Best Mountain Bike Helmets with MIPS – Our Top 15 Picks

These days there are so many options for mountain bike helmets out there it’s hard to sort through the fog of all the technical terms and differences between the helmets. Below we have selected some of the best mountain bike helmets with MIPS technology so that you can make an informed decision when purchasing the right helmet for you.

Here we have the best MTB helmets with MIPS in 2020. These helmets have been selected based on performance criteria, such as safety and protection, comfort, breathability, goggle or camera compatibility, and style.

Best Value Helmets with MIPS

These are a selection of great value mountain bike helmets with MIPS – that offer most of the key features that a great helmet offers, but at a more wallet-friendly price!

Fox Racing Speedframe Pro MIPS Review

It is hard to be out on the trails without encountering the Fox logo anywhere. It’s been around for longer than we can remember, and is popular for good reason. The Speedframe Pro is no exception for the Fox line. It provides ample protection for your head, with MIPS, dual-density foam (protecting the head at low and high-speed impacts), and good head coverage.

The fitting system, 360 Fit, has 26 adjustment settings controlled by an easy-to-use dial at the back of the head, and there are no issues with adjusting while riding. The fit system can also be moved vertically between four separate positions so that the dial can sit at a comfortable position on the rear of the head.

The strap system uses the FidLock magnetic buckle, which some riders find fiddly initially. Personally, I think it takes a few clips to get used to, then you won’t be going back to standard buckles after that!

The ventilation of the helmet is superb and it was clearly designed in and around the MIPS system as there is no obstruction of the vents from MIPS. The only real complaint about the helmet is that it is slightly heavier than more expensive lids. But, it is not particularly noticeable, and in having sufficient ventilation, you won’t be uncomfortable wearing it.

For the price you are paying, you would expect much more significant flaws. Hence here we have one of the best value mountain bike helmets with MIPS on the market in our opinion!

Troy Lee Designs A1 MIPS Review

I rode with the Troy Lee Designs A1 for over a year and can honestly say it is one of the most comfortable mountain bike helmets that I have worn. It fits well around the head with decent coverage on the sides and the rear.

It features MIPS, which is built around the padding and does not obstruct the ventilation. The construction is in-mold. This means the outer shell is molded to the EPS layer which improves the durability and gives the MTB helmet a very professional look.

The ventilation of the helmet is the weaker point of the design. Particularly in the rear of the head it runs a little hot and can be a bit of sweat build up. But if you are riding in a cooler climate or you aren’t a big sweater, this can be an advantage rather than an annoyance.

The visor of the helmet is adjustable, though it doesn’t quite go high enough to store goggles beneath, leaving you to store the goggles elsewhere when they aren’t in use.

In all, the helmet looks very good, is extremely comfortable, and has high levels of protection. If you aren’t too phased by the limited ventilation and don’t mind not storing the goggles on the helmet, the A1 is certainly great value for money.

Giro Chronicle MIPS Review

If you are looking for a comfortable mountain bike helmet, with top-end mountain safety specs the Chronicle is certainly one to consider. The side and rear coverage of the helmet is greater than most, cradling your head for ultimate protection. The Roc Loc fitting system will ensure the helmet doesn’t slip around while you are bouncing down the trails either.

The construction of the helmet is very sturdy, with the straps, the MIPS liner, and the fitting system all firmly secured to the EPS layer. The only weaker aspect of the design is that the hard-outer layer does not wrap completely around the EPS layer This leaves some foam exposed to the elements, which may degrade the foam faster.

The visor is adjustable and you are able to store goggles beneath the visor if you wish to. The helmet is lightweight, and it is safe and incredibly comfortable. The only issue with the Chronicle that we have found is that the ventilation is lacking slightly.

The small vents on the front will keep the front and top of your head reasonably cool, but the lack of ventilation does lead to a build-up of heat around the rest of the head. This leaves you a little warm on the hot climbs and long rides. However, if you compare this to similarly priced lids, the ventilation is pretty similar (such as the 4Forty).

For more on the Chronicle check out the head to head comparison with the Bell 4Forty.

Best MIPS Mountain Bike Helmet under $80

If you are looking for a nice, modern-looking MTB helmet, which fits well and will keep your head safe, without any of the bells and whistles, here is your list of the best MTB helmets under $80.

Giro Fixture MIPS Review

The Fixture is a well designed safe, durable trail helmet for a low price. It used the best parts of the more expensive Montaro and Chronicle but cut the extras to give a much lower priced lid.

