’d buy MIPS again. I don’t think it adds any benefit, since my helmet can move sufficiently even without it. I have a normal head of hair and the helmet only contacts my head where I have hair, so the helmet can already rotate a bit. But the MIPS does allow the helmet to flop around a tiny bit, so it taps on my sunglasses. And it’s even worse if I have a light mounted on the top. Not a huge deal, and I’m happy with the helmet overall, but I don’t see the value of MIPS unless you’re bald or have very little hair to allow for movement.
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34,605 Posts
MIPS isn't a cure-all, but it does what it's advertised to do. It attenuates rotational energy from oblique impacts. I won't buy a helmet without it at this point. I've been using MIPS helmets for several years now. I also won't buy a helmet that only offers bare minimum protection otherwise. I know what it's like being essentially a vegetable due to brain injury (not from a bicycle crash, but due to illness) and the recovery process is no joke. Further, you don't ever quite recover 100%, either.
I like that helmet companies are making efforts to exceed the minimum standards in recent years. I'm also glad to see additional, more rigorous, independent testing like that done in the Virginia Tech lab.
https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
I just replaced a Bell Super 2 with a TLD A2 MIPS. Mostly because the TLD A2 MIPS has an absolutely dreamy fit on my head, but I was also very happy to see it sitting at #2 on this list. Your Bontrager sits at #1, so it performed very well in their tests. Not every helmet is going to be perfect, but I'd say if your shopping list includes helmets at the top of this list, you're doing well. Almost sounds like you picked one that doesn't fit quite as well as it should (too loose). I got the TLD helmet for a really good price. My local shop had a 1 day helmet sale for the holidays the other day, and I also cashed in a bunch of rewards points on top of it. I also like that the A2 makes use of multiple technologies to increase its protectiveness. MIPS as well as multiple foam densities. Each does something different. I hope I never NEED those things, but I want them just in case.
I think that any helmet could be good, that doesn't matter what firm is it
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Hard to understand what you wrote, regarding the AS/NZ Standard (Australia) but if im reading you correctly, you are saying a USA (CPSC certified) helmet can only get into Australia (standard) by making it 'heavier'?? that is completely untrue and false information FYI.
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