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Aside from your bike, the most important piece of equipment for any MTBer is a high quality helmet. If you’re considering getting a new brain bucket, you’ll need to choose between a full face helmet or a half shell. While both have their advantages and disadvantages, each helmet type has its place.
You’ll also want to pick a helmet that strikes a balance between protection and being comfortable to wear, all while looking good.
Our favorite full face helmet of the year is the Fox Proframe RS, and the Troy Lee Designs A3 MIPS is our winner in the open face helmet category.
Best full face mountain bike helmets
Best open-face mountain bike helmets
- Troy Lee Designs A3 MIPS
- Fox Speedframe Pro
- Giro Tyrant Spherical
- Fox Dropframe Pro
- Specialized Camber
- Fox Mainframe MIPS
- Smith Convoy MIPS
Full face helmets
1. Fox Proframe RS
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent protection
- Superb ventilation
- Lightweight
- Looks good
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Not the lightest full face helmet
The Fox Proframe RS is a premium full face mountain bike helmet that is a terrific option for anyone looking to buy a full face lid. It is our choice for best full face helmet of the year.
The Proframe RS provides riders with excellent protection and good head and face coverage. The helmet comes with the MIPS Integra protection system, which places MIPS technology between its EPP liner and the helmet’s EPS layer, and is designed to reduce concussion causing rotational forces to the brain on impacts.
The excellent safety features in the Proframe RS make it ideal for both enduro riders and those who love hitting features at the bike park.
The Proframe RS has 22 vents that provide superb ventilation and airflow around the rider’s head, allowing you to stay cool while riding, even on long, tiring rides. The airflow provided by the Proframe RS was the best amongst the full face entries on our list.
The helmet is relatively lightweight, measuring in at 836 grams. Not the lightest helmet on our list, but far from the heaviest.
The Proframe RS looks like it means business, with clean, angular lines and an adjustable visor, allowing you to customize the look to your preferences. It also inspires confidence because it looks and feels sturdy and protective.
2. Smith Mainline MIPS
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
- Very breathable for a full face helmet
- Excellent protection for its weight
Cons
- Not ideal for bike park use
The Smith Mainline MIPS is a quality full face mountain bike helmet that provides a good blend between protection and weight. Its balance between rider protection and comfort makes it one of the best full face helmets of the year.
The Mainline comes standard at 802g (in size medium), making it one of the lighter full face helmets on the market. It’s light weight paired with the padding built into the helmet make it a comfortable fit that can be worn for hours without bothering you.
The helmet is very breathable and provides good airflow around the rider’s head, helping to keep you cool while out on long rides or riding on hot days.
Importantly, the Mainline offers quality full face protection, particularly for its weight. The helmet is equipped with a MIPS liner to help reduce concussions from angled blows to the head.
The Mainline also makes use of Smith’s Aerocore technology, which uses Koroyd honeycomb material designed to absorb energy from impacts while still allowing for good airflow.
The helmet is designed for enduro style riding, not for big jumps at the bike park. You can get by with it, but if regularly hitting big features is something you want this helmet for, there are better options.
3. Troy Lee Designs Stage MIPS
Pros and cons
Pros
- Comfortable and secure fit
- Stylish
- Quality ventilation
- Lightweight
Cons
- Not ideal for hitting large bike park features
The Troy Lee Designs Stage MIPS helmet is a stylish full face mountain bike helmet and one of the best of the year. The helmet provides a comfortable, secure fit that makes it possible to almost forget you have a full face helmet on.
The Stage is also very lightweight for a full face helmet, which helps to keep the you feeling comfortable even on long rides.
The helmet looks great, with sharp lines, a cool profile and sleek-looking vents. Those vents are for more than just looks, and provide great ventilation and airflow around your head, helping you stay cool out on the trails.
Given its light weight, we didn’t feel like the Stage helmet provided quite as robust of protection as some of the heavier-duty models on our list. It is downhill certified, however if you plan to use it to regularly hit big features at the bike park, you may feel more confident in a heavier-duty model.
