The best road bike helmets combine head protection, aerodynamics and ventilation.
They can be expensive, but the best budget bike helmets hold their own for less than £100 / $100.
Cheaper models might lack crash protection technology (see our buyer's guide further down this post). However, all helmets must pass stringent testing standards to be approved for sale. Even without extra safety features, your helmet will help protect you in a crash.
For drag-reduction, head to our best aero road helmets list. We have a guide to the best mountain bike helmets if you're looking for off-road protection.
We've organised this buyer's guide into the best road cycling helmets at different price levels. You can click the links below to jump to the section you need.
Then scroll down to the bottom for our buyer's guide to choosing the best road cycling helmet.
- Best road bike helmets under £50
- Best road bike helmets under £100
- Best road bike helmets under £200
- Best road bike helmets under £300
You can jump to our buyer's guide to read more about road bike helmets.
Best road bike helmets under £50 / $100
Cannondale Junction
- £65 / $95 / €98 as tested
- Pros: Great value; all-road versatility
- Cons: Long helmet straps
The Cannondale Junction has many of the attributes of premium road bike helmets without the price tag.
Its quality comfort, cooling, protection and low weight make it an outstanding bargain.
Its small, removable peak hints at gravel riding potential and our tester was happy to wear it when venturing off road.
Giant Relay MIPS
- £45 / $50 / €47.50 / AU$80 as tested
- Pros: Great value for a MIPS helmet; decent ventilation
- Cons: Heavy; retention system isn't high tech
The Giant Relay MIPS is a budget helmet with a 5-star rating in Virginia Tech's independent helmet testing. Quality features include in-mould construction and anti-odour padding.
The 17 vents ensure good airflow and the helmet doesn't feel heavy when riding.
The retention adjuster works okay and the MIPS Cinch system is well integrated.
Specialized Align II
- £45 / $55 / €60 / AU$80 as tested
- Pros: Includes MIPS for low price
- Cons: A little heavy
The Specialized Align II budget helmet provides MIPS protection, good padding, ventilation and fit.
On the flip side, the 374g weight for the size M/L helmet is a little on the high side and could be felt during our test.
Best road bike helmets under £100 / $150
Van Rysel FCR
- £89.99 / €100 as tested
- Pros: Aero design; comfort; well made; Fidlock Snap buckle
- Cons: Less airy than the best aero helmets
The Van Rysel FCR helmet delivers top-level performance at a startlingly low cost.
Van Rysel claims to have used wind tunnel data to maximise the FCR's aerodynamics for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale who wear the helmet in the WorldTour.
The FCR is also comfortable, feels high quality and includes clever features like a magnetic Fidlock Snap buckle instead of a clip-in clasp.
Our only criticism is that ventilation feels slightly worse than high-end aero helmets, but that's excusable at £89.99.
Limas Air Stratos MIPS
- £121 / $169.95 / €167.16 as tested
- Pros: Pleasing aesthetics; comfort; ventilation; low weight
- Cons: Aerodynamics overlooked
The Limar Air Stratos MIPS is a lightweight helmet intended for road and gravel riding with superb ventilation.
Its comfort and performance are remarkable for the mid-market price.
However, Limar doesn’t appear to have prioritised drag reduction. So if you want to go fast, you might want to consider more aero alternatives.
Scott ARX Plus
- £100 / $120 / €130 / AU$160 as tested
- Pros: Versatile; decent value
- Cons: Few vents at rear
The Scott ARX Plus is a good helmet if you ride on and off the road. It comes with a removable visor and has extra protection at the back, but weighs 269g in size medium.
Even though the ARX Plus has MIPS and a five-star rating from Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, mountain bikers will probably want more protection. And road cyclists may want better ventilation, particularly at the back of the helmet.
In this regard, the Scott ARX Plus sits between two stools. But for £100 / $120, it's still keenly priced.
undefined
Best road bike helmets under £200 / $250
ABUS PowerDome
- £130 as tested
- Pros: Balance of low weight and aerodynamics; competitive price; MIPS
- Cons: Strap not perfect; only four colours
The ABUS PowerDome is an impressive performer considering it costs less than £150 and includes MIPS.
