Choosing the best road bike helmet is vitally important, as a helmet is an essential piece of safety equipment for cyclists, however many miles you’re riding.
There are a lot of road bike helmets to choose from, with a wide range of performance characteristics and price points.
Our top road bike helmet is the Specialized S-Works Evade III, but this guide also includes the cycling helmets we consider the best of the dozens we’ve reviewed, covering a range of prices from budget cycling helmets costing under £100/$100 to expensive top-spec helmets used by the pros.
Best road bike helmets available today
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Best road bike helmet overall
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Buy it if
✅ You race and want aero performance alongside all-day comfort: The Evade III has proven aero credentials, taking second place in our wind tunnel testing.
✅ You want an excellent all-rounder and don’t mind the aero style: Although it’s primarily an aero helmet, it’s still lightweight, well-ventilated and comfortable enough to wear all day.
Don’t buy it if
❌ You want to keep your spend to a minimum: Specialized’s S-Works branding doesn’t come cheap but it’s in line with other premium road bike helmet offerings.
❌ You need the fastest performance, no matter the cost: Three helmets scored better in our most recent wind tunnel test, with the Oakley Velo Mach coming out on top, beating it by just 1.2 watts.
The Specialized S-Works Evade III is both a great aero helmet and a great all-rounder. It was the fourth-fastest helmet in our wind tunnel test, only marginally slower than the Oakley Velo Mach, Trek Ballista and Canyon Stingr. It’s our top aero road helmet pick though for its good overall performance.
Aero helmets have a reputation for being hot and poorly ventilated, but in recent years, that’s no longer always true, and the Evade III is proof. It’s well vented up front, with a large ‘exhaust’ at the rear to let the hot air escape quickly, and in my testing, these features combined to keep my head comfortable and cool even when the temperatures soared.
Here at Cyclingnews, we all think it’s a stylish helmet too. I know that’ll be a subjective matter, but it’s an opinion that a lot of road cyclists share. I’ve noticed the white straps on certain colourways stain easily with sweat and dust, though, so I’d opt for another colour. That aside, I have found it to be really comfortable, with no pressure points to distract me during a ride. I even used it on a 13-hour ride without any discomfort.
On the safety front, the independent helmet safety tests performed by Virginia Tech University earned the Evade a score of 10.93. That score is beaten by some others on this list, but it puts the Evade comfortably in the four-star bracket and among the best on the market. Read more about helmet safety scores in our how to choose section below.
Unless you live in seriously hot conditions or find yourself riding up long slow climbs often (where your speed and airflow will be reduced) there’s little reason not to choose an aero helmet for all your road rides, and the Evade is the best aero helmet we’ve used.
For more details, check out our Specialized S-Works Evade III review.
Best road bike helmet – Runner up
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Buy it if
✅ You want best-in-class results in safety tests: Virginia Tech is at the forefront of independent helmet testing and the Aries is one of the best scoring helmets it’s tested.
✅ You want an excellent all-rounder and prefer the vented design to aero style: Areo shaping isn’t to everyone’s tastes; the more rounded shape and wide open vents will be more palatable to some riders.
Don’t buy it if
❌ You need to maximise the aero performance: The Aries is focused on ventilation performance rather than aero slipperiness.
❌ You can find the Prevail III on offer: The Aries is cheaper than Specialized’s Prevail III making it a slightly more budget-friendly premium option; if the Prevail III is discounted though it’s a better choice.
With all of what we’ve just said about the Evade, there are still plenty of cyclists who would be better served by a helmet more suited to climbers, with better ventilation and a more traditional aesthetic. For those people, the Giro Aries Spherical helmet is our pick.
Where the Aries stands head and shoulders above the competition is in the independent safety tests by Virginia Tech University. With a score of 8.40, it’s one of the best performing road bike helmets tested and merits a five-star rating even now Virginia Tech has recalibrated its thresholds.
This comes courtesy of the MIPS Spherical technology, which creates a ball and socket design with two layers to the helmet shall. This lets the outer layer of the helmet rotate independently of the inner layer, with rubber tendons holding the two together.
One problem this creates is that it takes a little extra push if you want to get the helmet higher on your brow. It’s not a big problem but it is noticeable. It also adds a little to the helmet’s weight relative to other MIPS types.
