Helmets

Protecting your head while staying comfortable and cool is easier than ever with the latest generation of hi-tech lids; we put 10 open-face and full-face models to the test

- Mick Kirkman

With the speed you can ride on modern mountain bikes, it’s a good job helmet construction and safety technology has kept up. More stable and assured than ever, the latest machines allow you to ride technical trails faster than ever – with the added risk that entails – and no one wants to second-guess whether or not a helmet is going to protect their head if the s*** hits the fan.

As trail and enduro helmets have evolved, they’ve picked up more features along the way, with many becoming standard issue on premium helmets. These include technologies like MIPS (and equivalents) that aim to reduce rotational impact forces by twisting a fraction in a crash, while special layers and varying material densities hidden inside helmet shells offer better ability to absorb the impacts of different velocities.

Like most modern consumer products, computer modelling power and FEA analysis have aided helmet development; they’re now safer and more capable of muting bigger impacts without compromising overall size, weight or cooling. It’s great news for us as riders and means modern lids have deeper shells and more protection above the ears and down to the nape of the neck while still packing all the ventilation you’ll need during hard exertions.

Another shift in helmet tech reflects the growth in popularity of longer-travel enduro bikes (and more recently e-bikes) creating a bigger market for full-face lids. This has forged an entirely new category of lightweight full-face and convertible lids you can wear all day and pedal uphill in, rather than just roll downhill at the bike park. E-bikes also reduce the need for cooling and ventilation as an absolute priority when a motor is helping you climb hills, so extra coverage helmets work well in this regard.