The road bike helmet is reasonably light (248g size medium), while its sculpted, slim shape and cut-off back should be fairly aerodynamic.
Our tester found the straps prone to twisting though. The colour choice isn't the broadest either.
Endura Pro SL
- £150 / €200 as tested
- Pros: Great quality and comfort
- Cons: Warm in very hot weather
The Endura Pro SL helmet uses Koroyd impact-protection technology, which is said to help protect your brain from direct and angled impacts. The protection comes in the form of honeycomb-like tubes inside the helmet, and plush padding ensures these don’t lead to an uncomfortable fit.
In fact, the Pro SL is very comfortable to wear. It has a cradle with vertical adjustment and a ratchet that enables you to dial in optimum fit.
One thing to bear in mind is we found the helmet was warm in hot weather.
MET Vinci MIPS
- £100 / €120 / AU$170 as tested
- Pros: Good value and weight
- Cons: Tricky to adjust internal tightness; limited size range
The MET Vinci MIPS is well ventilated, pretty light (269g in size large) and comfortable for a range of riding.
For £100 or so, the inclusion of MIPS-C2 technology is impressive.
However, the MET Vinci MIPS has a few flaws. It's a bit difficult to adjust the internal fit and the largest size available may not fit bigger heads.
Trek Velocis MIPS
- £230 / $300 / €300 / AU$400 as tested
- Pros: Light; cool; stylish
- Cons: Adjustment mechanism feels delicate
The Trek Velocis MIPS is one of the best lightweight road bike helmets on the market.
We found the Velocis MIPS keeps your head cool and looking good without weighing you down.
Another plus is that it’s cheaper than its big competitor, the Specialized S-Works Prevail 3, with no discernible dip in performance.
The adjustment system could be sturdier though.
Lazer Z1 KinetiCore
- £229.99 / $249.99 / €249.99 / AU$399.95 as tested
- Pros: Very lightweight; comfortable; marginally less expensive than competitors
- Cons: Unintuitive fit system; awkward straps
The Lazer Z1 KinetiCore is an extremely light helmet which should protect you against rotational impacts.
Thanks to its padding and ventilation, the Z1 KinetiCore is also comfortable to wear.
But compared to a cranial dial, our tester found Lazer’s system less easy to use. And he couldn’t prevent the straps from hanging close to his neck.
Oakley ARO3 MIPS
- £153 / $185 / AU$240 as tested
- Pros: Safety and ventilation
- Cons: May squeeze larger, rounder heads
The Oakley ARO3 MIPS comes with MIPS for safety and front vents that can hold sunglasses. The rest of the ventilation works well, even at lower speeds in high temperatures.
The Boa 360-degree fit system is easy to adjust and ensures the ARO3 MIPS sits securely.
But the largest 56-60cm size may prove too small for some, so try before buying if your head measures towards the top of the range.
Rudy Project Nytron
- £153 / €200 / $325 as tested
- Pros: Impressive aero performance; lightweight; well finished
- Cons: Air only passes through the helmet when it's tilting down
Rudy Project Nytron aero helmet meets the WG11 rotational impact protection standard, although it doesn't incorporate MIPS.
It's light at 307g for a size L too, and well finished, although the venting only works well and catches the airflow if you ride in a head-down position.
Specialized Propero 4
- £165 / $200 / €190 / AU$310 as tested
- Pros: Well fitting; very comfortable; high safety rating; wide colour range; holds different kinds of sunglasses
- Cons: Fit is high at the back; warm in higher temperatures
The Specialized Propero 4 is a very good overall performer that could be the only helmet you need – but only when the temperature is below 20˚C.
This isn’t bad considering the £165 / $200 Propero 4 is highly rated for safety and incorporates weight-saving and drag-reducing design.
In general, the Specialized Propero 4 is comfortable and fits well. But if you could move the retention dial further down the back of your head, the Propero 4 would score higher still.
