LAZER Tonic MIPS Cycling Helmet, Unisex, Tonic Mips

Product Information

What I haven't done, and you shouldn't either, is to cut corners. Any helmet available will have passed government-mandated test procedures. You have a guarantee of a minimum amount of safety but there's more to a great bike helmet. When you start looking for the best budget bike helmets you want something from a reputable brand. A helmet that I did spend time with is the Bontrager Starvos. It's another WaveCel design and there's very little to complain about. In the end, the only reason it didn't make the list is because the Bontrager Circuit is very similar both in price and design while also adding the ability to mount lights when needed. If you like the idea of Circuit but don't think you'd ever use the magnetic light mounting then the Starvos is worth a look. Thousand Helmets makes stylish city helmets that might be a good choice for any kind of casual riding. The latest Heritage 2.0 adds more ventilation and gets a better Virginia Tech score. It might have made the list but it's brand new. The Trek Ballista isn't one of the helmets I put into the best road helmets buyers guide. Although it came out after I finished that article, I considered adding it later. For most people though, it likely doesn't make sense when considering an all-around helmet option. I'm a bit different though and maybe you are as well. The last helmet that almost made it is a great option for those looking to really save money. The Specialized Align II is the least expensive helmet I looked at and it's completely usable. There's MIPS and a five-star Virginia Tech result. This one missed the list because, at 330 grams in a size small, it was the heaviest road bike helmet I looked at plus the rear cradle isn't adjustable vertically. If it happens to work for you, it's worth considering based on the price. How to choose the best budget bike helmet for you

When it comes to finding a comfortable budget bike helmet, it's all about fit. You could say the same about more expensive helmets as well but it becomes even more important as other features get stripped away. Different brands have different size ranges and some fit perfectly while others are a struggle. The Chiru MIPS was exceptionally comfortable to wear, with a well-shaped, neutral fit. There were no hot spots, pressure points or irregularities on the inside of the lid. There are a variety of reasons that a good helmet might not have MIPS. For one thing, as already mentioned, not every company agrees with the need for a slip-plane system for safety. There are also other companies that do agree with the need but would rather develop a unique system of their own. Some of the technologies that replace MIPS are WaveCel from Bontrager, Kineticore from Lazer, and Koroyd which Smith uses.Ultimately it's the results that matter. If a brand is able to make a helmet without MIPS that is safe, there's no reason to insist on the MIPS brand. This is one of the reasons we report the results of Virginia Tech testing when it’s available. What does it take to find a comfortable budget bike helmet? MIPS outfits a helmet with a low friction layer that reduces rotational forces in case of a crash. This replicates the brain’s own protection system. The POC Myelin is a helmet unlike any that's ever been on the market in the past. From a style standpoint, it's a commuter helmet and it's unique even if you don't go farther than that. The outer shell uses a fabric covering and there's no adjustment to the rear cradle. The look would pair well with something from Chrome or Mission Workshop but there's a lot more to it beyond what you can see. One way to approach the idea of budget is to look for a helmet that's highly versatile. If you commute by bike during the week and then go for longer rides on the weekend, it can be difficult to find the right helmet for both situations. A lot of people solve the problem by having more than one helmet. Bontrager has another idea though. To complete our unbiased testing in an objective manor, we scored and rated each product based on six performance metrics:

The Giro Isode MIPS is another helmet that narrowly lost out to a different helmet from the same brand. It's lighter and the style is a bit sleeker but for not much more money you get the option of adding a really good rear light. Once again if you won't use a light then the Isode will save you money compared to the Agilis. The Chiru is quite hot, especially when I was climbing slowly. It certainly wasn’t as hot as others on test but Lazer could do with revisiting the vent locations and sizes to help improve cooling. It’s not a major issue, though, especially considering the lid’s price. When it comes to the downsides of the Circuit, it centres around the WaveCel rotational impact system. Unlike Kineticore which actually adds breathability, WaveCel is a system of cells that cuts down on breathability somewhat. I've never found that to be a big deal but I have found myself bothered that I can't reach through the vents and scratch my head. I also would always prefer a lighter helmet over a heavier helmetThere's more to the POC Omne MIPS than just style though. For one thing, the cutoff points for the sizes are different from most brands. POC shifts everything down slightly and that will make it easier for some people, like me, to find the right size. If you often find yourself between sizes, this is a great option. Although there will always be government safety testing, Virginia Tech goes further. Certifications from agencies like the CPSC only state that a helmet meets a minimum requirement. They give no indication of how that performance ranks compared to the competition and impact testing only covers a specific type of impact. Virginia Tech has emerged as the only unbiased organisation to use a standardised and comparable test to rank helmet performance compared to other models. Virginia Tech is also a pioneer in the idea that off-centre impacts are different. Virginia Tech tests helmets from a wide variety of sports and has been doing so since 2011. No helmet brand is able to pay for better results and there is a standard testing protocol. If you do decide to keep an eye on the testing results of Virginia Tech, you'll need to understand what they mean. Even without the ANGi certification, you get a great helmet. For one thing, this is one of the few helmets on this list that carry a five-star Virginia Tech test result. It's great to know that even a budget helmet lets you choose something that's scored as high as some of the most expensive helmets on the market. You can also count on a comfortable strap system that is easy to adjust and should you need room for a ponytail, Specialized leaves room in the rear cradle. The best budget bike helmets allow me to make reasonable, real-world, decisions. For most people, it's worth giving up a few percentage points at the very peak for big savings. Looking at helmets through a budget lens allows great helmets to make the cut even if they aren't the absolute best in terms of some performance metric.

A high quality, lightweight road helmet with excellent ventilation and some unique optional features Looking at the sheer size of the 18 vents (and the decent internal channelling to encourage flow), I have to assume this slight extra insulation is the MIPS layer. Personally I'm happy to take the extra degree or two in exchange for the rotational-impact protection of MIPS. While the Airnet has impressive ventilation in a comfortable design, it is definitely heavier than most of the high-end offerings in our lineup. The size large model we tested weighs around 60 grams more than most of the other top performers. The rounded design also feels a little bigger and bulkier than some of the sleeker designs. However, the Airnet is extremely well-ventilated, very comfortable, and comes at a fraction of the price of most premium designs, making it a great choice for everyday riding in warmer conditions.

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Polycarbonate Roll-Cage - The helmet foam is sandwiched around an additional polycarbonate layer during construction. In the same way as the roll cage of a rally car, this layer keeps the foam together after a crash providing additional protection in the event of additional impacts. If you want to dive deep, Virginia Tech goes into great detail covering the science behind the number. For the purposes of this guide though, the lower the number the better and right now the top-ranked helmet, out of 188 tested, has a score of 8.4. If you also see a star ranking, that is the same testing displayed in a different way. Any helmet with a score below 14.00 will have a five-star ranking. Do you need MIPS in a budget bike helmet? Well Ventilated -Eighteen vents and internal channeling pull air into the helmet and across your head. Increased airflow keeps your head cool and comfortable during long rides in high temperatures.