4. Giro Switchblade MIPS
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent protection that inspires confidence
- Can be adjusted to a half shell
- Comfortable
- Solid ventilation for a full face helmet
- Good looking in full face mode
Cons
- Not the lightest helmet
- Looks not for everyone when converted to open-face helmet
One of our favorite full face mountain bike helmets of the year is the Giro Switchblade MIPS.
The Switchblade offers excellent protection and safety features, including full face coverage and MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system) which reduces rotational forces caused by angled impacts to your head and helps to reduce concussions.
The GIRO Switchblade also offers good protection when converted to an open-face helmet, including ear protection, thanks to the low cut-off point of the detachable chin bar.
The fact that the Switchblade can be converted to an open face mountain bike helmet is a huge benefit to many riders. If you like to ride a lot of mellow trails, but want something that can also be used to try a jump line or drop, or otherwise push your limits, the Switchblade can be a solid option for both.
The Switchblade fits comfortably and provides a secure fit. It’s D-ring chin strap keeps the helmet on comfortably, The helmet provides good ventilation and is designed in a way to keep the air flowing around the sides and top of your head.
It’s a stylish and sturdy looking mountain bike helmet that looks especially good in full face mode.
The appearance of the helmet in open-face mode may not be for everyone. It does provide good ear protection as an open face helmet, but if you require that protection you might want to just ride with the Switchblade in full face mode anyway.
The Switchblade weighs in at 980 grams in full face mode and 685 grams in open-face mode. It is not the lightest helmet on the market and is relatively heavy as a half shell. It’s not noticeably heavy but the extra weight could be a burden on long rides and while climbing.
5. Fox Rampage
Pros and cons
Pros
- Quality downhill certified protection
- Less expensive than many full face helmets
- Comfortable fit
Cons
- On the heavier side
- Some notice a tight fit in the cheek area
The Fox Rampage is a good option for riders looking for their first full face mountain bike helmet, and its one you don’t have to break the bank for.
The Rampage is a downhill certified helmet that provides good head and face coverage. It may not provide quite the same protection as the highest-end helmets, but it still incorporates quality protective features like MIPS impact protection system to reduce rotational forces and possible resulting concussions. It also features an injection-molded ABS shell.
Most riders find the Rampage to be a comfortable fit, however some find it to be a bit tight in the cheek area. This wasn’t something our testers noticed, however.
The Fox Rampage is one of the heavier helmets on our list, and that is to be expected given its more affordable price tag. Despite the weight, the helmet still feels good and is comfortable. The extra weight on the Rampage can become more noticeable on longer rides.
Open-face helmets
1. Troy Lee Designs A3 MIPS
Pros and cons
Pros
- Good head coverage
- Secure fit
- Very comfortable
- Adjustable visor
Cons
- Less coverage near temples than some alternatives
If you are looking for an open face mountain bike helmet, the Troy Lee Designs A3 MIPS is a helmet you should definitely consider. It does a great job blending protection with comfort, and is our top ranked open face helmet of the year.
The helmet provides excellent protection and head coverage, especially in the back of the head. The A3 comes standard with TLD’s B-series MIPS liner, along with both EPP and EPS foam. The softer EPP foam is designed to dissipate forces from low speed impacts, while the harder EPS foam is designed to blunt forces from high speed impacts.
The A3 helmet provides a secure fit thanks to its fit adjustment cradle allowing a level of customization, and a Fidlock magnetic buckle which is both easy to get on and off, and does a good job keeping the helmet secured to your noggin.
The A3 is a very comfortable mountain bike helmet that you almost forget you have on. This is thanks in part to its adjustable fit and also due to its sweat control system and quality ventilation keeping you feeling cool while you ride.
The TLD A3 also comes with a Magnajust adjustable visor allowing you to choose between 3 different visor positions, allowing you to find a setup that fits your preferences for looks and performance.
The A3 does have less coverage around the temples compared to some alternatives, but if you are concerned about extra protection in that area you may be best off going with a full face helmet instead.
2. Fox Speedframe Pro
Pros and cons
Pros
- Provides excellent protection
- Comfortable
- Well-ventilated
- Lightweight
- Stylish looks
Cons
- Visor too large for some people’s taste
The Fox Speedframe Pro is a stylish entry in our list of best mountain bike helmets of the year, but that isn’t all this helmet brings to the table.