Best road bike helmets under £300 / $350
Specialized S-Works Evade 3
- £275 / $300 / €330 as tested
- Pros: Brilliant all-rounder; fairly conventional looking
- Cons: High price
The S-Works Evade 3 is Specialized's updated aero helmet and an excellent one at that.
Better ventilation than the outgoing Specialized S-Works Evade, including two front vents to hold sunglasses, augment the Evade 3's versatility.
What's more, the S-Works Evade 3 scores highly for safety and looks reasonably conventional despite its aerodynamic credentials.
There's no getting over the cost though – £275 is a lot of money to fork out for a replacement in the event of a crash.
Giro Eclipse Spherical
- £240 / $250 / €260 / AU$430 as tested
- Pros: Unobtrusive MIPS Spherical integration; lightweight; well vented for an aero helmet
- Cons: Costly
The Giro Eclipse Spherical uses Giro's own MIPS Spherical, which integrates a sliding plane between two layers in the shell, making for a neater implementation than the more common liner.
It's an aero helmet that Giro claims is the slipperiest out there, with a low-profile shape, while 17 vents help keep you cooler than many such lids.
It's not too heavy either at 277g for a medium and the padding incorporates silver to help keep it smelling nicer.
Kask Protone Icon
- £245 / $299.95 / €275 / AU$409 as tested
- Pros: Comfortable; well-ventilated
- Cons: Retention system is slightly basic
The Protone Icon is an updated version of Kask's acclaimed helmet, bringing it up to date with modern safety concerns but keeping the comfort and looks of the original Protone.
The generous padding and low weight makes it easy to forget you're wearing the Protone Icon.
The helmet has been designed to be aerodynamically efficient, but when cycling in a relaxed and upright position, the vents allow plenty of airflow over the head.
Like some of Kask's other helmets, the Protone Icon's retention system isn't the best available. But overall, the helmet is a stylish all-rounder suitable for all-season use.
MET Trenta 3K Carbon MIPS
- £280 / $336 / €330 / AU$463 as tested
- Pros; Great airflow; very light for a helmet with MIPS
- Cons: Maybe not the most durable
MET’s top-of-the-range Trenta 3K Carbon has MIPS Air built in to protect you, while minimising weight. In a size L (58 to 61cm), it’s 265g.
It has a striking wave-shaped rear profile, made up of the two exhaust vents, and a wind-tunnel backed Kammtail for an aero benefit. The ventilation is a key element of the helmet.
The hardshell doesn’t wrap fully around the underside, which won’t affect how it rides but may impact its longevity.
Giro Aries Spherical
- £290 / $300 / €320 / AU$500 as tested
- Pros: Wonderfully ventilated
- Cons: Vastly expensive
The Giro Aries Spherical scored full marks in Virginia Tech Lab's safety testing and at the time of its release was the highest-scoring helmet.
Its excellent protection features, including MIPS, don't add much weight though. Our large test sample weighed a mere 310g.
The Giro Aries Spherical will keep your head cool on the most sultry summer rides while remaining comfortable. But you'll have to pay a lot for it.
Specialized S-Works Prevail 3
- £275 / $300 / €330 / AU$475 as tested
- Pros: Great ventilation; padding stays dry however much you sweat
- Cons: Expensive; large vents let sun hit your head
The third iteration of the Specialized S-Works Prevail helmet retains the original's great ventilation and low weight (258g for a size M). Rather than the usual EPS foam bridges between the ribs, there's an aramid cage, which leads to huge vents for great airflow on hot and hilly rides.
MIPS doesn't impede airflow because Specialized uses the Air Node version that's integrated into the internal padding, which stays impressively dry, even over the brow, on hot days. Fit is great and highly adjustable. You can fit Specialized's ANGi crash alert system, although it's an extra.
We've also recently tested the slightly cheaper S-Works Prevail II Vent helmet, which has much of the Prevail 3's lightweight airy design in common.