There is so much to love about this helmet. It comes in a large range of color options and has 18 vents for nice airflow over the head. It is a one-size-fits all helmet, and the Roc Loc adjustment system allows this to be true. We tried the Fixture out on a range of heads, and all riders found it incredibly comfortable. The only case where it may not fit is for an extra large or an extra small sized head.

There are a couple of minor problems with the helmet. The first is that the fitting system is actually under the lid. This requires you to fit the helmet prior to putting it on. The second is that the visor is fixed. So there won’t be any adjusting the visor to block out that pesky sun while riding through the trees. However, the visor is large enough that it generally will block out the sun, and not large enough that it actually ever obstructs your vision.

It has slightly less padding that its upper market models, but this isn’t noticeable when it’s on and actually helps keep the helmet a bit lighter and cooler! All in all, the Fixture is a no-nonsense lid and an incredible value for money for any rider about to hit the trails.

Smith Convoy MIPS Review

The Convoy is the simplified version of the more advanced Smith Venture and Smith Session. It has a similar style and similar safety features, with all of the need-to-haves and less of the nice-to-haves! It does not have the classic Smith Koroyd honeycomb protection and instead has MIPS, which actually makes it a fair bit more breathable.

Similar to the Fixture, the Convoy also has a fixed visor. It is slightly smaller than the Fixture, making it slightly less obtrusive while riding. It doesn’t have as much rear coverage as most enduro helmets, making it more suitable for trail riding rather than enduro riding. The bottom of the helmet is not fully wrapped by the hard-outer shell, which exposes the EPS foam near the edges, making it more prone to wear near the base of the helmet.

The rear of the helmet is shaped to hold goggles or glasses securely, which is quite an advanced feature on a less expensive model. For the price you pay for the Convoy, you get a quite sophisticated looking trail helmet. It has the features you need and the essential safety and fitting systems.

Best Overall Helmets with MIPS

These helmets have been selected based on a rating system of protection, comfort, value for money, and style. All helmets exceed the minimum standards of protection in the U.S, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Specialized Ambush MIPS ANGI Review

The Specialized Ambush MIPS ANGI is available here at JensonUSA.

The Specialized Ambush has had a big upgrade in recent years, with an optional ANGi ‘safety beacon’ feature being added to the already spec’d out design. The lid sits close to the head, with deep rear coverage and a lot of ventilation. The structural design of the helmet is also quite spectacular. It has an EPS multi-density foam material (distributes the impact around the helmet, rather than to the head) with extra Aramid (a stronger and unbreakable material), which allows for a very lightweight and well-ventilated MTB helmet.

ANGi (Angular and G-Force indicator) is pretty much a safety beacon implanted at the rear of the helmet, which is connected to an app on your phone. If the sensor detects a crash, it will send a countdown to your phone. If you are hurt or injured and cannot stop the countdown, it will send a text to your emergency contacts, alerting them to your location. ANGi really gives the rider and their family peace of mind while out riding solo.

The Ambush has been rated as one of the best-ventilated helmets. This is impressive considering the number of safety features it also presents which often counters the breathability. It is one of the best helmets on the market at the moment in terms of safety, comfort, and ventilation. The Ambush is another all-around helmet, perfect for the cross-country rider through to the enduro rider.

Smith Forefront 2 Review

Picture the most basic mountain bike helmet you can imagine, then demolish it. Start again with completely different materials, an out-of-this-world fit, and more safety features than you could imagine. The Smith Forefront helmet is Smith’s top-of-the-line helmet, and they have very much done it justice.

The shell is made of Koroyd Aerocore, which is a straw-like material that increases the crumple zone, which crushes on impact, reducing the energy transferred to the head. The straw-like configuration also allows for better airflow than a typical EPS layer, allowing better ventilation to keep your head cool on the climbs and all-day rides.

The helmet sits around the head, rather than just on top, and has a deep rear coverage making it ideal for all-mountain riding. It has very generously sized vents which contribute to the minimalist weight and excellent ventilation (significant improvements from the original Forefront), giving it that ‘barely there’ impression while riding. Safe to say that it will be there in times where it is most needed, and you can rest assured that your head is in capable hands.

