Consumer Reports

This inexpensive helmet earns Excellent ratings for impact absorption and ease of use, and a Very Good score for ventilation. It’s relatively light and comes with MIPS technology.

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OutdoorGearLab

The Giro Manifest Spherical is our top choice for a mountain bike helmet. This helmet is pretty unique and has everything we've come to expect from a high-end, half-shell helmet. It has a sleek, well-executed design. It uses the MIPS Spherical rotational impact system, which is made up of two separate EPS foam shells connected with elastomers. These foam shells have different densities and are designed to rotate against each other in case of angular impact, much like a ball and socket joint. The interior foam shell extends lower on the back and sides of the head, allowing the helmet to comfortably fit a wide variety of head shapes. Large air vents and interior channels give some of the best ventilation we've seen in a mountain bike helmet, and the interior padding does a great job of absorbing sweat.
We had a hard time finding anything to complain about with the Manifest. We found no issues with performance during testing. It does have a failry high price tag and only an average weight. But, we think the dual-shell design's protection is worth the weight. Even though it's a few grams heavier than some helmets, on the trail the difference isn't noticeable with the secure fit. We're also not very concerned about some added weight for a trail helmet that does it all. The price tag might seem high at first glance, but it's comparable to other high-end mountain bike helmets. And we think this helmet outperforms all the other high-end mountain bike helmets, so the price is justified. 
Read more: Giro Manifest Spherical review

Upgrade Pick

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Giro Source MIPS & Giro Manifest Spherical | Blister

Giro Manifest Spherical MIPS Helmet Review - FeedTheHabit.com

We've tested many well-ventilated helmets, but the Specialized Ambush 2 is the best of the best in this category. Specialized claims to have used computational fluid dynamic modeling to optimize the airflow with this helmet's design. This is noticeable immediately when you roll forward, and you'll feel the air moving over your head through the helmet. Even at low speeds, you can feel air moving from your forehead out through the back of this helmet. Also, the MIPS SL rotational impact protection system doesn't require an internal plastic liner. This further enhances the ventilation effect since there's no plastic sheet to block the wind. We had no issues with sweating or excess heat while wearing this, even on long, hot, exposed climbs. But breathability isn't all this has to offer; this was one of the highest-performing mountain bike models in every category. It has some great features, such as a well-designed eyewear holder: two small vent ports on the front of the helmet have rubber flaps to hold your glasses securely. This lets you easily stash your sunglasses beneath the visor with no chance of accidentally dropping them on rough trail sections. The helmet also has a highly-adjustable strap, harness system, and a great, burly visor. 
The visor on the Ambush 2 is not adjustable, however. But, it easily comes off and back on, so it shouldn't break in the event of a crash. The visor's high position on the helmet doesn't provide as much protection from the sun at lower angles, though. The adjustable harness works well to give a secure fit, but the way it connects to the back of the helmet doesn't allow you to position it as low as some models. Regardless of these minor flaws, we feel this is an excellent model with awesome features that beats other brands' flagship models in price.
Read more: Specialized Ambush 2 review

Budget Pick

Switchback Travel | Specialized Ambush 2 Helmet Review

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This relatively lightweight helmet is our top-rated mountain biking helmet. It earns an Excellent rating for impact absorption and comes with anti-concussive technology known as Low Density Layer. There’s a dial to make it easier to adjust the fit and reflective features to improve nighttime visibility. It also comes with a detachable visor.

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This moderately priced helmet earns Excellent ratings for impact absorption and ease of use, and a Very Good score for ventilation. It is relatively light and comes with a built-in LED light and Shearing Pad Inside (SPIN) technology, designed to mitigate the effects of rotational impacts.

