New Helmet time - Mips or no Mpis

[Mr Adonis]

Well early June, I had massive accident - broke my neck - had to have neck brace for 3.5months.
Anyway, all healed now, thank god. Fitness wise, surprisingly pretty good - was doing 10 km walks every day just to maintain fitness. Looking at Strava, i walked close to 900kms in just over 3 months. Started riding and running past few weeks, its like im born again....
Time for new MTB helmet - been reading up on all this MIPS stuff - i must admit im a bit skeptical with all the testing that has been done.
Call me cycnical, but all the tests ive seen is with a high friction 'head'- which would give best possible outcome.
Lots of people on forums commenting that real heads also act like Mips, with the skin and skull acting like 2 planes - more so with having hair....
I can see their point!
I have yet to see a helmet test with a 'proper' dummy human head - that is skin and hair.
What do you guys think? Going by the testing, MIPS is the best thing since sliced bread, but out in the real world, would it make that much of a difference?
By the way, the helmets im looking at for now are Lazer Impala non MIPS, and Bell 4Forty MIPS.

 

[Daniel Hale]

go mips - even the new bont wave cell doesn’t come close to it, an big Us ins company employed cirginia tech to test helmets, mips comes out as safest, wavecell vs mips, this links to cycling tips article, o won’t bore you with the actual test results -no the tests are all about safety, no regard for comfort/vents etc. if inclined here is testing article from virgin tech virginia tech helmet testing, and here are ratings themselves helmet safety ratings

all 3 recent helmets i bought are mips, bell super 3r, giro & bont ballista (roadie aero)

‘the ballistics gels they test on is akin to skin, so the test dummy’s don’t need skin, r u thinking that hair would impede the movement of the helmet somehow with the mips lining attached?

 

[Sethius]

Yet to find a mips helmet that's been comfortable so haven't paid up yet. Tried tld, fox, lazer, giro and bell range. 100% helmet shape is bizarre.

 

[Petero]

Unfortunately MIPS being proprietary = higher costs for the manufacturers and passed onto us.

Even if the head acts somewhat like MIPS, having the helmet designed to do so also wouldn't be detrimental IMO, but would actually be additional to mean more protection for oblique impacts?

I forked out for MIPS, yes it's not as comfy as a non-MIPS helmet and feels a bit weird, but if it's gonna potentially protect my brain more than non MIPS, worth it to me.

 

[binner]

..on the topic of mips, do none of you guys find that your helmet falls down/drops when you are punching thru rock gardens or steep drops, g outs etc... my bell with mips sucks for this. The whole mips roll thing is useless. The only way I can stop the roll is to wear goggles that hold up the helmet.
I gave up on mips.

 

[wkkie]

..on the topic of mips, do none of you guys find that your helmet falls down/drops when you are punching thru rock gardens or steep drops, g outs etc... my bell with mips sucks for this. The whole mips roll thing is useless. The only way I can stop the roll is to wear goggles that hold up the helmet.
I gave up on mips.

Nope, not at all. I'm running a Super DH. The only issue I've had is with squeaking.

You know that dial thingy at the back? Tighten it?

 

[binner]

its not that, it how mips works me thinks. How come my non mips bell helmet of similar doesn't roll forward ?
big questions , first wold probs.......

 

[dirtdad]

I'd go perfect fitting comfortable helmet over a feature like mips. But if the mips helmet fits really well... no harm grabbing it. Have to try them all on though. You're wearing it all the time, so it sucks when theres any niggles in fit.

 

[Isaakk]

Yet to find a mips helmet that's been comfortable so haven't paid up yet. Tried tld, fox, lazer, giro and bell range. 100% helmet shape is bizarre.

Tried a Bell Super Air? Would be somewhat surprised if you found that uncomfortable.

 

[Staunch]

Yet to find a mips helmet that's been comfortable so haven't paid up yet. Tried tld, fox, lazer, giro and bell range. 100% helmet shape is bizarre.

