Round-Up: 21 Of the Best Mountain Bike Helmets for 2021

Helmets occupy unique space in the world of mountain bike culture. On the one hand they’re a necessary safety item, and on the other—let’s face it—they’re a bit of a fashion statement, mainly because with global distribution, helmets have to meet a variety of different international standards of consumer safety. In essence, a company like Giro, Lazer, or Smith, to name a few, is making their helmets to meet not just the CPSC standard, or just the CE-EN 1078 standard, or just the AS/NZL 2063:2008 standard, but to meet all of these standards.

So a high-end helmet sold in New Zealand, for example, legally will have to meet the same level of protection as a low-end helmet sold in New Zealand. And from a manufacturing perspective, given the cost of tooling, molds, etc. these same helmets in New Zealand are identical to their European or North American counterparts, regardless of the different standards found in Europe, etc.

But from a safety perspective, how do helmets actually protect your one and only precious brain? Gone are the days of the glorified hair nets of 70’s and 80’s. A bike helmet is now typically composed of a vented, polycarbonate shell mated to Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam or a material with similar performance characteristics (like the Koroyd material in Smith’s helmets and the WaveCel technology in Bontrager’s helmets). This protective material is designed to crush in a controlled manner, thereby reducing the forces impacting your skull in the event of a crash.

Many helmets also now use a rotational energy management system—MIPS is the most well known of these—to further protect riders in the event of a crash. These systems are essentially a slip plane between the head and the outer shell of the helmet designed to deflect forces from an impact to one side or the other in order to reduce head trauma in a crash—think of it like a ball and socket joint embedded within the helmet. Currently, while rotational management systems are known to add significant protection for our delicate gray matter, there is no standard of certification for this newer technology.

All this boils down to the fact that the safety of your head is in good hands. Below are 21 helmets that represent some of the latest of what’s available to protect your head when you ride. Please note that helmet makers all use different head forms for molding their helmets, so some helmets won’t necessarily fit your head as well as they fit someone else’s. So try before you buy.

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Table of Contents
• Bontrager Blaze WaveCel Mountain Bike Helmet
• Leatt Helmet MTB 4.0 AllMtn V21
• Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS
• Smith Forefront 2
• Giro Manifest
• POC Kortal Race MIPS
• Fox Speedframe Pro
• Sweet Protection Trailblazer MIPS
• Troy Lee Designs A3
• Bell Super Air Spherical
• Lazer Jackal MIPS
• Scott Stego Plus
• Oakley DRT5
• Uvex quatro integrale tocsen
• MET Roam MIPS
• Specialized Ambush w/ANGi
• Kali Protectives Maya 3.0
• Rudy Project Crossway
• Giant Rail SX MIPS
• 100% Altec
• iXS Trigger AM MIPS
• 7iDP M2

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The Bontager Blaze is trail-tested mountain bike helmet designed with advanced WaveCel technology—a collapsible cellular structure lining the inside of Bontager's helmet. It's designed to work like a crumple zone on a car bumper to help absorb and redirect the force of an impact, protecting your brain in certain impacts. Additionally, the helmet features Bontrager's Blendr integration which allows for foolproof integration of Bontrager helmet mount riding lights and GoPro cameras. Bontrager offers a free crash replacement for helmets damaged within the first year of purchase.

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Leatt touts this as "the most comfortable all-mountain helmet with head and brain protection technology money can buy." The Leatt Helmet MTB 4.0 AllMtn V21 has a universal sunglasses dock that lets you safely dock your sunglasses under the visor when not in use, which protects them from scratches and unwanted impacts. The adjustable visor also opens up enough to place your goggles underneath the visor, too, so you don’t have to constantly remove them. It secures via s a Fidlock buckle system, utilizes Leatt's 360 ̊Turbine Technology to reduce both rotation acceleration and concussion level impact energy, and features a Dri-Lex liner to wick moisture.