When you look at the Giro Aries Spherical from the front, a set of transparent arches bridge the gap across the sizeable air vents. From the side, it has a more rounded rear profile, rather than the elongated tail you’ll find on aero-shaped helmets like the Evade, the Procen Air, or Trek’s Ballista. In our experience, ventilation is second only to the Specialized Prevail III, but the safety test score is marginally better, and we found the Aries to be a little more comfortable.
You can read more details in our full Giro Aries Spherical review.
Best budget road bike helmet
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Buy it if
✅ You want to keep the cost to a minimum: In a world where the best road bike helmet costs creeps higher and higher, the Tonic KinetiCore presents spectacular value.
✅ You like a lightweight helmet with safety considerations: The Tonic KinetiCore is only 14g heavier than the lightest helmet in this guide.
Don’t buy it if
❌ You value aerodynamic performance: Lazer has given no specific focus to aero performance in the Tonic KinetiCore design.
It’s important to understand that there is no definitive answer about how to make a safe helmet. Different brands have different strategies that aim to do the same thing. Lazer’s approach is to build little blocks into the part of the EPS foam that sits closest to the cyclist’s head. During an impact, those blocks are designed to break or compress to allow movement and absorb energy. As a nice bonus, the channels between the blocks also help with airflow.
The name for this technology is KinetiCore and Lazer offers it at a variety of price points. The flagship option is the Lazer Vento KinetiCore, which offers more KinetiCore blocks, aero optimisation, and an innovative way of tightening up the rear cradle. That’s a good helmet, but we’ve chosen to highlight the Tonic KinetiCore because of its incredible price.
For less than a third of the flagship product price, you get a lightweight helmet that is stylish enough to work on a gravel or road ride but still uses KinetiCore. You do give up features, but that is only a consideration if you miss them.
If you don’t care about the latest aero innovations, the Tonic KinetiCore offers a lot for the price. One detail that’s changed for the worse is the material used for the straps, which is now a bit stiffer and heavier.
You can read more in our full Lazer Tonic KinetiCore review.
Best road bike helmet for hot weather
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Buy it if
✅ You want the absolute maximum ventilation: The Prevail III is my go-to road helmet for riding in hot weather.
✅ You want high performance in third-party safety tests: Specialized’s ‘Aircage’ skeleton maintains the internal structure and gives the Prevail III a strong Virginia Tech score.
Don’t buy it if
❌ You want the best in aero or lightweight performance: The Evade is Specialized’s aero-specific helmet, and the extra structure needed adds a little extra weight.
❌ You can find the Giro Aries at a discounted price: Giro Aries is a favourite of the Cyclingnews test team and if discounted, will offer a significant saving over a full-price Prevail III.
Any company that wants to make a highly ventilated helmet has to figure out how to get the material that keeps you safe out of the way. Giro uses thin transparent ‘bridges’ in the Aries, while Specialized takes a different approach by building an internal frame using woven aramid struts.
These anchor into carbon fibre side panels and the whole system is claimed to help distribute forces in the event of an impact, with the nice side effect that the struts are strong and incredibly thin, meaning they take up minimal space.
Inside, the pads are attached using MIPS Air Node technology, which aids rotational impact by around 10-15mm, and the result is that in Virginia Tech’s independent testing, the Prevail 3 is one of the best road helmets it’s tested.
It is the best-vented helmet I’ve used in all my time testing helmets, beating even the well-vented Giro Aries above. I found the Prevail was a tiny bit less comfortable at first use, but I’ve ridden with it for well in excess of a year (among others) and it’s my favourite to wear when the weather is warm.
It’s not the lightest helmet on the market, at 305g for a size L, but it’s not noticeably heavy when riding, and only 35g heavier than the Lazer Z1, which is the lightest here.
Like the Evade III, if you get a colourway with white straps, be prepared to deal with discolouration as your sweat and dust will cause stains.
You can read more details in our full Specialized Prevail 3 helmet review.
Best for aerodynamics
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Buy it if
✅ You want top aero performance: In our first tunnel test, which featured over 40 leading helmets, the Ballista was the helmet that was the second most aerodynamic.