Bell Sixer MIPS Review

Bell is a very reputable brand with over 50 years worth of experience in designing safe, ventilated, and comfortable helmets for all types of riders. The Bell Sixer has been a popular lid for riders for several years now, and for a good reason. It is a very robust mountain bike helmet with a modern design, and Bell’s very experienced team is behind it.

The Sixer features a MIPS liner as well as a progressively layered foam. This works by dispersing the force laterally within the layer, rather than towards the head. This dispersion of energy reduces the energy translated through to the skull, protecting your head just that bit more.

An incredible 26 vents lead to great ventilation (although we thought this might be more of a disadvantage as rocks and branches could get through in a crash). And despite all the vents, the helmet is still a relatively heavy helmet compared to many of its competition.

It does come in a huge range of colors, sits close to the head, and has plenty of coverage to maximize the rider’s safety. The Sixer is a very good all-around helmet, perfect for the majority of riders.

Best Full Face Helmet with MIPS

We have included this section for completeness, however, many of the downhill helmets tend to have their own technologies rather than using a MIPS liner. In saying this, the three helmets listed here are still three of the most well-ventilated, lightweight, and comfortable designs on the market, which meet and exceed downhill protection standards.

Troy Lee Designs Stage Review

Troy Lee Designs has targeted the lightweight, well-ventilated portion of the market. The protection features of the helmet, while still better than most, isn’t quite as good as the Fox Racing Rampage. This is only due to the slim, lightweight construction, which detracts from the confidence while riding gnarly downhill sections.

The chin bar is impressively thin, which is great for ventilation but it feels a little sketchy on the rocky descents. However, the Stage is fully certified for downhill riding and features the ever-important MIPS liner.

In terms of features, the visor is very adjustable. It allows goggles to sit below the visor easily when it is up, and shield your eyes from the sun when it is low. It comes with a helmet bag in the box, a spare visor, and various sizes of extra padding. The extra padding means you can bulk out the helmet in areas you need and slim down in tighter areas, giving you the perfect fit!

The Stage feels more like an enduro helmet, with its ‘barely there’ feel, hearing is unobstructed, breathing is easy, but with the full protection of the chin bar and whole head covering.

Gone are the days of bulky full face helmets, the Stage is a game-changer in showing that a slim, super light helmet can enter the downhill game.

Bell Super DH MIPS Review

Bell has designed the helmet that is the best of both worlds. It is a very safe, comfortable downhill helmet with a detachable chin bar to create an open-faced enduro helmet.

Having been mountain biking with this helmet on a daily basis, we find that being able to use the open face helmet for a pedal lap, then transferring to a full face for chair lift laps, is a huge advantage. Especially for the hot days peddling out to the bike park, then being able to easily attach the chin bar to the helmet on the chair lift and having a full face for extra protection.

The system is a clip system at the rear and sides of the helmet which is very easy to work. The clips would never come undone while riding or in a crash, but is very easy to change from full face to open face, and back again. Over the past year, there has been no signs of wear on the system, or anywhere on the helmet for that matter (except for the inevitable wearing on the padding from large amounts of use).

In terms of features, the Super DH has a large, adjustable visor that is goggle compatible. It has the FidLock magnetic buckle, which we find works better than a standard plastic buckle, particularly with gloves on. Ventilation is great when using the helmet in either mode, and the design is extremely comfortable with a retention system to ensure a great fit each time.

We would go as far as to say that the Super DH is one of the best value helmets on the market, considering you get two great helmets for the price of one!

Fox Proframe MIPS Review

Coming in slightly heavier than the Troy Lee Designs Stage, the Fox Proframe is still a very lightweight helmet. It is quite impressive that it does so closely compare with the Stage, given that it has a bit more substance and protection to it. The Fox Proframe is a fairly simple, few frills kind of helmet. It features a MIPS liner, a solid design, and great ventilation.

Similar to the Stage, the Proframe does not have an adjustable sizing system. Instead, it has extra padding which you can play around with to get the most comfortable fit. The ventilation on the helmet is not quite that of the Stage nor the Super DH, but it is not bad compared to most other downhill helmets.

The visor is fixed, which doesn’t allow for goggles to be stored beneath the visor while climbing. It is long enough to prevent the sun from inhibiting your vision on the way down. It does feature the FidLock buckle as does both the Super DH and Stage, and the straps are padded and kept well away from irritating your face.

The Fox Proframe does not have many of the fancy features that the Super DH nor the Stage feature. But it does use well-researched safety technology and design to provide a good solid MTB helmet to keep you safe on the downhills.