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The Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS is an all-new helmet with extended head coverage and a MIPS-C2 option, to boot. It utilizes the Safe-T Heta Fit System with 360-degree head belt and a vertical adjustment. It's eyewear and goggle compatible with sunglasses ports and it's made to work with ponytails too. The 16 vents with internal channeling keep riders' heads cool and there's a gel-padded head support. The helmet has 'Air-Lite' straps, adjustable cam dividers, reflective rear decals, and is secured with a Fidlock magnetic buckle.

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"Ready, Set, Send" is the mantra for the Smith Forefront 2. This next generation of Smith's award-winning Forefront mountain bike helmet has incorporates MIPS technology and utilizes complete Koroyd impact protection vs EPS foam. It's designed to work with goggles or sunglasses, has 20 vents warm to keep you cool, and utilizes XT2 antimicrobial lining to keep sweat stink away. The visor adjusts for easy goggle storage between laps, and you can slide your glasses for secure storage on the front or back.

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Among the Manifest's many features is Spherical Technology, which utilizes a ball-and-socket design powered by MIPS to reduce rotational forces. Spherical Technology allows the outer liner to rotate around the inner liner during a crash and also eliminates contact with a MIPS hard-plastic slip-plane. In addition to leading head protection, the Manifest offers wide-open airflow via the AURA reinforcing arch, which both adds structural integrity while at the same time allowing air to channel through the massive "Wind Tunnel" vents. You'll also get a comfortable, secure fit with the Roc Loc Trail Air fit system and a plush, antimicrobial XT2 padding for exceptional sweat absorption.

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"Complete protection for trail and enduro" is the name of the game with the POC Kortal helmet. It provides lightweight, extended protection and is designed to offer a seamless fit with goggles without compromising ventilation. With extended protection zones and uninterrupted ventilation, the Kortal "offers safety and comfort wherever you choose to ride", regardless of how hard you're pushing. This helmet is certified for use with e-bikes, too; it passes the Dutch NTA8776 standard, which tests helmets at higher impact speeds than for standard bicycle use. Currently, this is the only standard for e-bike helmets. The Kortal uses MIPS technology, and the visor is designed to break away to further reduce rotational forces generated in a crash. It also has the TWICEME NFC MEDICAL ID_ stashed in the shell so first responders can instantly get vital medical info and emergency contacts.

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The Speedframe Pro Helmet has earned Virginia Tech’s best rating (5 STARS) in its Bicycle Helmet Ratings program. Designed with input from Fox's pro mountain bike athletes, this top-tier open-face mountain bike helmet offers a market-leading feature set, including MIPS, an easily adjustable multi-position visor, and a 360-degree fit system. The pro version is equipped with a Varizorbdual-density EPS liner, has a Fidlock SNAP helmet buckle for easy helmet retention, and an XT2 antimicrobial comfort liner to keep sweat out of your eyes.

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"Set the trails on fire in full confidence", says Sweet Protection, noting that, "as trail riding and bikes evolve, so should the performance of your helmet." The Trailblazer is the latest evolution of their pioneering multi-piece variable elasticity shell technology. In this case it has a 4-piece variable shell construction crafted from various shapes and thicknesses of polycarbonate to optimize impact protection as well as a MIPSslip plane to protect against rotational forces. The visor can be adjusted, there's a completely new Occigrip turn-dial system for a secure fit on the head, and it uses patent-pending STACC ventilation to cool your temporal artery without exposing the temple.

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"So comfortable you won't ever want to take it off," says Troy Lee's website. The A3 mountain bike helmet is TLD's premium open face mountain bike helmet, featuring EPP and EPS foam for high and low sped impact protection, MIPS, EVA wicking foam behind the comfort liner along the front brow is designed to direct sweat away from the eyes and optics, 16 vents to keep you cool, a 3-Way Magnajust visor that slides up to accommodate goggles, and a 3d Fidlock magnetic buckle system to secure the A3 to your head. For added safety, the visor bolts are designed to sheer off to further reduce rotational forces in a crash, helping the A3 achieve a 5-STAR rating from the Virginia Tech helmet safety lab.

