Bike Helmet Buying Guide | Ivanhoe Cycles

Sizing & Fit

For a helmet to offer the best protection, it needs to fit properly. A well-fitting helmet is snug, comfortable, and doesn't move when you shake your head. Your helmet should sit about eyebrow level.

Most helmets feature an adjustable dial fit system, that tightens or loosens the internal cage to mould to your head. Be sure to check the size guide for each helmet and select the right size for your head circumference.

To find your size: Take a measuring tape (or piece of string) and measure your head circumference 1" above your ear, keeping the tape level.

However, different manufacturers use different head forms when building their helmets, so the circumference might be right but the shape might be different.

We therefore recommend buying a helmet instore, so that you can try on a range of brands and find the best fit for your head.

Safety Features

Fortunately, you do not need to compromise on safety if you have a tight budget. Every helmet sold at Ivanhoe Cycles meets the mandatory AS/NZS 2063 certification.

However, if you want to maximize safety with the best protection available then you may want to consider a helmet equipped with Mips® or a similar patented technology like Kask's WG11. This adds to the price tag, but for a great reason.

Mips Safety System

The Mips® Safety System was originally developed by a brain surgeon and a biomechanics scientist. It consists of a low friction layer that is mounted inside the helmet. In a crash, this layer is designed to move slightly inside the helmet to help reduce the rotational motion of certain impacts that may otherwise be transferred to your head, possibly causing concussions or brain injury.

In-Mold vs Hard Shell

There are two methods of constructing a helmet that play a factor in the helmet's cost, weight, and breathability.

These are In-Mold and Hard-Shell Construction.

In-Mold helmets are a one-piece construction where the outer shell and inner EPS foam liner are fused together while it's still in the mold. These helmets are thinner, and therefore lighter. It also allows the helmet to deform more easily during an impact. These helmets allow for more ventilation.

Hard-Shell helmets are a two-piece construction where the liner and shell are molded separately then laminated together. These helmets have a thicker and tougher shell, which provides increased protection from penetration but deforms less easily. Hard-shell helmets are more common in BMX, Skate and MTB applications.

Both helmets are safe. In-mold helmets are lighter and more ventilated, but hard-shell helmets are more affordable.

Materials

The materials used to construct a helmet factor into its weight, durability and price. We've listed the most common materials here.

SHELL MATERIALS:

ABS is an outer shell material commonly used in hard-shell helmets, due to its hardness and toughness.
Polycarbonate is a shell material as strong as ABS but much lighter. It is most commonly used in In-Mold helmets.

LINER MATERIALS:

EPS is the most common type of liner material. It is affordable, has good impact performance, but can only withstand one impact. Your EPS helmet should be replaced after any crash.
EPP is a less common liner material but is capable of recovering somewhat after an impact. It is more expensive and bulkier than EPS.

Visor or No Visor?

Visors are designed to shield your eyes from sun rays, but also mud and debris.

Most road bike helmets do not include a visor. This is because road cyclists lean forward further, and a visor may obstruct your vision when your head is down. Roadies can instead use cycling caps with a flexible peak, or cycling sunglasses.

Visors are most commonly found on mountain bike helmets and recreational helmets where you're in a more relaxed riding position, and likely to encounter mud and debris.

Mountain bike helmets may also feature an adjustable visor, so you can tilt it back when wearing goggles, or when you're riding downhill.

Full Face or Open Face?

If you're mountain biking, you'll want to consider if you should get a full face or open face helmet.

A full face helmet refers to a helmet with a built-in chin guard. It wraps around your entire head, providing jaw protection as well as brain protection.

Full Face helmets are recommended for enduro and downhill mountain biking, where the risk of injury is greater.

Conversely, an open face helmet does not include a chin guard. This is a standard bike helmet. Open face helmets are suitable for most other disciplines.

But, there are also helmets that do both! The Bell Super 3R Helmet has a removable chinbar.

Ventilation: More is better!

Like most cycling products, helmets are designed with rider comfort in mind. The better helmets will offer more ventilation to allow heat to escape from your head.

This Giant Rev Pro Mips helmet has nice, large vents that allow plenty of airflow!

You can also complement your helmet with cycling headwear designed to absorb and evaporate moisture, keeping sweat out of your eyes and your head cool and comfortable.

It's all in the details

You'll start to see all sorts of cool features in our higher end helmets, utilizing the industry's latest technology to make life easier.

Magnetic Buckle

One of our favourite features, some helmets feature a magnetic buckle, which allows you to attach and detach your helmet straps quickly and with one hand.

Check out the Fox Speedframe Pro and Crossframe Pro Helmets, which feature the FidLock SNAP magnetic buckle. This thing makes quick work of your helmet straps!

Light and Camera Integrations

Giant Helmets are compatible with the Giant Numen Alumbra Tail Light that clips onto the back of your helmet.

Other helmets also feature a GoPro or camera mount.

Glossary of Materials & Technology

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): ABS is an opaque thermoplastic that is known for its hardness, toughness, and gloss. This makes it a great shell material for hard-shell constructed helmets.

Kevlar / Aramid: In-mold bicycle helmet construction is very lightweight, but this sacrifices penetrative resistance. Using aramid to mold to the liner, brands are able to maintain lightweight performance but increase safety.

Carbon Fiber: Carbon Fiber is a material consisting of thin, strong filaments of carbon. It is a very strong material that is also very lightweight. The use of carbon fiber is most commonly found on full face mountain bike helmets. The primary aim is to reduce weight.

MIPS: Originally an acronym for "Multi-directional Impact Protection System", Mips is a patented safety system for helmets developed with the intention to reduce rotational motion to the brain, and reduce the risk of concussion and brain injury. It consists of a low friction layer that is mounted inside the helmet. It is typically bright yellow and identified by a yellow Mips logo on the back of the helmet.

Polycarbonate:Polycarbonate is similar to ABS is function for the shell of a bike helmet but tends to be lighter and equally strong. This material works well for both in-mold and hard-shell bike helmets. It actually increases the strength of in-mold helmets substantially, so it’s use is quite common for that application.

EPS (Expanded Polystyrene): EPS foam is the most common type of liner material. This material is great for dissipating impact energy and has good impact performance. EPS is also cheap to work with, but is only good for one impact. After that, you should replace your helmet.

EPP (Expanded PolyPropylene): EPP is growing in popularity for bike helmets, but is not nearly as common as EPS. This material is capable of recovering somewhat after an impact which means it can function as a multi-impact material. Generally, EPP is more expensive and bulkier than EPS. Many manufacturers are integrating EPP and EPS into key areas of helmets to get the best characteristics of each.