The Best Bike Helmets for Maximum Noggin Protection
If you’re cycling down Main Street and you’re not wearing one of the best bike helmets, you must have some really good health insurance. We hate to be a narc, but if you’re getting on a bike, you should be wearing a helmet. As exhilarating as it is to feel the wind in your hair during a blistering descent, our heads are far too important (and easily crackable) to leave unprotected.
Helmet technology is very advanced these days, and in addition to keeping you safe, many have built-in lights, attachable lenses, and all manner of technical improvements. One such improvement to look out for is MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system). Signified by a small yellow dot on helmets that utilize it, MIPS acts to reduce rotational forces on the head during a crash by allowing the inside of the helmet to rotate slightly.
We pored over the many available offerings, tested a whole bunch of them, and selected the best options in a variety of categories and price points. Take a look at the best bike helmets for high-velocity noggin protection.
The Best Bike Helmets, According to GQ
In This Guide
Best Bike Helmet Overall: POC Ventral Air Mips
When looking for a bike helmet, there are many options, and finding one that checks all the boxes can be a challenge. It also depends on your intended use. Will you be cycling for distance and exercise, commuting around the city, or both? I personally lean towards a more streamlined and tech-forward road-style bike helmet, even for commuting (pro gear, pro attitude, after all). That’s why the POC Ventral Air Mips is our favorite bike helmet overall. It’s lightweight, aerodynamic, and maximizes airflow with oversized channels. The helmet also features a very convenient “eye garage” that comfortably and securely holds your glasses when not in use. On long rides, I almost forgot I was wearing this thing, it’s that comfortable. And even on warmer days, it manages to keep my head cool. For an investment helmet that looks good, fits well, and is aerodynamic, the POC Ventral Mips is our top choice.
Best Budget Bike Helmet: Specialized Chamonix 3
Bike helmets can get expensive, and those heightened prices usually offer lighter materials with increased ventilation and aerodynamics. However, a good helmet doesn’t have to empty your wallet. Enter the Specialized Chamonix 3. It provides a comfortable fit with the sleek and aerodynamic design of a helmet, three times the price. For $90, it also includes MIPS impact protection and received a five-star Virginia Tech helmet rating. The 4D brow cooling technology pulls air through internal air channels, helping to keep your head cool, even at low speeds. The Chamonix 3 is a fantastic option for an affordable helmet. It provides excellent airflow and protection while still allowing you to hang, looks-wise, with the inevitable bikers who have spent infinitely more on their gear.
The Best Bike Helmet with Shield: Oakley Aro7
Trying to stunt on all the other bikers beholden to silly concepts like “aerodynamic drag?” Tired of constantly fumbling around while adjusting your glasses mid-ride? Oakley makes some of the best performance eyewear around, and the Aro7 uses a built-in Prism lens that stays firmly attached with a concealed magnet system. This creates a consistent, streamlined surface, which the surrounding air has no choice but to glide smoothly over, as you ride off towards victorious glory. The lenses can also be stowed atop the helmet using another set of concealed magnets, just as you would a standard pair of sunglasses. The helmet features MIPS safety technology and a BOA adjustment system, allowing you to dial in the perfect fit. The aerodynamics-centric design does mean there are fewer ventilation ports, and I found the helmet to be less suited for riding in hot weather. Should you happen to tire of the included lenses, I suggest swapping them for the Oakley Eye Jacket Redux, Oakley’s vintage re-release du jour.
Best Splurge Bike Helmet: Kask Elemento
Kask makes very high quality helmets, and the Elemento is one of their best. It is made from a composite technopolymer called Fluid Carbon 12, which is stronger than other helmet materials, allowing for increased impact protection with decreased thickness. This means the helmet is lighter and more streamlined while still being extremely safe. This reduced thickness also allowed them to increase the size of the internal air channels while reducing the size of the external ventilation holes. The result is a helmet that is not only more aerodynamic but also better ventilated. Its Octofit+ technology encases the head and provides a secure fit that remains comfortable even on long rides. It is also compatible with long hair. One downside I noticed is that some shapes of glasses don’t stow as comfortably on the helmet, but it is a small price to pay for the highest level of helmet tech that maximizes aerodynamics, weight reduction, and ventilation. So, if you’re ready to splurge on the Cadillac of cycling helmets, look no further.
Best Bike Helmet with Built-In Lights: Unit 1 Aura Mips
Do you ever feel like you’re not really being seen? Well, the Unit 1 Aura MIPS helmet will solve that problem (in a literal and while bike riding sense anyways). Unit 1 is at the forefront of providing the most innovative, safe, and tech-enabled bike lighting solutions available today. The Aura helmet is the sportier of its two helmet options and boasts both MIPS and e-bike safety certification. It features 14 fixed vents to maximize airflow, and at 15 ounces, it’s light enough to hold its own (weight-wise) among race helmet peers. However, where the Aura helmet really shines is with its lighting system. Two large lights on the front and back provide 360-degree illumination coverage with a brightness of over 500 lumens. The helmet can also be paired with the handlebar-mounted navigation remote, which has built-in sensors that enable automatic brake lights and buttons for the back of the helmet turn signal. So if you want to be seen, check out the Aura from Unit 1.
What to Look for in a Bike Helmet
There are a few things to pay attention to when choosing a helmet. Ventilation ports will keep your head cool on hot days, especially when riding for distance and exercise.
A great safety resource is the Virginia Tech Helmet Rating, a safety lab that is the leader in conducting independent helmet safety testing. The school assigns a rating score to most helmets currently available, based on the “helmet’s ability to reduce linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the head resulting from a range of head impacts a cyclist might experience.”
Also in the safety vein, MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system) is a technology that allows the inside of the helmet to rotate slightly with your head upon impact. It is signified by a small yellow dot on helmets that have it, and is definitely something to look out for.