✅ You want low weight: The Ballista is also impressively lightweight.
Don’t buy it if
❌ You want a ‘normal’ looking road helmet: The aero design stands out in a very serious, performance sort of way.
❌ You want a non-fiddly design: It’s easy to detach the tail accidentally.
In our most recent aero helmet test, using a mannequin, the Ballista mixed it up with short-tail time-trial helmets. It was the second fastest road-style helmet, losing out by just over half a watt to the Oakley Velo Mach at 40km/h and 1.45W at 50km/h. However, aside from that wind tunnel test, we’ve not used the Oakley helmet, so we’re not able to make a more rounded assessment of its performance, whereas we’re confident in the Ballista’s performance in the real world too.
The Ballista’s go-faster tail covers the rear exhaust ports and gives the helmet a long, droop-tailed look. It’s fine for Mads Pedersen, but you probably need the rest of the aero kit to pull it off. You are also likely to need a head-down aero ride position to fully harvest the aero gains on offer.
The tail section of the Ballista is removable, shortening the helmet for travel and storage, although I found it was a little too easy to detach by accident. You can also feel the wind pushing against it in crosswinds or if you turn your head.
Unlike some aero helmets, there’s good airflow through the Ballista’s core. MIPS Air places the MIPS sliders under the padding, so there’s no separate liner to impede the air, and its weight is low too. The large front vents help to dry the forehead pads when going slower.
You can find out more in our full Trek Ballista MIPS helmet review.
Best budget aero road bike helmet
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Buy it if
✅ You want good aero performance on a budget: The Van Rysel RCR-F matched much pricier aero helmets in our wind tunnel testing.
✅ You want a good all-rounder: Decent ventilation, comfortable fit and decent weight make this a versatile helmet.
Don’t buy it if
❌ You want third-party testing data on safety: Virginia Tech hasn’t performed any individual testing on the Van Rysel RCR-F.
❌ You struggle with helmet straps digging in under your ears: The Y junctions don’t have any adjustment so if they don’t sit comfortably, there is no way to reposition them.
Like most products coming out of the Decathlon offshoot, the Van Rysel RCR-F helmet (which has been renamed from the FCR Pro) is an interesting blend of performance and price.
In our most recent wind tunnel test, it landed an 8th place beating the POC Procen Air at 40km/h and faster than the Kask Elemento at almost four times its price, albeit we’re not naive to the fact that helmet aerodynamics will also be affected by how it fits you as a rider and your ride position.
It’s not just a go-fast model though. It’s pretty stylish, has WorldTour props thanks to the Decathlon-CMA CGM team, and is comfortable to wear too. When held side by side, you can tell the materials used are cheaper than those found in the higher-end helmets, with a lower-spec retention dial and more basic internal padding. That all brings the weight up a bit, but it doesn’t affect the comfort or the ventilation, which are both pretty good.
There’s no integrated rotational impact protection in this model, but you can buy it for a smidge more with a MIPS liner included, although that depends on where you are, because Van Rysel’s biggest issue of late is getting products into stores and the RCR-F helmet isn’t currently available in the US.
You can read our in-depth review of the Van Rysel FCR for more details.
|
Helmet |
Weight (Size L) |
Virginia Tech |
Watts saved vs budget baseline at 40km/h |
Power required at 40km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Specialized S-Works Evade III |
300g |
10.93 |
6.99 |
241.4W |
|
Giro Aries Spherical |
305g |
8.40 |
2.39 |
246.0W |
|
Lazer Tonic KinetiCore |
240g (Size S) |
14.30 |
Not tested |
Not tested |
|
Specialized Prevail III |
305g |
8.64 |
1.10 |
247.3W |
|
Trek Ballista MIPS |
270g |
11.44 |
7.53 |
240.85W |
|
Van Rysel RCR-F |
345g |
N/A |
6.08 |
242.3W |
Other road bike helmets to consider
To keep things concise, there are just six helmets listed as recommended products in this buying guide, but the list of helmets we tested to make our recommendations was over 40 long. Here we’ll talk about a few that stood out as good helmets, but for one reason or another didn’t quite make the final cut.
