The Best Bike Helmets for Road Riding, Mountain Biking and Commuting

These days, bike helmets are purpose-built for specific types of riding. You can get an ultra-aero road bike helmet that will shave seconds off your mile pace, paying huge dividends over a long ride. You can pick up a mountain bike helmet with top-tier ventilation for staying cool up long climbs that also provide extra coverage for dodgy downhill rides. If you’re a commuter, you can get helmets that come with the same tech as high-end road bike helmets — but don’t make you look like a lycra-clad Tour de France racer.

Regardless of what type of riding you do, you need a helmet. We don’t care if you’re just cruising to the coffee shop or headed out for a 100-mile ride: just wear one. The best bike helmet will fit your needs — keeping you safe while also letting you forget it is even there.

Here, we’ve rounded up our 12 favorite bike helmets to get you going. But first…

What to Look for in a Bike Helmet

Safety Standards: If you’re worried about whether this helmet or that helmet will keep you safe, don’t. Every helmet sold in the United States must meet the standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, so when it comes to safety, you’re getting a quality helmet that will protect you, no matter what you pick. Some helmets will feature more head coverage —mountain bike helmets will have the most — but when it comes to the materials used and how well they will hold up in a bike accident, they’re all going to do the job.

Keep in mind, though, that if you do get in a crash and your helmet is used, you need a new one, no matter how much you paid. After a wreck, the safety standards no longer apply. One final thing to keep in mind with safety is that a more expensive helmet may in fact have technology that your barebones $40 helmet will not.

MIPS: MIPS (Multi-directional impact protection system) is the most popular protection system you’ll find on today’s bike helmets. While historically only found on upper-tier options, we’re starting to see more and more affordable helmets made with the technology, so it’s definitely something you want to look out for when you’re buying a new helmet.

By utilizing a slip-plane system that mimics the same system your brain uses to protect itself, MIPS allows the helmet to move inside the helmet upon impact, slowing or lowering the amount of energy that is transferred to your head when you crash. Essentially, it keeps you from “rattling” your brain, reducing the chance of brain injury.

Price: While a less-expensive helmet will protect you to the standards set by the CPSC (which are high-quality standards), if you spend more money you will get a helmet that is unequivocally better in every measurable way. This is not to say that you have to spend $250, especially if you’re just looking to have the bare minimum protecting your dome. But if you spend more, say around $100+, your helmet is much more likely to be more comfortable, more well-ventilated and feature innovative safety tech that you won’t find on a cheap helmet.

Fit: Most helmets come in a few sizes and can be adjusted for a snug fit. To ensure you get the right size, you’ll want to take a tape measure, preferably a fabric one used for measuring clothing, and wrap it around your head to find the circumference. Compare that number to the size chart and boom! You’ve got your size. The sizes for most brands are similar, but it is definitely worth checking out the size chart before placing an order. If you’re between sizes, we’d recommend sizing up because a helmet that is too small is never comfortable. You want to forget a helmet is there, not think about it every second of your ride.

Ventilation: Generally speaking, the more expensive your helmet is, the more well-ventilated it will be. Companies spend thousands trying to make helmets aerodynamic, but they also spend big money to make sure your head stays cool. Even when it is cold out, you’ll want a helmet that is well-ventilated so that your sweat and excess heat will evaporate up and away from your head rather than drip into your eyes.

Competitive Cyclist

Best Overall Road Bike Helmet: POC Omne Air MIPS Helmet

• $127.00 at Competitive Cyclist
  $170.00 (25% off)

Impact Protection: MIPS Integra

Comfortable, versatile and affordable, the POC Omne Air MIPS is the platonic ideal of a road bike helmet. It comfortably fits a cap underneath, has enough vents to keep you cool on hot days and can tackle gravel or commutes just as well as it does the road.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW OF THE OMNE AIR MIPS

Competitive Cyclist

Best Upgrade Bike Helmet

Best Upgrade Road Bike Helmet: Giro Aries Spherical

• $300.00 at Competitive Cyclist

Impact Protection: MIPS and Giro Spherical Technology

Our tester says that this is the best road helmet they’ve ever worn, the only downside being the price. Brand new for 2023, the Aries Spherical is supremely lightweight, so much so that he barely noticed it on long and short rides alike.

