In this article I’ll be reviewing the best mountain bike helmets for beginners.
I don’t say anything new when saying that mountain biking can be ridiculously expensive, with an emphasis on “can”. We’re often tempted by jaw-dropping visuals of what the cream-of-the-crop in the professional circuit rides and uses.
Personally speaking, I’m no stranger to the effects of the latest-and-greatest in bicycle products, and have, on occasion, paid way too much for something that added nothing else to my ride experience except for my knowledge of how much money it cost.
The same goes for helmets, with premium ones fetching a premium price. And when you’ve just bought yourself a mountain bike and obviously need some cranial protection to go with it, you’re not looking to spend another 2 to 300 dollars.
With this list I’ve tried to create an overview of great helmets for a good price. The average suggested retail price for a helmet is around 150 USD, so anything below that number can be considered reasonable.
With this overview of the best mountain bike helmets for beginners, you’re assured you’re well-protected, and only miss out on technology which would very well double the price. I’ve added an overview at the end of the article so you can easily compare which helmet features what and make a decision on how much money you’re willing to spend to obtain a certain feature.
Fox Racing Mainframe Trvrs
The Fox Racing Mainframe Trvrs is one of the more affordable half shell mountain bike helmets with a decent Virginia Tech rating.
Crash technology does help improve both the strength of a helmet as well as its means of absorbing and redirecting impact energy. The only thing is that on average you have to pay twice the amount of money you have to pay for this helmet if you want the latest and greatest.
So what you get for a sub-100 USD price is a great-looking helmet with MIPS technology, a polyamide shell instead of polycarbonate, a fixed visor, and that’s about it. It means this helmet covers the basics for a decent price, and is a great option to obtain MIPS technology at an entry-level price.
- You want a well designed MIPS helmet on a budget.
Giro Radix MIPS
Giro has some of the best rated helmets, and the Giro Radix MIPS is another example of a great mid-tier helmet, that offers great protection, but lacks a number of features which would otherwise add up to the price.
Whereas the most expensive helmets in the Giro lineup offer reinforced polycarbonate shells, MIPS Spherical technology, and dual density EPS, you’ll have to make do with just the MIPS technology with this one.
It does mean you pay less than half the price and still get an incredibly comfortable and great-looking helmet, with a fully adjustable visor and Roc Loc 5 fit system. This system, like many others, works with a dial located at the back of the helmet.
At 315 grams it’s significantly lighter than the average helmet, which adds to the overall comfort. A thick anti-microbial resistant liner ensures there’s a tight but comfy fit and a staggering 25 vents make this one of the better ventilated helmets out there.
- Lightweight, well-ventilated, comfortable, and affordable.
- None
Giro Source MIPS
The Giro Source MIPS is very similar to the Radix MIPS, yet has a definite mountain bike helmet look.
It shares almost all of the same technology. MIPS evolve sits underneath a polycarbonate shell and single EPS liner. The polycarbonate wraps around the edges to protect the delicate foam, and is reinforced at the sides for added protection.
The design is blocky, with a longer, 3-point indexed, adjustable visor and extended coverage at the back of the helmet, making it an allround, affordable trail helmet. I prefer indexed visors versus non-indexed, because they are easier to get in the correct position while riding.
You can store your glasses in the front-facing vents, which offer ample ventilation in a helmet of average weight. The Roc Loc 5 fit system is found throughout their lineup and offers excellent adjustability.
- An affordable MIPS helmet with a definite mountain bike look.
- None
MET Terranova MIPS
The MET Terranova MIPS is a great-looking trail helmet with a premium-quality finish.
Although sometimes noted as “lightweight” it isn’t, weighing 355 grams for a size M. That’s 5 grams above average for an open face mountain bike helmet.
At such a weight the helmet sits comfortably when correctly adjusted with the Safe-T Duo system. If that name sounds somewhat familiar, it’s because the Bluegrass Rogue uses a similar system you can adjust both vertically and horizontally using an indexed dial.
There’s an optional gel padding kit for sweat wicking and an LED you can buy. Not including these means the price is kept low enough to be a mid-tier helmet with an excellent crash protection rating.
- Good-looking mid-tier helmet with a core focus on crash protection
- Padding might saturate easily
Troy Lee Designs A1
The Troy Lee Designs A1 takes everything from its more premium brother the A2, but is offered with a standard EPS liner instead.
Furthermore it comes with a regular padding not the X-Static one.
This shaves a couple of dollars from the price, which means you still get a great-fitting, comfortable helmet that excels in the area it should excel in, which is safety and crash protection.
- If the A2 is a bit too much for your budget
- The A2 is better
Smith Convoy
The Smith Convoy is one of the very few sub-100 dollar open face mountain bike helmets featuring MIPS technology.
That makes it worthy of inclusion here. It has a distinctive-looking, and lightweight design at 300 grams and features an integrated visor with eyewear ports.
Although I’ve read otherwise it does not provide comparable protection when compared to the most expensive mountain bike helmets on the market. Those helmets always offer multi-density EPS liners and some form of reinforcement to the polycarbonate shell. This helmet does not.
I never had an issue with EPS liners being exposed, which is the case for the lower edge of this helmet. Premium helmets wrap the polycarbonate shell around this edge. But if you’re less careful with your helmet, expect scratches and nicks in this area.
There’s a huge market for people who start out with mountain biking and want an entry-level helmet. Or people who like their everyday casual ride and looking for a nice looking lid. Those people should look at this helmet. If you’re not unfamiliar with crashing you might consider looking for a helmet that offers more crash technology.
- Good looking helmet that does the job.
- MIPS technology alone will not make this one of the safest helmets out there.
Specifications mountain bike helmets for beginners
Name | Price | Technology | Shell | Liner | Visor | Fit | weight (gr) | eyewear port | rating | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fox Racing Mainframe Trvrs | 90 USD | MIPS | nylon polyamide polycarbonate | EPS | integrated | 390 | 13.37 | |||
Giro Radix MIPS | 100 USD | MIPS/Hardbody | polycarbonate | EPS | adjustable | Roc Loc 5 | 316 | yes | ||
Giro Source MIPS | 100 USD | MIPS/Hardbody | polycarbonate | EPS | 3-position adjustable | Roc Loc 5 | 351 | yes | ||
MET Terranova MIPS | 140 EUR | MIPS | polycarbonate | EPS | adjustable | Safe-T Duo | 355 | yes | 10.52 | |
Troy Lee Designs A1 | 145 USD | MIPS | polycarbonate | EPS | bolt-on breakaway | 3-point dial fit | 393 | yes | 11.65 | |
Smith Convoy | 85 USD | MIPS | polycarbonate | EPS | integrated | dial | 300 | yes |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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