The POC Ventral Tempus MIPS is a specialized winter helmet featuring a non-removable shell over the Ventral Air MIPS base to block rain and cold air. While it provides excellent weather protection and visibility via bright colors and reflective strips, its aerodynamic performance is poor, trailing 13 watts behind top-tier aero helmets. Weighing 296g, it includes MIPS Integra rotational protection but lacks independent Virginia Tech testing. It is a premium-priced, niche option ideal for dedicated foul-weather cyclists.
The Scott Cadence is a versatile aero all-rounder featuring MIPS Air Node technology and a five-star Virginia Tech safety rating. Weighing 325g (size L), it delivers strong wind tunnel performance while maintaining excellent ventilation. Standout features include a clip-on rear light for visibility and optional front vent plugs to block wind and rain in winter. While it excels as a single-helmet solution for racing, commuting, and gravel, it can be difficult to find for sale in certain countries.
The Lazer Z1 KinetiCore is an exceptionally lightweight road helmet, weighing just 226g (size S), making it a premier choice for climbers. It utilizes Lazer’s KinetiCore technology for rotational impact protection, which also enhances airflow via internal channeling and a floating brow pad. While it offers excellent ventilation and a clip-on rear light, it is not aero-optimized, ranking as the least aerodynamic in its class. Additionally, the unique top-mounted RollSys retention dial is noted for being more complex than traditional rear dials.
Sweet Protection Falconer 2Vi Mips
The Sweet Protection Falconer 2Vi Mips is a highly-rated road helmet, achieving a five-star Virginia Tech safety score. It features the STACC ventilation system for effective cooling and an unobtrusive MIPS Air liner. Its standout feature is superior sunglasses storage, securely holding eyewear better than most competitors. While it includes magnetic vent covers for weather protection, it lacks specific aero-gain claims. At 330g (size L), it is slightly heavier, and the rear retention cradle requires careful adjustment to avoid detaching.
The Kask Elemento is a premium, well-ventilated road and gravel helmet weighing 310g. It utilizes 1mm carbon composite plates and 3D-printed padding to reduce volume while maintaining a 5-star Virginia Tech safety rating. While praised for its secure fit, extensive adjustment, and stylish low-profile look, it underperformed in wind tunnel tests compared to rivals. Despite its high-end construction and excellent eyewear storage, the significant price tag and sponge-like padding may deter some performance-focused buyers.
The POC Procen Air is a versatile 330g aero helmet blending time-trial performance with road functionality. Featuring MIPS Air and a 11.44 Virginia Tech score, it excels in aerodynamic efficiency, particularly with its visor. While offering decent ventilation and comfort, its aesthetic is divisive, and it’s no longer legal in UCI-governed races. It is an ideal, albeit expensive, dual-purpose choice for riders seeking maximum speed who don’t mind standing out during casual club rides.
The Oakley Velo Mach is the most aerodynamic road-style helmet in this guide, securing top honors in a massive 47-helmet wind tunnel test. It weighs 300g (size L) and features a specialized fit system to reduce pressure points alongside dedicated storage for Oakley sunglasses. While offering unmatched aero speed, the one we tested lacked any rotational impact protection like MIPS, but we believe this has been added since. We’ve not yet tested it in the real world, though, and it hasn’t yet been safety tested by the Virginia Tech lab.
The Kask Utopia Y is a premium aero helmet favored by professional teams, featuring high-quality finishes like a faux leather chin strap. While it offers good internal airflow and a comfortable fit, its performance in wind tunnel testing was mid-field compared to competitors. Weighing 280g in size large, it lacks a Virginia Tech score but utilizes Kask’s WG11 safety testing. Despite its “pro” aesthetic, the fiddly buckle and average ventilation make it hard to justify over cheaper, higher-performing alternatives.
Read our full Kask Utopia Y helmet review to find out more
The MET Manta is a WorldTour-proven aero road helmet featuring a user-friendly Fidlock magnetic buckle and MIPS C2 rotational safety. Weighing 270g in size large, it offers high-quality aesthetics with six colour options and a highly adjustable retention system. While it provides a comfortable 360-degree fit and respectable mid-pack wind tunnel performance, the enclosed design limits ventilation. Additionally, the helmet’s shape may interfere with some sunglasses arms, making it essential to check compatibility with your existing eyewear.