The Speedframe Pro provides mountain bikers with excellent head coverage and protection. The helmet provides ample coverage especially around the back of the head, and it incorporates a MIPS liner designed to help prevent concussions caused by rotational forces generated when you crash. The helmet also incorporates Varizorb dual density EPS foam in it’s construction.
The Speedframe Pro comes with a removable, washable antimicrobial liner helping to keep things clean and fresh. This is a big benefit if you do a lot of riding in hot conditions.
Well-ventilated thanks to the 19 vents incorporated into the helmet, the Speedframe Pro is very comfortable on your head.
An excellent fit is made possible thanks to the dial in the rear of the helmet allowing for adjustability in the sizing, and its easy to put on and take off, even with gloves on, thanks to the magnetic fidlock snap buckle that comes standard.
The light weight of the Speedframe Pro makes it an easy choice to take on all day rides while not compromising on protection.
One thing that some riders do not like about the Speedframe Pro is the visor as it is too large for some people’s taste. It is adjustable and we liked it, but this is one of those things that comes down to rider preference.
For a more in-depth look at the Fox Speedframe Pro, check out our full review here.
3. Giro Tyrant Spherical
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent protection
- Comfortable
- Fits nicely
Cons
- Not as well ventilated as other models
- Heavy
The Giro Tyrant Spherical is a sturdy open face helmet that offers excellent protection. The Tyrant Spherical is designed for riders who like to push their limits but don’t want a chin bar.
In terms of protection, the Tyrant Spherical incorporates technology including the MIPS spherical dual-shell rotational impact protection system.
Rather than the typical MIPS liner which sits inside the helmet’s foam shell, MIPS spherical is made up of two separate foam shells with a layer in between allowing the two shells to rotate independent of each other.
The helmet is fairly large and provides excellent coverage of the rider’s head, including the rear of the head and around the ears. The excellent coverage provided by the Tyrant Spherical inspires confidence that you’ll be well protected if you end up in a crash.
The Giro Tyrant Spherical is a very comfortable mountain bike helmet to wear, and provides a good, secure fit. The shape of the helmet on the interior allows it to fit well on a variety of heads, and it’s adjustable to further customize it to your head.
The Tyrant Spherical’s excellent coverage and protection does come with downsides: it is quite heavy for a trail lid, weighing in at over 700 grams. It’s also not as well-ventilated as other trail helmets.
For this reason it probably isn’t the best choice if you’re looking for a helmet to do lots of cross country riding in. The helmet is better suited to more aggressive riding including enduro and downhill.
4. Fox Dropframe Pro
Pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent protection
- Very comfortable
- Good fit
Cons
- Visor not adjustable and is too large for some people’s taste
- Less ventilation than other open-face helmets
The Fox Dropframe Pro is a mountain bike helmet that sits somewhere in between a full face helmet and a completely open face helmet. It provides more coverage than most other open-face helmets, especially around the ears.
In addition to its excellent coverage, the Dropframe Pro has built-in features to enhance the protection the helmet provides, including a MIPS liner, and its built using Varizorb dual density EPS foam. Both of these features are designed to better absorb impacts and protect you from head injuries.
The Dropframe Pro fits very comfortably, and feels both sturdy and secure when you’re wearing it. It uses a magnetic buckle to fasten the helmet straps, making it easy and convenient to put the helmet on and take it off, even if you’re wearing mountain biking gloves.
One gripe some riders have with the Dropframe Pro is its visor. Specifically, the visor isn’t adjustable and is too large for some people’s taste. The visor also gives the helmet a look that riders will either love or hate, with not much in between.
The Dropframe Pro also isn’t quite as well ventilated as some trail helmets, but that is largely due to its larger profile and the extra head coverage it provides.
5. Specialized Camber
Pros and cons
Pros
- Good protection
- Comfortable fit
- Sleek looks
Cons
- Less padding than some riders may like
The Specialized Camber is a good-looking open-face helmet that is worth a look.
It provides solid protection for a half shell, including a MIPS liner to protect your brain against harmful rotational forces. You can be confident your head will be well protected if you happen to crash in the Camber.