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The Super Air is the first Bell trail helmet to offer Spherical Technology, making it their most advanced trail helmet. Spherical Technology's Ball-and-Socket design, powered by MIPS, helps redirect impact forces away from the brain by allowing the outer liner to rotate around the inner liner during a crash. Further, Bell utilizes progressive layering and variable density EPS foam to better manage certain impact energies. This combination of outstanding safety, optimized overbrow ventilation to channel cool air through the helmet, adjustable visor to accommodate goggles, and a simple "float fit" controlled by an easy to adjust overmolded rubber dial combine to make an extremely lightweight trail helmet. Even better: when you're ready to step up, upgrade your Super Air by adding the optional chin bar.

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The Jackal MIPS is designed to excel on the way up and on the way down, with safety and performance as priorities. It has goggle compatibility, an adjustable visor, a removable light/camera mount , and Lazer's ATS Fit System to tighten 360 degrees around your head for a secure fit and all-day riding comfort. There are eighteen vents to keep you cool on the longest of climbs. The MIPS layer and deep coverage on the sides and back of the helmet give your head more protection if you fail to keep the rubber side down. The Jackal MIPS was awarded the esteemed Virginia Tech 5-Star “Best Available” protection rating, the Jackal MIPS is a great choice for your next MTB helmet.

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As Scott notes, "Bikes have evolved and we are riding faster, on ever more technical trails." Drumroll, please... Introducing the new Scott Stego Plus helmet, "built with a focus on safety and functionality". For safety, this lid has an integrated MIPS Brain Protection System and a polycarbonate progressive absorbing construction to reduce impacts. It also features convenient goggle storage, a mount for attaching an action camera (or other go pro mount accessories), has an optimized series of vents, extended cranial coverage, and Scott's Halo fit system.

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"Engineered, designed, and validated by mountain bikers, including a close collaboration with 3x World Champion Downhill racer Greg Minnaar, Oakley's DRT5 will give you the confidence to rip down technical descents." Greg gives it the style, and Oakley adds a whole lot of tech: MIPS, a BOA 360 fit system, X Static anti microbial brow padding, a unique silicon sweat band, an adjustable visor (60 degrees, so room for goggles), and an eyewear "dock". The helmet includes a bag and spare pads, too.

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There is a fair bit of tech with the Uvex Quatro Integrale Tocsen helmet! An intelligent Tocsen crash sensor is integrated into the dial of the helmet adjuster. When combined with an accompanying smartphone app, the system triggers an emergency call and transmits GPS data fully automatically to a list of key personal contacts if the rider no longer reacts. Notification of the crash additionally goes out to the ever-growing Tocsen community in the immediate vicinity so that first responders can often be on site much faster than in the past. From there, the Uvex Quatro Integrale Tocsen ticks the usual all-round enduro helmet boxes: seamlessly construction, a large adjustable visor, 17 vents, but (surprisingly) no MIPS.

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The MET Roam MIPS is designed for all-mountain and enduro riding. For safety, it features the MIPS-C2 brain protection system, enabling the MET Roam is able to slide relative to the head in the case of a crash, redirecting damaging rotational motion. There'a a bit of extra temporal coverage, a series of large vents designed to let air in but ward off sticks or other trail debris, an adjustable visor with 3 positions, and a "Safe-T Orbital" fit system managed via a speed dial to securely snug the Roam MIPS to one's head (ponytail compatible for us ladies). There's also an optional LED light with an intelligent "night" sensing mode and an optional gel pad cushion for the forehead.

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Specialized created the Ambush with ANGi as "the lightest and most ventilated extended coverage helmet available" for worry free ripping down the fall line. It utilizes Specialized's new ANGi Crash Sensor that, when combined with a smart phone app, will detect a crash and send a text message to specified contacts in your phone. The big red S has also teamed up with MIPS researchers to introduce MIPS SL—a new, ultra-light version of MIPS that's advertised as being "supremely comfortable". The Ambush boasts a significant amount of extended coverage, has an Energy Optimized Multi-Density EPS foam to manage the energy from impacts, and a Aramid-reinforced skeleton that provides extra structure for the foam. It fits comfortably utilizing a fully integrated Mindset 360 fit system which has five height positions and an integrated dial for on-the-fly tinkering. The Ambush also keeps riders cool with their "4th Dimension Cooling System"— a collection of vents and exhaust ports.

