Nemesis_252
Über Member
- Location
- Blyth, Northumberland
Conscious that I’ve taken away much more from this forum that I’ve ever put in over the years, hopefully the following is useful to somebody.
I’ve been in the market for a new helmet, and as there were several containing MIPS within my price range, and I couldn't (or rather, didn't want to) go shop-to-shop trying them on, I ordered several to try at home. (I don’t intend for this to turn into a discussion of MIPS – if you like or are indifferent to the idea, read on. If you think it’s a waste of money, this probably isn’t for you.)
So, in no particularly scientific way, I thought I’d note up my findings of the 6 that I tried, in the hope that it might benefit others.
My price range was £40-£65. I wore each of them around the house, for anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how much I liked it. All had plenty of vents, and all had some form of twist-to-fit interior. The prices below were their price at the time of ordering. I should probably also say, after some research on companies with free returns, I ended up ordering from Sigma Sports. I'm not affiliated with them, but credit where it's due - free delivery and free returns. Who needs to go to a shop!
For reference, my previous lid was a 2013 Giro Rift, and according to the kitchen scales, it weighed in at 316g.
Specialized Align II MIPS Helmet (£45)
This was the reason I started looking at MIPS helmets in the first place, as I’d read some positive reviews of it. I wasn’t a fan of its look before ordering; it has no peak, which isn’t a deal breaker, but it also has a wide oval at the top to allow airflow, which I wasn’t sure of on photos. On wearing, I found it was the most uncomfortable of the bunch - the lid appears to be slightly more circular than oval, whereas my head is more oval than circular. Between the discomfort and the look, it went straight back into the box before I’d even considered getting out the scales. Disappointing.
MET Miles MIPS Helmet (£55)
On wearing I found it uncomfortable - Similar to the Align above, the lid appears to be slightly more circular than oval. This weighted in at 275g, but wasn’t the one for me.
Bontrager Solstice MIPS Helmet (£49)
Mid-comfort; it wasn’t uncomfortable, but I could tell I was wearing it. It also has a different strap fastener to normal, with a magnetic ‘snap’ into place, and whilst I’m sure it’s just as safe, it would take some practice. The Solstice was also the heaviest of the bunch at 383g, which made it noticeably heavier than what I was used to.
MET Downtown MIPS Helmet (£65)
Mid-comfort; it wasn’t uncomfortable, but I found the Chamonix and Trace better. Weight at 305g it was one of the lighter ones, but this one was crossed off for looks. According to the missus, it had a bit of a mushroom look to it (more so than normal, I guess). It also didn’t suit my personal taste; it’s Glossy, and I prefer a matte finish.
Bell Trace MIPS Helmet (£56)
This was my second favourite. Probably the most comfortable of the bunch, with a lot of interior padding. Another nice touch was some mesh on the inside front, to limit the amount of wildlife flying into your hair whilst riding. The downside was the weight, at 369g it was noticeably heavier than what I was replacing, and similar to the Trace, the missus reported it had a mushroom look.
Specialized Chamonix MIPS Helmet (£60)
This is the one I ended up keeping. It looked and felt closest to what I was replacing, it was comfortable, and at 288g it was also a little lighter. Specialized also have a different strap splitter to most for underneath the ears, which suited my big lugs nicely.
It wasn’t perfect, but the imperfections weren’t material enough to put me off – it was mainly disappointment with the Specialized quality control, with the external reflective rear stickers applied slightly wonky, and the straps tangled up with the MIPS on unboxing. I noticed the wonky stickers on the Specialized Align too, so it doesn’t appear to be a one-off.
Overall I was very pleased with it. I’ve worn out 3 times so far this week, and have no complaints.
I’ve been in the market for a new helmet, and as there were several containing MIPS within my price range, and I couldn't (or rather, didn't want to) go shop-to-shop trying them on, I ordered several to try at home. (I don’t intend for this to turn into a discussion of MIPS – if you like or are indifferent to the idea, read on. If you think it’s a waste of money, this probably isn’t for you.)
So, in no particularly scientific way, I thought I’d note up my findings of the 6 that I tried, in the hope that it might benefit others.
My price range was £40-£65. I wore each of them around the house, for anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how much I liked it. All had plenty of vents, and all had some form of twist-to-fit interior. The prices below were their price at the time of ordering. I should probably also say, after some research on companies with free returns, I ended up ordering from Sigma Sports. I'm not affiliated with them, but credit where it's due - free delivery and free returns. Who needs to go to a shop!
For reference, my previous lid was a 2013 Giro Rift, and according to the kitchen scales, it weighed in at 316g.
Specialized Align II MIPS Helmet (£45)
This was the reason I started looking at MIPS helmets in the first place, as I’d read some positive reviews of it. I wasn’t a fan of its look before ordering; it has no peak, which isn’t a deal breaker, but it also has a wide oval at the top to allow airflow, which I wasn’t sure of on photos. On wearing, I found it was the most uncomfortable of the bunch - the lid appears to be slightly more circular than oval, whereas my head is more oval than circular. Between the discomfort and the look, it went straight back into the box before I’d even considered getting out the scales. Disappointing.
MET Miles MIPS Helmet (£55)
On wearing I found it uncomfortable - Similar to the Align above, the lid appears to be slightly more circular than oval. This weighted in at 275g, but wasn’t the one for me.
Bontrager Solstice MIPS Helmet (£49)
Mid-comfort; it wasn’t uncomfortable, but I could tell I was wearing it. It also has a different strap fastener to normal, with a magnetic ‘snap’ into place, and whilst I’m sure it’s just as safe, it would take some practice. The Solstice was also the heaviest of the bunch at 383g, which made it noticeably heavier than what I was used to.
MET Downtown MIPS Helmet (£65)
Mid-comfort; it wasn’t uncomfortable, but I found the Chamonix and Trace better. Weight at 305g it was one of the lighter ones, but this one was crossed off for looks. According to the missus, it had a bit of a mushroom look to it (more so than normal, I guess). It also didn’t suit my personal taste; it’s Glossy, and I prefer a matte finish.
Bell Trace MIPS Helmet (£56)
This was my second favourite. Probably the most comfortable of the bunch, with a lot of interior padding. Another nice touch was some mesh on the inside front, to limit the amount of wildlife flying into your hair whilst riding. The downside was the weight, at 369g it was noticeably heavier than what I was replacing, and similar to the Trace, the missus reported it had a mushroom look.
Specialized Chamonix MIPS Helmet (£60)
This is the one I ended up keeping. It looked and felt closest to what I was replacing, it was comfortable, and at 288g it was also a little lighter. Specialized also have a different strap splitter to most for underneath the ears, which suited my big lugs nicely.
It wasn’t perfect, but the imperfections weren’t material enough to put me off – it was mainly disappointment with the Specialized quality control, with the external reflective rear stickers applied slightly wonky, and the straps tangled up with the MIPS on unboxing. I noticed the wonky stickers on the Specialized Align too, so it doesn’t appear to be a one-off.
Overall I was very pleased with it. I’ve worn out 3 times so far this week, and have no complaints.