..on the topic of mips, do none of you guys find that your helmet falls down/drops when you are punching thru rock gardens or steep drops, g outs etc... my bell with mips sucks for this. The whole mips roll thing is useless. The only way I can stop the roll is to wear goggles that hold up the helmet.
I gave up on mips.

I forked out for MIPS, yes it's not as comfy as a non-MIPS helmet and feels a bit weird, but if it's gonna potentially protect my brain more than non MIPS, worth it to me.

I completely disagree. My Giro Montaro is probably the most comfortable open face helmet I've ever had. I do agree that not all the Giro MIPS helmets are comfy, but when I've compared MIPS vs non-MIPS versions of the same helmet, the MIPS version has always felt better. I guess the thing to remember is every helmet brand/model fits differently, so having MIPS isn't going to magically make it perfect for your head. Try on some options and see what works best.

I personally would always take a MIPS option due to the additional safety, but that's my opinion.

 

[Haakon]

I'd go perfect fitting comfortable helmet over a feature like mips. But if the mips helmet fits really well... no harm grabbing it. Have to try them all on though. You're wearing it all the time, so it sucks when theres any niggles in fit.

This. Dont buy on brand or price, buy on fit. Then get the MIPS version.

My head fits best with Giant helmets, and I have the MIPS version on both the roadie and trail helmet. No flopping, great fit and very comfortable.

Have totalled two of the trail helmets in crashes, no way of knowing what effect the MIPS had, but head still works (relatively speaking).

 

[Litenbror]

its not that, it how mips works me thinks. How come my non mips bell helmet of similar doesn't roll forward ?
big questions , first wold probs.......

You might want to check that the MIPS tabs have not broken because it should only really move if you've had a crash and the plastic tabs break. I have 2 MIPS helmets (Bell and fix) and they don't move once I've tightened them up.

 

[hellmansam]

You might want to check that the MIPS tabs have not broken because it should only really move if you've had a crash and the plastic tabs break. I have 2 MIPS helmets (Bell and fix) and they don't move once I've tightened them up.

Have you fine tuned the fit using the various pads that came with the helmet ? if it's moving around that much, it might not work as well as it's designed to when shit gets real.

 

[Haakon]

its not that, it how mips works me thinks. How come my non mips bell helmet of similar doesn't roll forward ?
big questions , first wold probs.......

Does it actually fit though? MIPS will move around a little I find, but not to a degree I notice it or more importantly to a point where its not optimally positioned on my noggin... If its moving that much, that suggests to my its an ill fitting helmet, irrespective of MIPS or not.

 

[Litenbror]

Have you fine tuned the fit using the various pads that came with the helmet ? if it's moving around that much, it might not work as well as it's designed to when shit gets real.

I have not had to fine tune the fit but these are not full face helmets. Also from what I have seen and read the MIPS works by plastic tabs that connect the outer shell and the inner liner breaking when you impact. The outer and inner shell shouldn't move much unless the tabs have been broken at some stage.

 

[Petero]

If you have a giro head... 30% off.. https://www.mtbdirect.com.au/giro-manifest-mips-helmet

$280 for an open face helmet though

 

[HamboCairns]

Giro Manifest MIPS is reduced from $399 to $279 at MTB Direct - https://www.mtbdirect.com.au/giro-manifest-mips-helmet

 

[Yet1]

I completely disagree. My Giro Montaro is probably the most comfortable open face helmet I've ever had.

I have the Montaro and agree, although being a bit on the heavy side it is super comfy and would definitley recommend.

 

[Chriso_29er]

Hi have MIPS in the full face, but how that works I have no idea, considering you have all the other padding around including the cheek pads keeping it very secure!

 

[ozzybmx]

TLD A2 with MIPS, its the most comfortable 'trail' helmet I've ever had.

I don't think the MIPS has any effect on comfort or fit, that will be down to the helmet characteristics.

If you press down and move the helmet, the MIPS shell will grip and the rubber bungy mounts will give you cm or two movement, but no extra movement over a normal helmet while riding... I have a shaved head so there's no hair grip either.