A mountain bike lid is a mandatory piece of kit on the trail. Here’s your guide to finding the best mountain bike helmets, plus our pick of the favorites.
What is a mountain bike helmet?
A mountain bike helmet has more head coverage than a road helmet. MTB helmets also have peaks to keep sun (or rain) out of your eyes. They are much lighter and more ventilated than a motorbike helmet.
The best mountain bike helmets in 2019
These lids our are what we think are the best mountain bike helmets available currently. Full review links below.
- Bell Super 3, £119.99
- Endura MT500, £149.99
- Giro Montaro, £149.99
- Bell 4Forty MIPS, £89.99
- Endura Singletrack II, £74.99
- 7iDP M2, £59.99
- Lazer Roller MIPS, £79.99
- Abus Montrailer Ace MIPS, £149.99
- Giro Chronicle MIPS, £99.99
The best mountain bike helmets 2019: best value
7iDP M2 helmet
Price: £59.99
Rating: 8/10
Not one for the shy folks who like subtle colourways. Even the straps on this helmet are vibrant affairs. Yet, it’s not garish mess. It’s a cool looking lid that belies its modest price tag. Comfort levels are high thanks to abundance of padding and a large retention band. There are plenty of vents worked into the design too,m which is a bonus. Some riders may find it feels slightly perched on top and requires tightening up relatively high. Having said that, it still remains super comfy for those riders anyway.
Lazer Roller MIPS helmet
Price: £79.99
Rating: 8/10
The Roller is a lower priced version of the Lazer Revolution helmet, And yes, it really does have proper MIPS lining within it for increased injury prevention during snagging impacts. This slip-liner basically reduces your brain being violently jarred in crashes. The overall fit and feel of the helmet is excellent that reminds us of the original Troy Lee Designs A1 classic lid. As usual with Lazer helmets, it is light and impressively well vented. High quality strapping and super comfy retention system round off a great helmet.
Bell Super 3 helmet
Price: £119.99
Rating: 10/10
The Bell Super 3 is the best trail helmet because it strikes the right balance between durability and venting. It’s weighty and the lower edge where the EPS is left exposed is starting to look tatty but its cracking value for money and the chin bar compatibility lifts it to a whole different level.
Endura MT500 helmet
Price: £149.99
Rating: 9/10
The MT500 is packed to the gills with features, including an adjustable peak, anti-bacterial padding, eyewear dock as well as a clip-off accessory mount for a headlight or helmet-cam. The peak lifts far enough up to store goggles and the straps are held securely under the peak edges and a large (removable) clip at the back.
Giro Montaro helmet
Price: £149.99
Rating: 9/10
The Giro Montaro is sleek, super comfortable, full adjustable and has a ton of trail-friendly features – it doesn’t get a full 10/10 rating however due to the pads design and durability and the price.
Bell 4Forty MIPS helmet
Price: £89.99
Rating: 9/10
Following the agreeable modern trend of premium spec helmets coming it at well under £100, the 4Forty has MIPS protection, a fully wrapped outer, a modern shape and a very tastefully done two-tone colourway. Unlike most brands, Bell integrate MIPS into their retention system which results in less interior bulk. The padding is arranged in such a clever, overlapping way that will delight those sweaty-foreheaded folks out there. It’s only the fact that it runs slightly hotter than megabucks helmets that give the game away.
Endura Singletrack II helmet
Price: £74.99
Rating: 9/10
Although it still feels novel to see Endura on a helmet (they’ve not been making helmets for very long) it has become instantly assuring. This lid does away with the drinking-straw Koroyd filling of its other higher-end helmets. Not only does this improve ventilation – it is a brilliantly cool-running helmet – it also make for an impressively light helmet. And one that still offers good back-of-head protection depth. The retention strap may not wrap all the way around the head but it does the job just fine. An excellent warm weather lid.
Abus Montrailer Ace MIPS helmet
Price: £149.99
Rating: 8/10
This is the top helmet offering from Abus, which kind of makes the price tag look a bit more respectable seeing as other brands best lids cost more than this. Abus are known for making excellent locks mainly. If you’ve seen their helmets before, chacnes are you’ve seen a commuter helmet. But you really should check out their proper MTB helmets these days. This helmet has MIPS protection, a reinforced internal skeleton framework. The performance is excellent and the protection on offer is similarly good. Sure, some people might not dig its aesthetics but plenty of others will.