The Smith Persist achieves an admirable balance of performance and price. Our testers found it to be comfortable, relatively well-ventilated, and stylish, and they were able to find a good fit most of the time. The helmet frequently garnered compliments from fellow riders for its stylish design and wide range of color options. We also appreciate the versatility of the Persist, making it an even better value. It is advertised as a good helmet for road, gravel, and MTB rides, and we felt comfortable wearing this helmet in any of those settings.
However, in order to reach the lower price point, some sacrifices have to be made. The head retentions system may be difficult to size correctly because the jumps between each stop are wider, and the ventilation is just average. We didn't have any major issues with airflow, but it was noticeable when compared to options from other brands like Bontrager or Specialized. The padding tends to get a bit soggy feeling on cooler descents after you have worked up a sweat. Imperfections aside, we think the Persist is still a great affordable option, and are happy with its overall performance.
Read more: Smith Persist review

The Smith Persist brings excellent across the board performance to a lower price point. It's comfortable, better ventilated than most helmets in this price range &#40;and many more expensive ones&#41;, adjustable, and stylish. The Persist received consistent praise from other riders for its looks and comes in a collection of both bright colors and more neutral ones for those who prefer a subdued style. Smith advertises this helmet as an all-rounder, good for road, gravel, and MTB and it doesn't feel out of place in any of these areas.
As such a great all-around value, the Persist does compromise in a few areas to hit its price point. The head retention system moves in bigger jumps than more highly priced helmets, making it tough for some to find the ideal circumferential tension. Ventilation is adequate, not exceptional like our choices from Bontrager and Specialized. The padding is comfortable and absorbs sweat well but gets clammy on cooler descents.  Even so, we think these are reasonable sacrifices to save a good chunk of change off the list price of many of the top-tier models. We think most riders will be totally happy with this helmet, and it comes highly recommended.
Read more: Smith Persist review

This CR Best Buy is one of the best helmets CR has ever tested. It gets top marks for impact absorption and earns an Excellent rating for ventilation, which means you’ll stay cool during long rides. It also features MIPS technology.

Best Budget Bike Helmets

CR’s top-rated bike helmet gets top marks for impact absorption and ease of use, and earns a Very Good rating for ventilation. It features WaveCel technology, comes in five sizes, and has reflective aspects for greater visibility in low light. There’s a crash replacement program in case you damage your helmet in an accident within the first year of ownership.

Bontrager Starvos WaveCel Helmet Review - FeedTheHabit.com

This helmet earns an Excellent rating for impact absorption, and Very Good scores for ventilation, ease of use, and fit adjustments. It comes in two sizes and is on the lighter side. It includes SPIN technology to mitigate rotational impacts.

This helmet gets top marks for impact absorption and comes packed with cool features: a button to release the buckle with one hand, a dial to adjust the fit, and reflective elements to increase nighttime visibility. Our testers found that the ventilation on this helmet is not as good as on other top picks, so it might not be the best choice for muggy summer days. It comes with a 1-year warranty.

We were so impressed with the Giro Fixture MIPS that it earned our Best Budget Helmet pick. Its deep fit, extremely adjustable harness system, and MIPS rotational impact system make it an excellent choice for comfort and protection. The MIPS system has a plastic insert that rotates inside the foam shell on impact to help absorb rotational forces. This is an affordable helmet with MIPS protection, so it stands out among budget-friendly helmets. We were impressed by the polished and thoughtful design, especially considering how much extra protection this helmet has. The polycarbonate outer liner won't separate from the EPS foam because they're fused together. The large visor kept the sun off our eyes, was flexible enough to survive a drop on the ground, and kept brush out of our faces on tight trails. This helmet also comes in a bunch of fun colors. 
We looked hard to find any flaws in the Fixture's design but couldn't find much. This isn't the least expensive helmet on the market, but we think it's worth the price. Some might find the non-adjustable, sewed ear splitter straps annoying, but we didn't find them problematic during testing. These straps provide ample room for most ear shapes and a range of various head sizes. The only other potential issue we found with this helmet is sizing. There are only two sizes available, the 54-61-centimeter "Universal Adult" size and the 58-65-centimeter "UXL" size. All of our testers could find a comfortable fit with the Universal Adult size no matter their head shape or size. However, we've seen universally sized helmets that don't work for everyone. This sleek all-around helmet works for all cycling, even though it is technically a mountain bike helmet. 
Read more: Giro Fixture MIPS review

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The least expensive helmet we found that still meets every single criteria for fit, form, and safety. It’s thicker and less-ventilated but comes with a rare, 1-year, full-replacement crash policy.

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