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The Kali Protectives Maya 3.0 is equipped with Kali's proprietary Low Density Layer (LDL) to optimize foam density to better absorb impacts from low-g linear and rotational impact forces. This is combined with the high-g impact protection of Composite Fusion Plus, creating a helmet designed to protect riders from a wide range of impacts. The helmet includes anti-Microbial Pads, a flexible Moto-Style Visor to deflect rotational forces, a dial retention system, and a locking buckle (fastex).

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Rudy Project designed the Crossway as "the MTB lid for bikers looking for a cool, safe and great fitting helmet". The compact in-mold construction with extended coverage on the back ensures maximum protection in a lightweight package, while 23 vents offer ventilation (with an integrated bug net to keep bees out of your bonnet, so to speak). It also features the "frontal air frame band" padding to enhance sweat evaporation, the "RSR10S retention system" for a secure, comfortable fit, and a fully integrated visor. A standard Fastex buckle keeps this lid securely fastened.

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Giant offers their new Rail SX to all-mountain and enduro riders seeking a helmet with greater coverage than a typical trail lid. It was developed to meet the demands of the Giant Factory Off-Road Team’s pro enduro riders, and offers significantly greater head coverage than, say, their Roost helmet. For safety, it features an in-mold EPS foam liner with an integrated MIPS for impact protection, 18 channeled vents, an infinitely adjustable visor, the Cinch One Profit system allows complete customization of the helmet fit, a TransTextura Plusanti-microbial padding to wick sweat, and an integrated dual-position mount for GoPro cameras or Giant's Recon light system.

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100%'s ALTEC is "the advanced rider’s choice for confidence inspiring, protective, lightweight and ventilated All-Mountain helmet." There's more than one way to skin a cat, and for rotational energy management and some impact absorption,100% utilizes Smartshock suspended rotational system, a 14 point rotational "shock absorber" system that acts to shunt impacts aside in a manner similar to a MIPS slip plane. While these shock absorbers will compress somewhat, the hemet still uses EPS foam for the meat and potatoes of impact absorption. But what's important is that the ALTEC’s Smartshock elastomers reduce energy transfer to the brain over a wide range of speed and impact types. From there it's the usual: glasses retention, fifteen vents for airflow, goggle friendly adjustable visor, a washable anti-microbial liner, an adjustable ratcheting fit system, and a Fidlock SNAP magnetic buckle (NEW for 2021).

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Like most helmets, the Trigger AM MIPS utilizes in-mold technology to fuse the helmet shell to the internal EPS material, which features a MIPS slip plane. It has a number of strategically placed ventilation openings (their site doesn't say how many, and I'm not counting) and exit ports for continuous cooling. It's got a precision interlocking "ErgoFit Ultra" system that allows you to adjust the fitting ring both vertically and around the head, for a precise fit for any head. There's a 3-level visor with sufficient space to rest goggles. Lastly, it uses a Fidlock magnetic buckle for quick, efficient closure and release without compromising security.

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7iDP's M2 slots neatly into the current generation of open face trail and all-mountain protection, offering full coverage on the sides and extended coverage down the back. They utilize a dual-density foam to dissipate impacts on the M2. The outer layer, which is the black part, is made of high-density foam and has cones facing inwards. The inner layer, the grey part which is close to the head, is made of softer low-density foam and has cones facing outwards. Their buzzword is Conehead technology. There is no MIPS or other rotational energy dispersion technology. But there are nineteen channeled vents to cool things down, and a BOA system for on the fly, one handed adjustments to fit. Helmet retention is via a fastex type buckle.

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Note: All imagery was provided by the respective company who holds the rights and ownership to the photos and has granted us permission to use in this round-up.

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