The Camber comes with an outer shell that fully wraps around the helmet’s rim, which reduces the amount of foam you can see. This helps to give the Camber its polished look, which is definitely one of the Camber’s strong suits.
The helmet does fit comfortably, and is able to provide a secure fit thanks to the Headset FX fit system. However, some riders may find the lack of interior padding to be less comfortable compared to other open-face helmet options.
6. Fox Mainframe MIPS
Pros and cons
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
- Quality ventilation
- Sharp looks
- Quality protection
Cons
- Fewer bells and whistles
The Fox Mainframe MIPS is another quality mountain bike helmet on our list. This is one of the lightest helmets we’ve looked at here, which makes it well suited for use on hot days and long rides.
The Mainframe provides a comfortable fit, and is customizable thanks to the dial in the rear similar to that found on the Speedframe Pro. The Mainframe provides riders with superb ventilation to keep the air flowing, and also has a removable, washable liner to help keep things fresh.
The Mainframe is a good-looking helmet with sharp lines, with a similar profile to that found on the Speedframe Pro. It provides solid protection, incorporating a MIPS liner into the helmet’s design to protect against rotational forces. It is hard to find a more affordable trail helmet that makes use of MIPS technology.
Given its lower price point, the Mainframe lacks some of the bells and whistles of other helmets. The helmet’s visor isn’t adjustable, and there isn’t a magnetic fidlock snap buckle. If these additional features are important to you, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
7. Smith Convoy MIPS
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very lightweight helmet
- Comfortable
- Adjustable fit
Cons
- Less head coverage
The Smith Convoy MIPS is a quality trail helmet offering some great features at a relatively affordable price.
The Convoy comes with a MIPS liner to help reduce those harmful rotational forces on impacts, making it one of the most affordable MIPS helmet offerings on the market.
It’s also the lightest helmet on our list, which is always a benefit in terms of comfort and not being too weighed down, particularly on long rides involving lots of pedaling. The helmet is comfortable to wear too, thanks to its adjustable fit.
The Convoy is relatively well-ventilated and does a decent job of keeping you cool, but we expected a bit better ventilation given its light weight.
While the Smith Convoy is totally adequate as a casual trail riding helmet, its protection isn’t quite up to the level more advanced, aggressive riders would need. The Convoy does not provide as quite much head coverage as most of the other models we looked at, particularly on the sides and in the back of the head.
Frequently asked questions
The answer is it depends. Full face helmets are great for more gravity-oriented riding like downhill, and hitting bike parks, big jumps and drops. They’re also great for riders to wear when they want to push their limits and try a new jump or feature, partially for the added protection keeping them safer, but also for the extra confidence riders get from feeling well protected.
Open-face helmets are a better option if you’re someone who rides a lot of cross country, or do most of your riding on trails that involve lots of climbs and descents. The reason for this is due to the lighter weight and often better ventilation and airflow riders get from open face helmets compared to full face ones.
Mountain bike helmet design continues to advance and one of the newer features found in a lot of today’s mountain bike helmets is MIPS, which stands for multi-directional impact protection system.
MIPS protects riders against harmful rotational forces that result from hitting their head by reducing rotational forces to the head from impacts. This is usually by using a liner inside the helmet that can move slightly in each direction, but sometimes its a layer between foam layers in the helmet that allows for this movement.
This is a great feature to help keep riders safer and reduce the amount and severity of head injuries that occur while mountain biking. As time goes on this is a feature we expect to see in most bike helmets.
While its not a requirement and there are helmets for mountain biking that don’t use MIPS, it is a valuable technology that offers an added level of protection for riders and their brains.
How we review mountain bike helmets
When reviewing mountain bike helmets, we look at the following factors:
- Protection
- Comfort
- Style
For a detailed breakdown of how we assess each of these factors, check out how we review mountain bike helmets here.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for a new trail riding helmet or are after something better suited to downhill or hitting the bike park, we’re certain you’ll find a great helmet for you on our list. While every helmet on our list is solid, you absolutely can’t go wrong with either of our winners, the Fox Proframe RS in the full face helmet category and the Troy Lee Designs A3 MIPS for half shells.