The best mountain bike helmets

Tried and tested by Adam Binnie: "I hear you, £270 is a lot to spend on a trail helmet, when not so long ago that would have been a pretty punchy price for a full face downhill lid.

"The long and short of it is this - the Smith Forefront 3 is the best and most comfortable helmet I've ever tested, better even than the brilliant Smith Forefront 2, that I had no hesitation of giving a full five-stars (which has left me with a bit of a continuity issue here, because the Forefront 3 is better).

"That helmet was £189 when I first tested it in 2023 and when it's replacement arrived in 2025 I struggled to see how it could improve. I've done hundreds if not thousands of miles in the Forefront 3 since, and it's been worth every penny.

"So why is it the best mountain bike helmet? In short, because it features Koroyd and Mips protection in a lightweight package, and the best eyewear integration of any lid I've worn. It improves over the old model with better ventilation (an improvement I can tangibly feel), a comfier retention system, and a better version of Mips.

"The extra vents on the top of the helmet are enabled by a new liner. The old Forefront had a separate plastic Mips layer that allowed the outer shell to move a few degrees in an impact. It could sometimes be a bit squeaky and sweaty.

"In the Forefront 3 you get the newer Mips Air Node system, which is a much softer, neater solution. as it is integrated into the helmet's padding, and does away with both of those issues from the older version.

"Holding the Forefront 3 to your head is a new 360 BOA cable that distributes the tightness around your whole head rather than just at the back. It's a hard thing to describe but it feels much more secure and less pinchy around the temples. I had no issues with comfort in the Forefront 2, but its replacement manages to be comfier still.

"Downsides? The fasteners holding the peak on are now plastic instead of the old lid's metal ones, which looked a bit more premium. But I found the old peak could sometimes emit a tiny squeak when repositioning it, and now it doesn't, so it's swings and roundabouts.

"Really, the fact I'm having to nitpick at that level tells your everything you need to know about the Smith Forefront 3.

"It's brilliant, somehow even more brilliant-er than before, and manages to combine an almost unnoticeable feel on your head with the sub-conscious confidence that comes with knowing you've got some seriously protective tech if the worst were to happen.

"An even easier five stars, no-hesitation recommendation."

Tried and tested by Adam Binnie: "Value for money is an interesting concept when it comes to bike helmets, because in an ideal world, you'd spend as much as you could afford on the best possible protection.

"But in reality we all have a budget to stick to and want as many features as possible, and that's where the Smith Pilot MIPS comes in. It punches way above its weight in terms of features and performance.

"At £95 it's still not what you'd call cheap but it is a solid and nicely put together helmet that prioritises lightweight and functionality. It also looks great, and to my eyes more expensive than its pricetag.

"Naturally, you do miss out on a couple of features present higher up the Smith range, namely Koroyd and adjustable visor positions, but you do get superb coverage and MIPS anti-rotational injury protection too.

"The retention system is more basic than the Forefront's BOA cable, but it works just fine, and can be moved vertically up and down to really dial it in. There's also a big aperture for hair to pass through, so it's plait-compatible (complaitible?) too, which is extremely important.

"There's a channel for the arms of your sunglasses but nowhere to stow them like there is on the Forefront. That's not a huge deal-breaker in all honesty.

"These things adds up too - the Pilot is 40g lighter than a Forefront, which is a noticable amount when it's on your head all day. The 13 vents are also more open to a cooling breeze due to the lack of Koroyd, so if you prioritise a low running temperature, pick this over the more expensive Session lid.

"My tester tells me it's super comfortable, doesn't move around on her head, and is the perfect colour. It looks great and you quickly forget you're wearing it, which is the secret formula for a helmet you'll wear and wear for years to come."

When Adam Binnie reviewed this helmet, he was impressed by its fully-featured specs and affordable price. It offers great coverage, which can easily be manipulated to fit your personal swede, and offers peace of mind via MIPS. While your head might get a little warm during hard-push climbs, this is a stellar mountain bike helmet.

The Bell 4Forty has impressive features, such as ample ventilation to keep you cool on longer climbs, an adjustable peak to make room for your goggles and an easy-to-adjust indexed dial on the back. It’s affordable, but due to its dimensions and worn position, it's a mountain bike helmet better suited to users with rounder head shapes.

Yep – it’s a high price point, but it’s considerably more ventilated than its rivals and offers decent coverage. It's also a very light mountain bike helmet.

Plenty of padding is thick enough to keep things comfortable and absorbs sweat to avoid leaks. This helmet has MIPS and three peak positions to suit your riding style. Giro has also added a few nice finishing touches, such as goggle-grips on the back of the helmet, reflective decals and integrated eyewear grippers.

Fancy a little bit more coverage? Well, the Giro Tyrant (with MIPS) brings a full-face feel without an enduro helmet's additional chin and jaw protection. The tyrant offers more over-the-ear protection to cover any bumps on the side of the head.

This helmet doesn’t provide as much tech inside it as the Manifest Spherical above, and you may be confused by the higher price point. If you miss out on the whopper offer above and want a Giro helmet, our advice would be to go for this one.

Here’s a clever helmet design - Smith has combined two third-party technologies to make a helmet which is trying to be as safe as possible. Not only does this helmet use MIPS to reduce the rotation impact, but it also uses Zonal Koroyd® coverage technology. This is effectively a crumple zone which absorbs the forces caused by effects in a controlled and consistent way.