Read our MET Manta MIPS review for more
The Lazer Vento KinetiCore is an aero-optimized helmet featuring proprietary KinetiCore technology, which uses built-in crumple zones for rotational impact protection. Its Virginia Tech safety score is only 3 stars though, and it weighs 305g in size large. Key features include the glove-friendly Scrollsys adjuster and an optional integrated rear light. While comfortable and well-finished, it struggles to match competitors performance in aero, safety or ventilation, and the rear light tends to point at an awkward angle.
The POC Cytal Carbon is a premium road helmet favored by the EF Education pro team, featuring a unique carbon wing and vertical front vents for superior airflow. Despite lacking a dedicated rotational safety system like MIPS, it maintains a strong four-star Virginia Tech rating. While offering excellent ventilation and easy adjustability, it performed poorly in wind tunnel aero testing and is currently only available in black. At its high price point, it faces stiff competition from more versatile alternatives.
The Uvex Surge is a versatile road helmet featuring a removable aeroshell that allows riders to switch between high-airflow cooling and weather-protected aerodynamics. It utilizes MIPS Air Node for rotational safety and offers a comfortable fit, though it lacks a Virginia Tech score. At 310g (size L) without the shell, it is one of the heavier options and ranked low in wind tunnel testing. While affordable, it lacks adjustable strap splitters, which may affect fit customization for some users.
Read our full Uvex Surge helmet review for all the details
The Van Rysel RCR is a performance road helmet offering exceptional value, featuring the high-end MIPS Air Node safety system usually found on pricier models. It boasts a premium aesthetic and impressive ventilation, outperforming the RCR-F in airflow. While the straps feel somewhat basic and sunglasses retention is lacking, its comfort and 330g weight make it a standout choice for budget-conscious riders seeking a professional look.
Read our Van Rysel RCR MIPS helmet review for more details.
The Fizik Kudo Aero marks the brand’s entry into the aero road helmet market, combining sleek aesthetics with a five-star Virginia Tech safety rating. It features MIPS Air for rotational protection and includes a rechargeable rear light, though the light’s fit can be fiddly. Weighing 280g (size M), it offers a comfortable fit but provides limited airflow, making it run hot on warmer days. In wind tunnel testing, it delivered a mid-pack performance despite its aggressive, fast-looking design.
The Rudy Project Nytron is an affordable aero helmet that prioritizes ventilation and comfort. While it lacks a rotational safety system like MIPS or a Virginia Tech score, its large brow vents provide superior cooling compared to many aero competitors. Weighing 305g in size large, it offers a comfortable fit but is limited to only two size options. In wind tunnel testing, it delivered a mid-range performance, making it a solid budget-friendly choice for riders who value airflow over top-tier aerodynamic gains.
How to choose the best road bike helmet
Here are the key considerations we’d recommend that you take into account when choosing a cycling helmet for your needs:
- Helmet type: What type of riding do you plan to do and where do you ride? If you want to keep cool on hot rides, a more vented design might be right for you, while if you want to go faster, an aero helmet may be better. For commuting, one of the best commuter bike helmets may be a good choice.
- Sizing: Getting a helmet that fits your head size is clearly important, so measure your head and choose a helmet that will fit.
- Shape: Helmets vary in their internal shape, so it’s a good idea to try a helmet on before purchasing, to make sure that the fit is close but comfortable. If you have a ponytail, make sure that it will fit through the rear cradle.
- Straps: Make sure that the straps fit snugly, can be adjusted to fit and sit comfortably against your face.
- Retention system: Make sure it’s comfortable and easy to use and that, if you have a ponytail, it doesn’t get in the way.
- Safety features: All helmets must pass basic safety standards to be sold legally, but do you want extra safety tech such as MIPS, KinetiCore or others? It’s worth comparing the Virginia Tech scores too.
- Weight: Helmets vary in weight, and in theory, lighter is better, although you’ll soon get used to any extra weight.
- Aero performance: There was over 12 watts difference in drag at 40km/h between the best and worst in our testing. That’s free speed, so check our numbers to see if your preferred helmet does well.