Lighter weight and more breathable than many downhill helmets, the Fox Proframe is definitely worth considering for your next full face.

Everything You Need To Know About MIPS

MIPS has well and truly taken over the market in terms of anti-rotational systems, with other competitors such as SPIN, Wavecel, and Turbine 360 being used in specific brands of helmets rather than across the board. Below, we have explained MIPS in simple terms to give you a better understanding of what you are purchasing, why you need MIPS in your mountain bike helmets, and why it is so popular.

What is MIPS on a bike helmet?

MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System, which reduces rotational forces that can arise from certain impacts. The idea is to reduce the rotational violence transferred to the brain by rotating the shell of the mountain bike helmet on impact while keeping the head still. This works as the liner stays close to the head, the slip plane allows the outer shell to rotate, reducing the impact to your head.

Do Bike Helmets need MIPS?

A standard EPS foam lined helmet is designed to prevent skull fracture by absorbing linear impacts. However, somewhat recently, researchers have realized that while direct-impacts cause brain trauma, rotational forces also play an important role in severe brain damage.

A mountain bike helmet without a MIPS liner will only protect your head from direct linear impacts, which happens if you fall at a 90-degree angle to the surface, headfirst, with no horizontal movement. When you come off your bike, you will almost always hit the ground at an angle that generates rotational forces as well as a shock from the collision. The angular crash causes the brain to move within the skull, potentially leading to severe brain damage.

The use of MIPS reduces the amount of rotational force experienced by the rider. This is achieved by using a low-friction layer, which allows the helmet to move around half an inch in any direction, which increases the duration of the crash, lowering the impact felt by the brain. It is a very clever technology, which has been in the making for the past 24 years, with several thousands of tests to perfect the technology.

So, yes, mountain bike helmets do need MIPS if you are wanting to protect yourself from brain trauma after a crash.

Are MIPS Helmets better?

Without a doubt, yes, a mountain bike helmet with MIPS will be better in a crash than a mountain bike helmet without MIPS. Personally, I would never head out on a technical trail without a helmet with some sort of anti-rotational system.

However, if you are asking if MIPS is better than other anti-rotational systems, the answer is much less clear. Other companies have developed their own systems, such as WaveCel, Turbine by Leatt, SPIN by Poc, Koroyd, SHRED, which all claim to be just as good or better than MIPS. Since all the studies into which is better are funded and completed by each of these companies, it is okay to be skeptical about the validity of the studies.

Regardless, it is unlikely the companies are putting so much time and money into developing technologies that don’t work. The safety rating of a mountain bike helmet depends on not only the rotational system, but also the shape of the helmet, materials used, and the fit of the helmet on the riders’ head. Therefore defining which of anti-rotational systems is better becomes quite difficult, and no clear winner has arisen yet. 

Are more expensive bike helmets safer?

Not necessarily. A more expensive helmet generally correlates to more time being spent on the design, and also better materials. You can have a very safe, simply designed helmet that costs very little compared to a very lightweight, aerodynamic helmet with considerable ‘extras,’ which is just as safe and costs significantly more.

If you want more information on whether an expensive helmet is better than a budget helmet, check out the post on expensive vs cheap helmets here.

A study conducted by Virginia Tech University in 2020 found that helmets with a five-star rating (on a zero to five scale) cost between $300 and $55 and one helmet with three stars still cost $180. In saying this, there were no helmets over $150 that did not receive 4 or 5 stars. You can check out the full study here.

Conclusion

When choosing a helmet, it is important to consider what you require from it. Do you need a top-of-the-line helmet that will keep you well ventilated, very lightweight but for a higher cost? Or would a simpler helmet, with all the basic functions, do you just as good? It all depends on how much time you spend out riding, the style of riding, and the terrain.

If you are spending a good deal of time out riding and climbing hills as we do, spending a little more on breathability and comfort makes riding that much more enjoyable. But if you are just heading out for an hour or three a week, something a little simpler will still keep you safe, and you likely won’t even notice the lack of high-end features.

For more help in choosing a helmet, see our other articles:

• How to choose a Mountain Bike Helmet: A Buyers Guide
• Different types of Mountain Bike Helmets- Helmets Explained
• Best Budget Mountain Bike Helmets- Our top 7 picks
• Bell Super 3R vs Leatt DBX 3.0 Convertible Helmet Comparison