After reading this blog you’ll know what the best trail mountain bike helmets are. That is, if you think I did a decent enough job researching what’s out there.
First and foremost, safety is a critical aspect a mountain bike helmet should offer. And there’s a big correlation between the crash technologies used, and the accompanying helmet rating.
The far majority of helmets are still made from lightweight EPS foam with a polycarbonate shell. The best helmets are structurally strengthened, and offer dual-density foam to disperse the energy created during impact.
Furthermore, all of these helmets include technology to reduce the forces from helmet rotation. This technology is referred to as MIPS, or Multi-directional Impact Protection and has become a standard for premium helmets.
This technology doesn’t come cheap, which means the average suggested retail price hovers around 200 USD. Granted, that’s a lot of money, but take it from somebody who’s been hospitalized because of his cycling passion, your health and head is more important.
With that out the way, let’s head over to my list of the best trail mountain bike helmets. You can find a table overview at the end of the article for easy comparison.
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
Troy Lee Designs A2
The Troy Lee Designs A2 is one of the most affordable, high quality, open-faced mountain bike helmets worth your money.
It offers superb comfort and fit, with an anti-bacterial X-Static Pure Silver padding. The padding sits within a dual-density EPS liner. The polycarbonate shell wraps around the edges to further protect the rather delicate EPS.
The decade-old design has been updated to feature the MIPS technology. Safety is further enhanced with the bolt-on breakaway visor, and 3-point fit system.
Part of the popularity of the A2 can be attributed to the comfort it provides. Both with the excellent fit and its ability to keep your head cool when you try and get the most out of your ride. 2 vents on the side extend far into the front. Together with elongated vents on top they suck in cool air, which can exit through a number of vents located at the back.
It’s a great looking helmet, available in many colors, with a perfect track record in crash protection, for a price below many of the top-of-the-line offerings from its competitors. An unbeatable proposition when it comes to mountain bike helmets.
- Best-in-class safety for a reasonable price when compared to the competition
- None
Troy Lee Designs A3
The Troy Lee Designs A3 is literally the bigger brother of the A2, offering more coverage in basically the same package.
The A2 is one of the best helmets on the market, so it’s no surprise the A3 scores just as well. and does so with a helmet that extends lower at the back of your head.
Offering MIPS technology dual-density EPS foam, and the overall excellent fit with an additional liner included in the package.
The antimicrobial resistant liner covers the entire inside of the helmet and provides an extremely comfortable experience that makes you forget you’re wearing it. Something the Troy Lee helmets are known for. A handy Fidlock buckle can be opened one handed wearing gloves.
The visor is 3-way adjustable. I actually prefer such a ratcheted system. And when pushed upwards it leaves more than enough room if you like wearing goggles.
The ventilation setup is different from the A2. I don’t know why they’ve done this, since there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the air flow of the A2. Luckily the amount of ventilation is just as good in keeping you cool.
As a flagship product it’s very expensive indeed, and might prove to be too big a jump with the A2 being just as good and much cheaper. But if you want extra coverage in a well-designed, good-looking Troy Lee helmet, this is the one.
- Bigger coverage version of the already fantastic A2 helmet
- Increase in price might be a bridge too far
Fox Racing Dropframe Pro
The design of the Fox Racing Dropframe Pro is certainly unique, and a hit-or-miss design-wise depending on the person you speak to.
Design arguments aside, what you can’t deny is the added amount of crash protection you get with this helmet, there’s simply more of it.
The shell is made from a mix of thermoplastic, polycarbonate, and polyamide instead of your regular polycarbonate. The liner is a dual-density EPS for added energy absorption versus a regular EPS liner.
The helmet wraps around the ears, providing more coverage without getting in the way of your field of vision. And it also comes with the MIPS crash technology, something almost every high-end helmet currently has.
At 460 grams it’s about a hundred grams heavier than your standard open face mountain bike helmet, but that added weight is something you won’t notice while riding.
One thing to keep in mind is that the visor is fixed into place, which might impair your vision on very steep descends.