- Price: You can pay a lot for top-tier helmets, but a cheaper helmet will do essentially the same job, so choose a helmet to match your budget.
Everything you need to know about the best road bike helmets
How are helmets certified?
Said simply, you need a helmet that is safe. This might sound obvious, but it’s worth consideration because there is a lot of confusion surrounding what that might mean. You’ll find lots of claims, but remember, every single helmet on the market will have gone through testing as mandated by the government in your area.
To give you an idea of what that means, we can take a look at the US CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) certification. The CPSC mandates a series of tests covering peripheral vision, positional stability, dynamic strength of the retention system, and impact attenuation. Every helmet sold in the USA will have had to pass those tests covering the ability of a helmet to stay on your head and protect it when you hit the ground. There are equivalent certifications in place in different regions of the world.
From there, helmet companies look for other ways to differentiate and the sky’s the limit. Aerodynamics, weight, sunglasses retention, the list goes on, but sometimes these features compete with each other. It’s hard to make a helmet super aerodynamic and well-ventilated at the same time, for example, so there’s often a balance and a trade-off against the price. As with anything, helmets that do everything well tend to cost more.
What are the best bike helmets for women?
While there are still a few brands that make women-specific helmets, we interviewed a host of people from around the industry, including Kelly Murphy, who has a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, to ask ‘do women need a women-specific helmet?‘
The answer was a resounding no, and we found that there’s no performance or comfort benefit. Just like in bikes, there’s as much scope for difference between two people of the same gender as there is across different genders.
In an overwhelming number of cases, unisex helmets are preferred by women, and every helmet listed in this guide is perfectly suitable, no matter your gender.
What are MIPS, SPIN, WG11 and KinetiCore?
When you crash, very rarely will you bang your head against the ground at a perfectly perpendicular angle (like a basketball bouncing off the floor). More often, you will hit the ground at an angle (like a plane coming in to land), and that impact will force your head to want to rotate as it rebounds.
Over the past decade, there has been a push to increase the safety of helmets in these impacts, and they tend to achieve this by designing in the ability for the helmet to rotate a few degrees independently of your head. This absorbs some of that impact and means less of that rotational force makes its way to your skull, thus better protecting your brain inside against concussion.
MIPS is a brand that designs different solutions and then licenses them to brands – more on that below.
KinetiCore is the technology designed by helmet brand Lazer, and it simply shapes the EPS foam (that helmets are typically made from) into blocks that can shear and break in the event of an impact.
SPIN stands for ‘Shearing Pad INside’ and is the tech designed by POC. This lets the helmet’s internal pads shear off in the event of an impact to achieve the same solution.
Finally, other helmet brands, principally Kask, use the WG11 testing protocol. There’s more on this below.
Do you need MIPS for a helmet to be safe?
If all helmets pass the relevant certification protocols, why do some brands have MIPS? MIPS stands for Multidirectional Impact Protection System and it is a brand name. Like Hoover or Velcro, MIPS has become synonymous with a type of system, but it is a brand like any other, so if a helmet has MIPS, it’s because the helmet maker has chosen to license one of MIPS’s solutions.
We have a full guide that explains what a MIPS helmet is. If you’d like to know more. One of the key takeaways from that is that even if a helmet bears the MIPS technology inside, it is only allowed to use the MIPS branding if tests confirm a 10% improvement in impact protection.
You could mistake that for meaning a MIPS helmet is at least 10% safer than one without, but it’s key to remember that this only applies to two of the same helmet. There’s no guarantee that a Specialized helmet with MIPS is any safer than a POC helmet without.
In reality, the issue is not about MIPS or no MIPS. The bottom line is that no one is sure what it takes to reduce traumatic brain injuries as a result of head trauma. The first challenge the industry identified was keeping your skull intact when you hit a hard object. That is what the CPSC impact attenuation certification tests and everyone makes the grade at this point.
MIPS came to market because the brand believes that an impact at an angle has different requirements, but it’s worth understanding that there are different solutions to the same problem, as outlined above. All the technologies do a similar thing in different ways and there’s no way to be sure that one is better.
How do I find the most comfortable road bike helmet?
