The best mountain bike helmets

The most important safety item for MTB is a helmet - here we rank the best

Man in Mountain bike helmet

by Myles Warwood |
Updated on

You might think that the most important thing on the trails is your bike - you wouldn’t be ripping down them without it, so... you might be right. But coming in a close second to your perfect bike is your personal protection equipment - without a mountain bike helmet, a happy day on the trails could swiftly become unhappy.

The top of the importance pile for personal protection is the helmet. Protecting your head from knocks, bashes and scrapes is incredibly important, and manufacturers have come along leaps and bounds in the development of the technologies which keep you protected. Falls on rapid downhills, tricky technicals and ‘hidden’ tree roots on the trails can easily have you off a mountain bike, so we’ve been through the best MTB helmets to help you make an informed decision about what you might need.

What is MIPS?

This safety feature on cycle helmets has become more and more prominent in recent years. MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. This system has been about for several years and is an added layer of protection designed to provide added safety for helmets in many accidents. For specific impacts, the MIPS can reduce harmful rotational motion that might otherwise be transferred to the user’s head.

Rotational motion is a common cause of concussions in oblique hits to the head. In a crash, the MIPS system is designed to move slightly inside the helmet to help redirect forces away from the head.

What are the best trail helmets?

The best mountain bike helmet for trails

Description

In short this is a brilliant lid that fits a tonne of features into a lightweight and minimalist

Pros

  • Supreme coverage and protection
  • Minimalist design
  • Brilliant sunglasses integration

Cons

  • Expensive compared to rivals

Best value for money mountain bike helmet

Abus MoDrop MIPS - Adam BinnieWhat's The Best

Description

When the resident send-it maestro Adam Binnie

Pros

  • Long, height adjustable peak
  • High-quality shell and fixtures
  • Chinstrap distributors for a comfy fit

Cons

  • Slightly nose-heavy
  • Runs warms

Good airflow
Bell 4Forty Helmet (MIPS)
Price: £60.49 (starting)

www.chainreactioncycles.com

Description

The Bell 4Forty has impressive features, such as ample ventilation to keep you cool on longer

Pros

  • Relatively low cost
  • Comfortable
  • Fantastic airflow

Cons

  • An indexed visor adjustment would be appreciated

Best premium mountain bike helmet

Giro Manifest Spherical (MIPS)
Price: £69 (starting)

www.sigmasports.com

Description

Yep – it’s a high price point, but it’s considerably more ventilated than its rivals and offers

Pros

  • Great ventilation
  • Loads of tech
  • High saving

Cons

  • High price point

Best coverage
Giro Tyrant Helmet (MIPS)
Price: £119.99 (starting)

www.wiggle.co.uk

Description

Fancy a little bit more coverage? Well, the Giro Tyrant (with MIPS) brings a full-face feel

Pros

  • Comfy and well ventilated
  • Plenty of coverage
  • Trickle-down tech from the higher end of Giro’s helmets

Cons

  • High price
  • It might not be the best-looking helmet for everyone

Best comfort
Smith Session MIPS helmet
Price: £46.99 (starting)

www.probikekit.co.uk

Description

Here’s a clever helmet design - Smith has combined two third-party technologies to make a helmet

Pros

  • Good cooling
  • Consistent comfort

Cons

  • Not many at this price

[Myles]{href='https://www.whatsthebest.co.uk/author/myles-warwood' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} is an Autos & Fitness Product Writer for What's The Best, Parkers and CAR. His areas of expertise include cycling, fitness tech and hot hatches.

Subscribe to the What's The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the What's The Best team.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us