Although not a legal requirement in the UK, for many cyclists a helmet is an essential item and they are mandatory in all forms of cycle racing. The six tested here are all road riding-focused, rather than TT or off-road, and with price tags north of £200, are the top of the range helmets from each manufacturer.
Naturally, a helmet’s first and most important duty is to keep you safe in the event of an accident, and all helmets here meet European Standard EN 1078 (BSI standard BS EN 1078). We, of course, have not crash tested them.
Some will also use the Multidirectional Impact Protection System, better known as MIPS, which is designed to reduce rotational forces upon impact. More recently, the MIPS plastic liner has been replaced with more advanced designs that better integrate the protection into the helmet, as featured here in the Specialized, Bell and Giro helmets. Meanwhile, Lazer has chosen to create its own version, called KinetiCore.
“The six tested here are top of the range helmets”
But to score well and set itself apart from the competition a helmet also needs to deliver comfort through its fit