With safety out of the way, you will want to focus on comfort, but that can mean a few different things. The most obvious way to make sure you are comfortable is to make sure you have the right fit and that starts with the right size. There’s no substitute for trying a helmet on, even if that means shipping back something bought online, but there are ways to stack the deck ahead of time.
Start by measuring your head just above the ears and across the brow. If you have a soft tape measure, that’s your best bet. If not, use a piece of string and then compare it to a standard tape measure. Our testers even use a long USB cable in a pinch. Once you have that number, normally in centimetres, you can apply it to a size guide to pick the correct size.
If you are in between sizes, you will need to decide which direction you lean or choose a different brand. I am lucky in that I’m comfortably a medium in all helmets, but one of our former testers blurred the line between small and medium. For helmets that he wanted to be able to wear with a cap, he’d go big, but for summer aero helmets he’d size down to go small.
There are some brands that size up big or small, so that may sway your decision if you’re in a similar position.
Outside of sizing, you might want to consider the vertical adjustability of the rear cradle. Most brands allow easy adjustment, but some of the cheaper helmets don’t, and it’s something to think about.
Comfort also extends to heat management. I really dislike being super hot in a helmet, sweat dripping onto the inside of my glasses, so unless aero really is everything to you, a ventilated helmet will aid comfort in warm weather. The opposite will apply on cold days though, so bear that in mind.
What type of bike helmet is best for me?
The best road bike helmets tend to split into aero, climbing, and mixed styles. Aero helmets are an excellent way to add aero optimisation without extra cost. They can run a bit hotter than the very best vented helmets, and they can weigh more, but the best aero helmets like the Specialized S-Works Evade III are great in every regard.
Climbers’ helmets have tons of vents and do a great job keeping you as cool as possible while travelling at slower speeds. More and more, they incorporate some aerodynamics, and they tend to be better all-around options with a style that fits in on more types of rides.
Mixed helmets blend the two a little more. These sometimes add extra features like clip-on lights or dedicated eyewear storage, and some include shells that can be clipped into place to close off the vents. Primarily, they are good all-rounders that do most things well while not necessarily excelling in one area.
What does the Virginia Tech score mean?
All helmets are required to pass a minimum safety standard in the territory where they will be sold, meaning that officially, all helmets available to buy are safe to wear. But manufacturers tell me this is a pretty low bar to meet, so they set their own varying standards. There’s no real industry-led test or evidence to confirm which helmet is safer than the next, and even if there were, it would vary somewhat depending on how the helmet actually fits your head.
With that said, an independent testing facility based at Virginia Tech University has been putting helmets to the test against an angled impact since 2011, scoring each helmet and compiling the results in a database.
This third-party verification offers a separate stream of information about how helmets handle these non-linear impacts. It’s not the be-all-and-end-all, but we think it’s valuable information to consider when buying a helmet. We have provided the result whenever it is available, but given that it’s only a number, it might not immediately make sense.
If you want to dive deep, Virginia Tech goes into great detail covering the science behind the number. To keep it simple, the lower the number, the better, and right now the top-ranked cycling helmet, out of almost 300 tested, has a score of 7.1.
If you also see a star ranking, that is the same testing displayed differently. Virginia Tech has recalibrated its star rating, as more and more helmets hit its former five-star threshold, so you may spot different star ratings quoted for the same helmet.
Should you consider a bike helmet without a Virginia Tech rating?
Virginia Tech is the only independent organisation that provides a test of bike helmets with more detail than pass or fail. That makes it hard to ignore the testing that Virginia Tech does and yet, not every helmet has a test result. You will have to decide if that sways your choice or not, but there are some reasons why it might be missing.
One reason not every helmet has a Virginia Tech test result is that not every manufacturer agrees with the test protocol. Particularly notable in that realm is Kask, which has publicly disputed the head forms that Virginia Tech, and MIPS, use to test.
The brand states: “Most helmet tests use rotational impact prevention technologies with head forms that have a higher coefficient of friction than those of the human skull and therefore may not reflect what occurs in some accidents.” Because of that stance, Kask has developed a unique test protocol using a different headform and the Italian brand isn’t alone. Rudy Project also has a unique test protocol that carries a similar name to the Kask WG11 Protocol.
