Bike Helmets

[FireAnt]

I'm guessing we have a lot of bikers in here :) I'm trying to find a helmet for my husband and I. We are casual riders at this point, but who knows as time goes on. I found these bike helmets and unable to find many reviews. Anybody have any good input? All my research points to "get MIPS". I'm willing to wait as well since we probably won't be biking more until spring.

Husband:
https://www.jensonusa.com/Giro-Cyprus-MIPS-Road-Helmet

Me:
https://www.jensonusa.com/Giro-Sage-MIPS-Womens-Helmet-2018

OR

https://www.sierra.com/bell-coast-bike-helmet-mips-for-women~p~511hg/?filterString=s~bell-coast-bike%2F

[Dave1442397]

All helmets have to meet an industry standard (see https://helmets.org/stansumm.htm), so they are all good in that respect.

The differences as price goes up tend to be in things like weight, airflow, more adjustments, and of course, fashion.

The helmets you linked to are perfectly fine. MIPS is certainly not a negative, even if it may not add much to helmet safety in the end. There has been plenty of debate on the subject - https://helmets.org/mips.htm

My current helmet is a Giro with MIPS, and my old one was a Scott, also with MIPS. The Giro definitely fits a lot better, but make sure you get the right size - I think the fit is tighter than the same size in the Scott helmet.

[FireAnt]

All helmets have to meet an industry standard (see https://helmets.org/stansumm.htm), so they are all good in that respect.

The differences as price goes up tend to be in things like weight, airflow, more adjustments, and of course, fashion.

The helmets you linked to are perfectly fine. MIPS is certainly not a negative, even if it may not add much to helmet safety in the end. There has been plenty of debate on the subject - https://helmets.org/mips.htm

My current helmet is a Giro with MIPS, and my old one was a Scott, also with MIPS. The Giro definitely fits a lot better, but make sure you get the right size - I think the fit is tighter than the same size in the Scott helmet.

Thanks! I have read that all helmets meet the same safety standards. Funny regarding MIPS, since I kept reading it is a must. I guess I'm looking for something that I am hoping I can use a while, especially as I continue to integrate biking into my daily life. I don't want to be cheap and buy the base model and then upgrade a few years later. I also don't want the top end $200+ model since I think that is far more than necessary for our bike use.

[mountain mustache]

I would recommend going somewhere to try some helmets on first. Everyone's head is shaped differently, and each helmet brand is also shaped in a certain way. If the helmet doesn't fit properly then it's not protecting you at all, you might as well not wear it. If you have a local REI or bike shop, it would be good to figure out what shape/size fits you, and what brand that correlates to. An educated sales person can help you figure out the perfect fit. You might even find a relatively affordable helmet that you like, and support a local bike business. I would say mips is...meh...important-ish, but not a deal breaker. I find helmets don't fit me well (read: safely) with mips, so I don't wear them. I sell 100 helmets a month to people who insist on mips, so they buy it, but I don't necessarily think it offers the best comfort/fit for every person. That's why it is, again, important to try helmets on to ensure the best fit (which also means the most safety and comfort)

[FireAnt]

I would recommend going somewhere to try some helmets on first. Everyone's head is shaped differently, and each helmet brand is also shaped in a certain way. If the helmet doesn't fit properly then it's not protecting you at all, you might as well not wear it. If you have a local REI or bike shop, it would be good to figure out what shape/size fits you, and what brand that correlates to. An educated sales person can help you figure out the perfect fit. You might even find a relatively affordable helmet that you like, and support a local bike business. I would say mips is...meh...important-ish, but not a deal breaker. I find helmets don't fit me well (read: safely) with mips, so I don't wear them. I sell 100 helmets a month to people who insist on mips, so they buy it, but I don't necessarily think it offers the best comfort/fit for every person. That's why it is, again, important to try helmets on to ensure the best fit (which also means the most safety and comfort)

We do have an REI that recently opened, so I'll check it out. I bought my bike at a local shop. The helmets were quite expensive.

[mountain mustache]

I would recommend going somewhere to try some helmets on first. Everyone's head is shaped differently, and each helmet brand is also shaped in a certain way. If the helmet doesn't fit properly then it's not protecting you at all, you might as well not wear it. If you have a local REI or bike shop, it would be good to figure out what shape/size fits you, and what brand that correlates to. An educated sales person can help you figure out the perfect fit. You might even find a relatively affordable helmet that you like, and support a local bike business. I would say mips is...meh...important-ish, but not a deal breaker. I find helmets don't fit me well (read: safely) with mips, so I don't wear them. I sell 100 helmets a month to people who insist on mips, so they buy it, but I don't necessarily think it offers the best comfort/fit for every person. That's why it is, again, important to try helmets on to ensure the best fit (which also means the most safety and comfort)

We do have an REI that recently opened, so I'll check it out. I bought my bike at a local shop. The helmets were quite expensive.

Yeah, they can be pretty expensive. Most of the expensive ones are just lighter/have more vents, etc which isn't really necessary...but  I wouldn't spend less than $50-$60 on a helmet. It is your one and only brain, so it is important to protect, and that's a pretty small amount of money to spend on something keeping your head safe. Helmet companies have recently really started trickling down technology from the really expensive helmets into cheaper models that are still great. I would say the majority of people really like the way Bell or Giro helmets fit, and they make a really well fitting $55 helmet with mips (I can't remember the name off the top of my head) that is a best seller for us. I bet REI has it, or something similar. Also if your local shop is a Bell/Giro dealer, they should be able to easily order a more affordable helmet from their lineup if you know you like the way those brands fit. We do that pretty frequently for customers. Happy helmet hunting!

[TomTX]

I'm happy with my Giro MIPS helmet, from REI ;)

It's a  really eye-searing color too.

[FINate]

As others have mentioned, go to a place where you can try the helmet on even if this means you pay a few bucks more. A good fit is critical for safety. And yes, the $50-$60 range is probably the sweet spot for performance vs. value. Plan on replacing your helmet every 5 years. This is one of those things where you don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish.

[FireAnt]

As others have mentioned, go to a place where you can try the helmet on even if this means you pay a few bucks more. A good fit is critical for safety. And yes, the $50-$60 range is probably the sweet spot for performance vs. value. Plan on replacing your helmet every 5 years. This is one of those things where you don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish.

I didn't even know helmets needed to be replaced every so often! Thanks!

We went into our local REI and was so disappointed with the selection. They had very few brands (No Bell. No Giro. majority of them were Smith brand). I got really annoyed and just ordered the Giro ones that I posted on here and crossing my fingers. I feel like if they don't fit well I can resell them for the same cost as I purchased them.

[LittleWanderer]

We went into our local REI and was so disappointed with the selection. They had very few brands (No Bell. No Giro. majority of them were Smith brand). I got really annoyed and just ordered the Giro ones that I posted on here and crossing my fingers. I feel like if they don't fit well I can resell them for the same cost as I purchased them.

FYI - you can order stuff from REI online and then return it to the store if you don't want to keep it! 

[Arbitrage]

I just bought a new Giro MIPS helmet (replacing an old Schwinn cheapo helmet).  The new helmet feels *so* much better on my head; my previous helmet probably didn't fit well enough to protect me.  Now I feel nice and cradled.  Didn't actually go to a LBS; I just saw a good price ($41) on Amazon and took the plunge, knowing I could return it.  In selecting the helmet, I wanted a rounder form factor and MIPS.  Happy to get both for a great price.