Because the helmet covers a much greater area, Fox decided to ditch the adjustment wheel normally used to create the desired fit. Instead Fox achieves a comfortable fit by providing a padding fit kit with two different sets of padding. Together with the Fidlock buckle it does a great job in keeping the helmet in place.
In terms of heat management, more coverage also means more heat buildup. If you’re using this helmet for a lot of ascending, it’s noticeably warmer. On the other hand, slow climbing is not really the intended use of this helmet.
The Fox Racing Dropframe Pro is a perfect choice for those who’re seeking for more protection, without wanting to ride with a full face helmet. And it fulfills this role outstandingly, offering better crash protection than any other standard open face mountain bike helmet.
- Offering more protection over your standard open face helmet, without neeing to go for a full face one.
- The design, the fixed visor, heat buildup
Fox Racing Speedframe Pro
The Fox Racing Speedframe is the same helmet as the Pro version in everything but a small number of features.
The Speedframe Pro is one of the best helmets in terms of safety, and the standard Speedframe inherits many of its safety features except for the multi-density EPS liner.
The helmet is known for having an excellent fit, and you can fit a pair of goggles underneath the 3-point adjustable visor, as well as stash your glasses.
A good fit without pressure points, and a huge number strategically placed vents funneling air into and over your scalp keeps the heat buildup at bay. The air flow is especially noticeable when you pick up speed.
To keep the price down when compared to the Pro version, there’s a cheaper liner and the Fidlock snap buckle is missing from the straps, in an otherwise similar 360 degrees fit system.
It’s a great-looking mountain bike helmet, available in many colors and 3 sizes to choose from.
- One of the safest mountain bike helmets, in lots of different color variations.
- None
POC Kortal Race MIPS
The POC Kortal Race MIPS is a trail and enduro open face mountain bike helmet offering above-average coverage and protection in a very premium package.
The Swedish company has made an exquisite-looking helmet with a Halo’s Master Chief blocky design. But rather than fighting the flood, you’ll be tackling the trail with one the most unique entries in the open face mountain bike helmet lineup.
With almost every helmet manufacturer choosing to integrate MIPS technology into their premium offerings, POC decided to ditch their otherwise excellent SPIN crash protection in favor of the newest MIPS Integra version. It means the MIPS system is customized for the specific helmet, which should improve its effectiveness in decreasing rotational impact damage.
Something they call an aramid bridge is part of the helmet, which sounded very much like the Kevlar breaker used in tires to make them more puncture resistant. Aramid, which is the non-brand name of Kevlar, is not meant to protect the tube in this case, but to protect your head. It’s not known for being inexpensive and neither is this helmet.
They also included a NFC medical ID, and Recco reflector. To me that means you’re either one of the most hardcore lone-wolf riders out there, or a tad too much. The stuff is usually reserved for people who’re being rescued unconsciously from underneath an avalanche.
Neatly placed dual slits in the front of the helmet keep your brow cool. This is the most important area to keep cool because much more than simply being a nuisance, sweat buildup can trickle over your glasses or into your eyes. Goggle straps don’t cover the ventilation holes and the helmet is designed in such a way that it does an excellent job of moving air into, over, and out the back of the helmet.
The 3-position adjustable visor sits quite high so you’ll have no trouble propping your glasses underneath them. On the other hand, when confronted with a low-sitting sun, you might still get blinded.
It’s a tad heavier because of the amount of coverage it provides, and fits snugly around your head with the 360 Fit system.
- Large coverage provides extreme levels of protection for trail and enduro riders.
- You pay the hefty price for tech you might not need
POC Tectal Race MIPS
The white/orange version of the POC Tectal Race MIPS has the honor of being my personal favorite bike helmet design-wise. But what’s more important than how I feel about design is whether or not it does the job it was designed for. And as with many POC products, it does.
Similar to its bigger brother, the Kortal Race, it offers the MIPS Integra version of this crash technology, aimed at the reduction of energy transfer caused by rotational forces during an impact.
It also features the aramid reinforcement attached to the EPS liner, otherwise known as Kevlar.
And where it ditches the NFC chip, it still has the Recco Reflector should you find yourself flying off the trail and ending somewhere in the ravine.