Another reason that not every helmet carries a score seems to have more to do with the volume of releases. There are a lot of helmets and Virginia Tech has only tested around 275. Even brands like POC, which have submitted older helmets, have newer helmets without a rating.
Regardless of the reason for the missing rating, when it’s missing, it leaves a question. I’ve highlighted that question when appropriate and I’ve included the rating when I have it. You will have to decide what that means for you.
What do the wind tunnel numbers mean?
We tested over 40 helmets in a wind tunnel to work out which was the most aerodynamic. We tested at fast road speeds of 40km/h (approx 25mph), and the number is the amount of power (in watts) the test dummy would need to produce to overcome that aero drag. The fewer watts required, the less drag is produced, and thus the faster you can go.
To make it easy to follow, we also chose a budget helmet, the Abus Powerdome, to be our ‘baseline’ to compare against. This is the ‘watts saved’ figure outlined in the comparison table above.
What is a wind tunnel?
A wind tunnel is a laboratory-style testing facility that allows engineers to test the aerodynamic performance of something. Large fans suck air through the tunnel, and the object being tested (in this case, a helmet) is mounted to a fixed point. Sensors let the engineers understand the forces being applied to that object, which in turn lets them calculate the aerodynamic drag. The higher the drag, the more effort required to push it through the air, meaning all else being equal, the cyclist would travel slower at the same effort level.
What is CdA?
CdA stands for Coefficient of Drag x Area, and it is the measure of an item’s aerodynamic performance. The Area simply relates to the item’s frontal surface ‘area’ or size. The bigger it is, the more air it’ll disrupt. The Coefficient of Drag is the amount of drag that the surface creates as it passes through the air. A coin might be the same size as a bullet, but the bullet’s shape will mean it travels much more smoothly.
Using CdA, we can calculate how many watts it would take to hold an average speed, or we can calculate the difference between two helmets.
What is the best bike helmet brand
Choosing a helmet from one of the best bike helmet brands is a good way to make sure that you’re getting a quality piece of equipment, as these brands invest a lot of money in the development of safety, ventilation, fit and aero features. Below is a list of the brands that we at Cyclingnews trust as the best bike helmet brands around:
– Abus
– Bell
– Bontrager
– Giant
– Giro
– HJC
– Kask
– Lazer
– Limar
– Liv
– MET
– Oakley
– POC
– Rudy Project
– Scott
– Smith
– Specialized
– Sweet Protection
– Uvex
– Van Rysel
How we test
The Cyclingnews team consists of three full-time product testers: Tom, Will and myself, Josh. We all had a hand in testing the best road bike helmets, and between us, we’ve tested close to 100 different models.
Our testing is a mix of dedicated hands-on testing and passive ‘real world’ testing. Hands-on tests include quantifiable or comparable metrics such as weighing the helmets, testing the strap and retention adjustment, and taking them to a wind tunnel to see which is fastest.
Our most recent wind tunnel helmet test was the world’s largest single comparative helmet test. It pitted 41 different road helmets and six time trial helmets against each other, using a mannequin to help keep the conditions consistent.
Passive testing involves more subjective matters, such as wearing them on our regular rides and back-to-back testing multiple models to see how different helmets perform in the same weather conditions. We’ve been out in downpour rain and heatwave sun, both on the road and off.
We also draw from the independent impact tests performed by Virginia Tech University, where possible, and we make judgments on how comfortably and securely they fit.
Meet the testers
I have tested around 40 different helmets during my time at Cyclingnews, ranging from budget-friendly to high-performance models from dozens of brands. I’ve also tested dozens of helmets’ aero credentials in the wind tunnel, and I’ve spent countless hours on road bikes, gravel bikes and mountain bikes testing helmets in all weather conditions, all year round.
Tom’s spent his entire career in cycling and has been writing for Cyclingnews for over three years. He’s reviewed a stack of helmets in that time, and was our test dummy at the wind tunnel as part of our original in-depth aero helmet test, before we switched for a static mannequin.
Will has been testing helmets for Cyclingnews for the past four years. His preference is more for all-rounder helmets and gets on well with POC’s range Omne and Ventral ranges, but isn’t averse to an aero helmet for his fast weekend rides.