It’s smaller than most other helmets, giving it a low profile that not only looks better but shaves precious ounces. Giro’s Aura Reinforcement Arch adds strength and durability while the 5-Star Virginia Tech Helmet Rating gives you precious peace of mind on the road.

100%

Best Road & Gravel Biking Helmet: 100% Altis Gravel

• $100.00 at merlincycles.com

Impact Protection: Smartshock Rotational Protective System

Made by the extreme sports experts at 100%, the Altis Gravel takes the brand’s Altis mountain bike helmet and strips it down to make a road- and gravel-ready helmet that is surprisingly lightweight and has better coverage than most road helmets.

Competitive Cyclist

Bike Helmet With Best Ventilation: Specialized S-Works Prevail 3 MIPS Helmet

• $300.00 at Competitive Cyclist

Impact Protection: MIPS Node Air

An updated version of one of the most well-ventilated helmets we’ve ever tested, the Specialized Prevail 3 takes what the previous model did and adds even more with channels that increase ventilation surface area by 24.5%.

Superior ventilation means you’ll never have to worry about overheating, while the latest MIPS Node Air technology will keep you protected if you crash. It also is compatible with Specialized ANGI Sensors, which, when equipped and connected to your phone via Bluetooth, will notify your emergency contacts when it detects that you’ve wrecked and help you dial in a personalized fit.

Competitive Cyclist

Best Overall Mountain Bike Helmet: Giro Merit Spherical

• $220.00 at Competitive Cyclist

Impact Protection: MIPS and Giro Spherical Technology

The Manifest Spherical is our top pick for a few notable reasons: extensive Wind Tunnel venting kept my head cool on long rides, and combined with Giro’s AURA reinforcing arch, I felt like the air conditioning was turned on high the whole ride. The Manifest Spherical’s name alludes to its built-in Spherical Technology protection — developed alongside MIPS — which Giro claims is the market-leading brain protection system that helps to reduce rotational forces. (Luckily for us, we didn’t put this claim to the test with any gnarly crashes.)

The padding that lines the helmet is both antimicrobial and plush, a one-two punch of comfort and cleanliness. At just under 12 ounces, the Manifest is the lightest mountain bike helmet on our list by a long shot, and thanks to the wide interior, provides the best field of vision, as well.

POC

Best Full-Coverage Helmet: POC Tectal Race MIPS

• $230.00 at backcountry.com

Impact Protection: MIPS

Worn on the mountain by one of the most devoted cyclists on staff here at Gear Patrol, the POC Tectal Race brings ventilation, style and coverage together to craft one of the most comfortable helmets you can buy.

100%

Best Affordable Mountain Bike Helmet: 100% Altec w/ Fidlock

• $165.00 at Jenson USA

Impact Protection: Smartshock Rotational Protective System

100% released the 2022 Altec with its unique Fidlock magnetic buckle, which comes in handy when you have full-finger bike gloves on. It also features a 14-point rotational protective system and a lightweight body.

REI

Best Overall Commuter Helmet: Smith Express MIPS

• $100.00 at REI

Impact Protection: MIPS

Smith’s Express MIPS features MIPS protective technology, plus a removable visor, adding an extra layer of versatility. It is also shaped a bit more like your standard mountain bike helmet, meaning it can even be taken onto light trails. It also has an integrated rear light that is rechargeable.

Thousand

Best-Looking Commuter Helmet: Thousand Chapter MIPS

• $145.00 at explorethousand.com

Impact Protection: MIPS

We think the Thousand Chapter MIPS is the best-looking commuter helmet you can buy, pairing an all-important visor with a matte finish that won’t make you look like a hardo on your way to work. This one also features MIPS protective technology, which is a welcome extra layer of protection.

REI

Best for Low-Light Commutes: Giro Escape MIPS

• $130.00 at REI

Impact Protection: MIPS

Giro’s Escape MIPS helmet is a little less fun to look at when compared to the Thousand helmet, but it stands out thanks to integrated rechargeable front and rear lights, which ensures you are visible on early-morning or late-night commutes.

Competitive Cyclist

Best for the Casual Commuter: Kali Traffic

• $100.00 at Competitive Cyclist

Impact Protection: None

The Kali Traffic is a straightforward bike helmet ideal for commuting, thanks to its removable visor and integrated rear light.

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