The ventilation is similar to that of the Kortal Race, with the exception of the dual slits, which are missing in this model. Yet, the helmet offers the same fantastic air flow into the helmet.
The helmet offers a snug fit, but it is still highly ventilated offering great air flow capability. It has a standard helmet weight of around 365 grams.
- Fantastic design, great protection, snug fit
- Snug fit
POC Tectal Race SPIN
The POC Tectal Race SPIN is a fantastic-looking half shell mountain bike helmet featuring the SPIN crash technology.
SPIN is POC’s proprietary crash technology and is an abbreviation of “Shearing Pad INside”. Its goal is the same as MIPS, with rotational forces being dissipated by using silicone bladders in the liner.
The SPIN technology in combination with the unibody EPS structure, and aramid puncture-resistant reinforcement makes for an excellent impact-resistant helmet.
I believe that because of its proprietary nature POC decided to ditch SPIN in favor of MIPS in their recent lineup, for what is probably a marketing and sales reason. Because SPIN proved to be an excellent approach to increase a rider’s safety with respect to the helmet.
It is what it is, and it does mean that excellent can probably be had for less than its initial suggested retail price of 230 euros.
- Just as good as the MIPS version and probably cheaper
- If you're serious about getting a MIPS helmet
Giro Manifest Spherical
The Giro Manifest Spherical offers the airiness of a road bike helmet in an open face mountain bike helmet package.
The general notion of this helmet is that Giro played around with the design of the helmet to ensure maximum air flow. With 19 air vents it seems to do the trick creating probably the best mountain bike helmet for hot summer rides.
In terms of protection it offers the same as the already very expensive Giro Merit Spherical, but tops it off with an added ring of polycarbonate called the Auro Arch, which serves as a kind of roll-cage for your head.
So it means you also get the MIPS Air technology, the Spherical ball-and-socket setup for the EPS liner, which has a dual-density characteristic.
The Manifest is not only one of the safest helmets on the market, it’s also one of the best-ventilated. A total of 19 huge vents in a relative low-weight package ensure maximum air flow and a reduced risk of heat building up. When you don’t do prolonged stretches of slow climbing the chances of the helmet feeling hot and uncomfortable is near zero.
Does that kind of tech win awards in the safety department? Yes it does. Does that kind of tech win awards in how fast it’ll drain your wallet? It does that equally impressive, being the most expensive helmet of its specific category.
- Jam-packed with award-winning crash technology to create the ultimate mountain bike helmet for hot summer trail riding.
- Extremely expensive
Giro Merit Spherical
The Giro Merit Spherical offers superb crash protection in a fantastic open face mountain bike helmet.
There are multiple crash technologies ensuring this helmet sits at the top of the range in terms of protecting. As do many other helmets it offers MIPS technology. The Merit uses MIPS Air which is the lightest variant.
Furthermore it offers Spherical technology, commonly referred to as a ball-and-socket setup where the inside of the helmet can move independent from its outer shell. A dual-density EPS liner is the last piece of tech to ensure maximum crash protection.
The entire package is still very light at 360 grams. Other great features are the bolt-on adjustable visor and the multi-point Roc Loc adjustment system.
The only downside I can think of is that you have to pay a lot of money for all that tech.
- One of the best open face mountain bike helmets, period.
- Very expensive
Giro Tyrant Spherical
The Giro Tyrant Spherical is Giro’s single offering of a mountain bike helmet with ear protection. The brand consistently scores high rates in crash tests and this helmet is no exception.
Besides the now standard MIPS technology, it has a reinforced polycarbonate to keep the helmet structural integrity intact in case of an impact. The helmet also features dual-density EPS foam, to increase the energy absorption characteristics.
Its shape also means that besides added coverage you get added weight. The 600 grams of this helmet means it’s the heaviest open-faced helmet I know.
In terms of design the helmet obviously distinguishes itself from your average half shell mountain bike helmet. It also has a much cleaner look, especially when you go for an all black one.
Since the helmet covers a larger area of your head it’s meant for those either seeking added protection over your standard half shell, or more ventilated version of a full-face helmet.
