Choosing a good mountain bike helmet is one of the most important biking accessories you’ll invest in. If you don’t buy a mountain bike helmet you’re just plain stupid and probably don’t have much to protect anyway. Riding a mountain bike, or any bike for that matter, will involve you falling off at some point (unless you’re a particularly cautious rider) so it makes total sense to protect your head whilst out on your bike.
The best mountain bike helmet has to be lightweight with enough ventilation to keep your head cool whilst you ride, last thing you want is the feeling that your head is in an oven! The fit of your bike helmet is also key and many of the best mountain biking helmets come with some sort of adjustment system inside the helmet to ensure a nice tight, snug fit. (you easily get a good fit with all of the helmets that we’ve chosen below)
All of the mountain biking helmets have to go through some sort of mandatory safety certification, so the safety of the bike helmet is one area that you won’t really have to worry about. A well-fitting, lightweight mountain bike helmet will give you the much needed confidence to push yourself on any hard ride and in most cases you will even forget it is even on your head, until you need it.
Best Mountain Bike Helmet Brands
When it comes to the best mountain bike helmet brands there are a few that stand out as being some of the more popular choices among riders. Helmet brands such as Giro, Bell, Mavic, and the Rudy Project manufacturing some of the best mountain bike helmets that are sure to keep your head safe.
But as the saying goes you get what you pay for and buying a biking helmet is definitely not a biking accessory you want to try and cut corners on by trying to save a few bucks. So, always try and get the best you can with the money you can afford.
How to Choose a Mountain Bike Helmet
Before you run out of the door to buy a mountain bike helmet first you really need to decide what type of cyclist you are. If you are mainly an urban road biker a full face downhill helmet (like a motorbike helmet) is going to be overkill and you would most probably be better with just lightweight molded lid on your head. Getting the right fit is the most crucial part of any biking helmet purchase and an uncomfortable helmet will quickly ruin any ride.
To be honest, the more you spend on a mountain bike helmet the better it will actually perform and as you go up the price range the helmets tend to come with more bells and whistles and better venting, along with a more refined adjustment system, plus you will find that they are made out of more lightweight materials.
The best mountain bike helmets will come in a range of different sizes, along with a good number of effective vents, adjustable straps, fully removable and washable padding, and with an adjustable and removable peak.
Best Mountain Bike Helmets Our 5 Top Picks
Below we have picked out some of the best mountain bike helmets that you can go out and buy now. There are biking helmets to suit all budgets, and whilst there are some expensive lids below we have been very impressed with some of the cheaper budget mountain bike helmet offerings. So in no particular order keep on reading and find out which helmets we rate as the best.
✓ Giro Hex Mountain Bike Helmet
Rating: ★★★★★
The Giro Hex Mountain biking helmet is a great lid for any biker; urban rider or an aggressive trail rider this helmet will do the job. The shell of this helmet has been constructed out of polycarbonate and comes with a removable EPS liner that will leave your head comfortable during prolonged rides.
There is no chance of getting all hot and bothered in the Giro Hex as the 17 wind tunnel vents with internal airflow channels allow for constant cooling. What we loved about this lid is the micro-adjustability of Roc Loc 5 which help to get a perfect fit. The molded P.O.V. visor also helps to deflect not only the sun but also rain, and any branches or brush that you may encounter on a trail ride.
This popular stylish mountain bike helmet also comes in a variety of colors such as matte black, matte glowing red, matte white, green cameo along with others colors and designs so there is going to be one that suits your tastes.
✓ Mavic Notch Helmet
Rating: ★★★★★
According to Mavic, it has taken over 25,000 head profiles and three years of research and design to come up with the perfect mountain biking helmet, and the Mavic Notch is the end product of that research.
If you are looking for a lightweight biking helmet the Mavic Notch comes in at only 310g, to be honest very few helmets get close to this kind of weight and you could easily forget you are even wearing it, until things go sour. Even though the helmet doesn’t go all the way down the back of the head like some of the other helmets, the protection is still ample.
The Egro Hold SL retention system guarantees a snug, tight fit and the 18 vents featured in the helmet perform the task of head ventilation, and they do it very well indeed. The fully removable peak works well at blocking out the sun as well as helping to brush away any debris that might land your why.
There are four colors currently available such as black, blue, yellow and white and each of the Mavic Notch helmets feature reflective elements that are perfect for the road cyclist. The Mavic Notch Helmet is really great value, and for anyone looking for a super lightweight mountain bike helmet would be hard pushed to find something lighter at even double the money.
✓ POC Trabec Race
Rating: ★★★★★
We love the look and feel of the POC Trabec Race helmets, and the Swedish company behind this range of mountain bike helmets certainly knows how to offer the best possible protection.
There is a serious amount of multi–impact EPS foam that goes into each of the POC lids which is then reinforced further with aramid filament. The end result is one of the best mountain bike helmets that is both lightweight and strong.
With all of the protection the POC helmet only comes in at 340g, so POC have managed not only to offer some of the best protection but they have managed to make one of the lightest helmets going. The tough and resilient outer polycarbonate shell features 16 vent slots that provide superior ventilation on hot days doing a great job of job of getting the heat away from your head and the superb retention system ensures a perfect fit.
✓ Fox Head Flux Savant Helmet
Rating: ★★★★★
The Fox Head Flux Savant Helmet has been around for some time now and has become one of the most popular mountain biking helmets designed to provide ample protection even on the harshest of trails. The design of the Fox Head Flux Savant Helmet offer far more coverage than others helmets, thanks to the deep EPS rear shell.
The venting is taken care of by 20 large vents that will help keep your head cool on the hottest of days. When it comes to fitting, the decent adjustable retention system, and the realistic sizing ensure that this helmet is going nowhere.
The price of the Fox Head Flux Savant Helmet is a steel at well under $100 and in fact it is one of the best value mountain bike helmets we have come across we think Fox has definitely hit the nail on the head with this offering.
✓ Bell Super Star Bike Helmet
Rating: ★★★★★
When it comes to experience Bell are no strangers to the helmet market, having been around since the 1950s in the racing scene and hot rod scene they have definitely ticked all of the boxes when it comes to manufacturing the best mountain bike helmets.
Weighing at just 390g you will hardly notice you are wearing this simple and stylish helmet. And thanks to the full in-mold construction combined with the internal reinforcement it will keep your head safe when you need it to the most. Like the others biking helmets we have reviewed the Bell Super Star offers a great fit thanks to the Speed Dial retention system and realistic sizes. The internal microbial padding is removable and washable. The 25 channeled vents in the helmet ensure maximum ventilation and include four brow vents for extra air.
This is the only bike helmet that we reviewed that came with an integrated and yet removable, GoPro (Amazon.com link) mount. When it comes to pricing the Bell Super Star Bike Helmet is well priced and comes in at the middle range putting it in contention with all of the higher priced helmets.
