Best Bike Helmets 2022 | Bike Helmets for Men and Women

Cycling can be a liberating shake for runners who want to experience fast-paced cross-training with less impact. Unfortunately, this mechanical speed advantage is not without risk: you can crash, and you can crash hard. Concussions are worryingly common in the cycling world. According to a 2019 study published in , nearly 25 percent of cyclists have suffered a traumatic brain injury while riding at some point The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness— and this life-changing injury should not be taken lightly. Modern advances in helmet technology can make wearing them virtually unnoticeable, and sometimes make you faster too.

The best bike helmets

The expert: As a former bike commuter without a helmet, my life was significantly harder for years after inevitably hitting my head on a freezing winter day. Later, as a salesman at The Bicycle Shop in State College, Pennsylvania, I made it my personal mission to educate as many people as possible about the benefits of wearing a helmet. At the same time, I’ve spent enough time in the saddle at major races to know the ins and outs of a helmet that feels good, looks better and performs best.

What to look out for when buying a helmet

sizing

A helmet that fits properly works much better than a helmet that is the wrong size. Most lower-end helmets come in one size, but more outlandish helmets tend to have multiple sizes for added comfort and fit. Companies all measure their helmets the same way, based on the head circumference over the ears. However, these ranges can vary between brands, so it’s important to measure your own head and have that number handy if you can’t try on a helmet before buying.

Weight, ventilation and aerodynamics

One of the luxuries of running that I will always envy as a cyclist is the ability to feel the wind on my head mile after mile. However, some helmets are lighter and better ventilated than others; While these designs are more expensive, they can help alleviate the “brain bucket” feeling that many riders succumb to on hot days. Despite being made from less material, these helmets still have to meet the same safety standards as all others, and the increased cost is mainly the result of deeper structural engineering to count every gram of foam.

Over the past decade, the proliferation of aerodynamic or “aero” helmets has taken the road cycling and triathlon worlds by storm. Although this style lacks the many vents that other caps keep cool, it was designed to improve the aerodynamics of a rider’s head, and some people argue that this upgrade can make an even bigger difference in a race than buying an aero -Bikes or fancier carbon bikes.

What is MIPS and do I need it?

Multidirectional Impact Protection System (MIPS) is a helmet liner technology that allows a helmet to slide around on your head when you hit the deck. While this sounds counterproductive, it’s incredibly helpful in preventing your head – along with a helmet – from twisting excessively in side impacts, which would happen if you were wearing a helmet without MIPS. So MIPS also protects against whiplash, not just concussion, and I generally recommend buying helmets with that extra protection.

Visors or no visors?

The beauty of visors is that they can block the occasional sunbeam peeking through trees, and they can also protect you from branches, dirt or rocks that might fly off your wheels on densely wooded trails. Larger visors become an obstacle in a more flexed road riding position, where they can interfere with road vision. Ultimately, you see helmet visors much more often in off-road use such as mountain biking than on the asphalt, where cyclists are more likely to reach for sunglasses.

How we rated these bike helmets

In over a decade of riding I’ve ridden through tons of helmets (no pun intended) and I’ve certainly tested some of their crash protection limits in my years in the off-road and racing scenes. These are all helmets that I’ve worn myself, seen at my motorcycling friends’ back home, or sold en masse while working in a bike shop. I chose them all for their outstanding features, ventilation, protective technology, aerodynamics, aesthetics and the combination of all these factors. I have also consulted with some To go biking Test editors to hear their opinions on the subject.