“Once you put it on and buckle it, you should pretty much forget it’s there.”īelow, find the best helmets for different kinds of riders according to a range of experienced cycling experts - including a budget pick that should work for both road racers and casual commuters, helmets for large and small heads, and a collapsible helmet approved by the Citi Bike crowd.īest overall | Best for commuters | Best (sportier) for commuters | Best for road-biking | Best for mountain-biking | Best for hot heads | Best collapsible | Best with light | Best with universal sizing | Best budget MIPS | Best helmet cover A well-fitted helmet should feel comfortable and relatively weightless. The fit should be snug enough that you’re significantly loosening and tightening the rear adjustment dial (or equivalent mechanism) in order to take the helmet on and off. It should sit level on your head with the chin strap drawn so the helmet moves slightly downward as you open your mouth. And you’ll definitely want to make sure your new helmet fits properly. With that knowledge, you can pretty much just pick a helmet according to your personal riding habits and how much you’re willing to spend in the name of comfort and aesthetics. “The protection offered by most helmets is pretty similar,” Randy Swart, the executive director of the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, assures us.
All bike helmets sold in the United States must meet the same strict Consumer Product Safety Commission standard.