Trek Ballista MIPS
- £260 / $300 / €300 / AU$300 as tested
- Pros: Comfortable with secure glasses storage
- Cons: Can feel stuffy on hot days
Trek's flagship aero helmet is excellent on all but the hottest days, with good ventilation and aerodynamic claims.
The Ballista has an aggressively aero-optimised design that also provides high levels of comfort and safety credentials with the inclusion of MIPS technology.
While its looks may divide opinion, the vents on the Ballista do a good job of cooling when in motion, but suffer at slow speed and on especially hot days.
What to look for when buying a road bike helmet
Fit and retention systems
First and foremost, in the event of a crash, a helmet has to stay on your head to be effective. Just like shoes, helmets from different brands are made to fit slightly differently, so it’s important to try before you buy.
Most helmets use a dial-based retention system (e.g. Giro’s Roc Loc 5 or Kask’s Octo Fit) to adjust the fit, but the vertical adjustment range (i.e. how high or low the rear adjustment supports sit on your head) will vary between helmets, so this is something to look out for.
Adjustable and comfortable straps are also incredibly important – you need to be able to wear them with a fairly snug fit against your chin for maximum effectiveness.
Materials
Most cycling helmets are made primarily from expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. This skeleton is then covered, to varying degrees, in a hard polycarbonate shell (and sometimes a dash of carbon fibre) to add strength and protect the EPS foam from accidental bumps and scratches.
This basic design has been in place for decades now, but other manufacturing techniques and materials are beginning to filter through, such as 3D-printed Polyamide 11 or other proprietary polymer materials.
Naturally, manufacturers claim these designs offer benefits over traditional cycling helmets, but whether those benefits are realised in use remains to be seen.
Safety features
While we won’t comment on the overall efficacy of helmets in general, it’s worth noting that all helmets sold in the EU must conform to the EN 1078 European Standard (and therefore have a CE mark). In the US, they must be CPSC-certified.
Every helmet on this list does just that, if not more, and should at least offer your head some protection against bumps and scratches if you fall off your bike while out riding.
Recently, we’ve seen a substantial increase in additional safety technologies such as rotational liners (e.g. MIPS) and Bontrager’s proprietary WaveCel material. These innovations are claimed to offer increased protection from head and brain injuries by reducing rotational forces or simply by using materials that are better able to absorb certain shocks.
There is some independent safety testing of cycling helmets, but these things are obviously harder to test outside of the lab, where there are so many variables at play. On balance, these extra safety features are almost certainly worth looking for and have now trickled down to quite inexpensive lids.
Ventilation
For fast road riding, especially in hot weather, ventilation is key. A well-designed system of vents and channels in the internal structure of a helmet can help to draw air over your head and dissipate heat.
As might be obvious, putting holes in a helmet to increase ventilation is likely to lead to reduced weight and, potentially, robustness. So, to make up for that, airy helmets often need more reinforcement or are constructed with pricier materials, to ensure they still meet safety and durability standards.
Aerodynamics
The aero brush touches everything these days, increasing costs and making all your current kit feel outdated, but with helmets it probably makes sense. The potential watt savings to be made with aero helmets shouldn’t be overlooked if you’re concerned with riding fast.
There are compromises of course: increasing aerodynamic efficiency usually means closing off ventilation holes or putting up with funky-shaped lids that, frankly, have looks that sometimes border on the ridiculous. But then again, if your main concern is simply to ride faster, perhaps looks aren’t that important.
Other features
Only a few brands actively promote their helmets' ability to hold your sunglasses in the front vents, but this feature can be a real bonus.
Helmet brands that also make sunglasses tend to do better in this regard, but make sure to take your sunglasses with you when you’re shopping for a new helmet so you can check the hold.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it is worth considering what kind of riding the helmets you like the look of are designed for.
Let’s say you like classic-looking helmets with lots of vent holes; if you live somewhere cold, maybe you’d be better off with a more aero-focused helmet with less ventilation and holes for water to seep through.
Likewise, the opposite could be true if you live somewhere hot; there’s no use having a helmet that’s incredibly fast in the wind tunnel if you don’t want to wear it because it makes your head boil.