- The go-to compromise when you don't want to go for a full-face helmet.
- It's both heavier and warmer than a standard half-shell. The Fox Racing Dropframe has a better rating
Giro Women's Merit Spherical
The Giro Women’s Merit Spherical is, as the name implies, exactly the same as the standard Merit, yet offers a range of colors Giro calls the “women’s series”.
As they state themselves on the sales page, there’s no anatomical difference between women and men’s heads.
- Offers the exact same outstanding features of the Merit Spherical.
- Very expensive
Bell Super Air Spherical
The Bell Super Air Spherical is their top-of-the-line open face mountain bike helmet.
It has everything you’d expect from a helmet manufacturer’s flagship product. MIPS Spherical ball-in-socket liner, a reinforced polycarbonate shell, and multi-density EPS liner.
The helmet offers generous covers, an adjustable visor, smart ventilation, and is slightly heavier than the average helmet at 410 grams.
The helmet offers room for both glasses and goggles, and has a special slot for a GoPro mount.
I love the overbrow ventilation and sweat guide padding to prevent sweat from dripping onto my glasses, which is an incredible nuisance when riding.
The Super Air sits at the top of how much you can spend on a half shell mountain bike helmet. Its features do justify the cost in comparison.
- Premium half shell mountain bike helmet ticking all the boxes, and then some.
- Extremely pricey
Specifications trail mountain bike helmets
Name | Price | Technology | Shell | Liner | Visor | Fit | weight (gr) | eyewear port | rating | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Troy Lee Designs A1 | 145 USD | MIPS | polycarbonate | EPS | bolt-on breakaway | 3-point dial fit | 393 | yes | 11.65 | |
Troy Lee Designs A2 | 170 USD | MIPS | polycarbonate | dual density EPS | bolt-on breakaway | 3-point dial fit | 350 | yes | 9.99 | |
Troy Lee Designs A3 | 250 USD | MIPS | polycarbonate | dual density EPS | 3-position adjustable | 3-point dial fit w. Fidlock buckle | 411 | yes | 11.01 | |
Fox Racing Dropframe Pro | 200 USD | MIPS | thermoplastic polycarbonate polyamide | dual density EPS | integrated | custom padding w. Fidlock buckle | 460 | 8.85 | ||
Fox Racing Speedframe Pro | 190 USD | MIPS | polycarbonate | dual density EPS | 3-position adjustable | 360° Fit System w. Fidlock buckle | 380 | yes | 10.84 | |
POC Kortal Race MIPS | 250 EUR | MIPS Integra/Aramid bridge | polycarbonate | EPS | 3-position adjustable | adjustable 360-degree fit | 407 | yes | ||
POC Tectal Race MIPS | 230 EUR | MIPS Integra/Aramid bridge | polycarbonate | EPS | adjustable | adjustable 360-degree fit | 365 | yes | ||
POC Tectal Race SPIN | 230 EUR | SPIN/Aramid bridge/Unibody | polycarbonate | EPS | adjustable | 368 | 11.67 | |||
Giro Manifest Spherical | 260 USD | MIPS/Spherical/Hardbody/Aura Arch | polycarbonate | dual density EPS | bolt-on adjustable | Roc Loc 5 Trail w. Fidlock buckle | 340 | yes | 12.20 | |
Giro Merit Spherical | 220 USD | MIPS Air/Spherical/Hardbody | polycarbonate | dual density EPS | bolt-on adjustable | Roc Loc 5 Air | 360 | yes | 9.90 | |
Giro Tyrant Spherical | 160 USD | MIPS/Spherical/Hardbody | polycarbonate | dual density EPS | bolt-on adjustable | Roc Loc 5 Air | 600 | yes | 11.22 | |
Giro Women’s Merit Spherical | 220 USD | MIPS Air/Spherical/Hardbody | polycarbonate | dual density EPS | bolt-on adjustable | Roc Loc 5 Air | 360 | yes | 9.90 | |
Bell Super Air Spherical | 235 USD | MIPS Air/Spherical | polycarbonate | Progressive Layering 3-layer EPS | adjustable | Float Fit | 410 |
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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