Best Cycling Helmets
No matter whether you’re a casual weekend cyclist or a serious, everyday rider, you are going to need a quality helmet when you’re out on the road. Not all helmets are designed the same, and an elite helmet on your dome can be the difference between serious injury and a minor fall.
Of course, if you’re a more serious cyclist, different helmets can also make a big difference in terms of aerodynamics; well-designed helmets can shave lots of time off of your ride, compared to clunky basic helmets.
Helmet innovation is always improving more and more, and the products on the market now are better than ever. Here are five of our favorite cycling helmets in 2015.
Bell Volt Helmet
The Bell Volt Helmet is a professional-quality helmet for a very reasonable price. This helmet is used by many amateurs and professionals alike – Cadel Evans was wearing a Bell Volt when he won the Tour de France in 2011. If this helmet is good enough for a Tour de France winner, it’s obviously a solid piece of equipment.
Coming in at 280 grams in weight, the Volt is remarkably light, but still packs in plenty of cushion for potential impact. The shell, which is made of carbon fiber and reinforced with EPS foam, is certified to withstand serious trauma, making it a good helmet for mountain biking as well. The Volt can stand up to collisions with rocks and asphalt alike.
The Bell Volt Helmet also features great breathability, and can adjust to nearly any head size to secure a comfortable, safe fit.
Check out more on this top-of-the-line, versatile helmet here. It is 40% OFF for a limited time!
Louis Garneau Superleggera Helmet
The Louis Garneau Superleggera Helmet is another professional-level helmet that is designed for maximum aerodynamic performance. A favorite of crit riders and triathletes, the Superleggera helmet is made for speed and precision, which is evident with one look at it.
The Superleggera weighs 340 grams, making it a little heavier than most of the helmets we will feature here, but that is simply because its design makes it larger. However, the weight in no way takes away from the streamlined performance of the Superleggera helmet.
This helmet improves laminar airflow and stabilizes your head, allowing you to be in control of the wind like many helmets just cannot. It also comes with reinforced EPS foam and Airdry padding, making it durable and breathable.
The Louis Garneau Superleggera Helmet is 50% off on Backcountry for a limited time!
Smith Overtake Helmet
We’ve already covered the Smith Overtake Helmet as one of our favorite pieces of new cycling technology in 2015, but it deserves further praise here, as it is a truly fantastic helmet for riders of all disciplines and abilities.
The Smith Overtake Helmet is incredibly aerodynamic, but really makes its bones in its ability to absorb impact and protect you in nearly all collisions. The helmet’s innovative honeycomb design is comprised of what Smith calls “Koroyd” and is reinforced by more traditional EPS foam and a hard outer layer as well.
This honeycomb, Koroyd design uses minuscule co-polymer tubes that absorb impact, while a fenestrated surface allows for unprecedented breathability that is hard to achieve with traditional EPS foam. The Overtake’s design allows it to absorb 30% more energy as well.
With a weight of 250 grams, the Smith Overtake is a lightweight helmet that gives you aerodynamic advantages and unparalleled safety.
Learn more about the Smith Overtake here!
Giro Synthe Helmet
The Giro Synthe Helmet is another helmet which we’ve already discussed as one of our favorite pieces of gear for the 2015 cycling season, but it is an excellent helmet that needs to be mentioned again.
The Giro Synthe also weighs 250 grams, making it one of the premier lightweight options in the world of cycling helmets, but its aerodynamic features are just as impressive. In fact, several tests seem to suggest that this might be the most aerodynamic helmet money can buy right now, as the Synthe’s wind-tunnel performances are virtually unmatched. Giro claims that the helmet can beat any of the sleek, more traditionally aerodynamic helmets, while providing much better ventilation.
The Synthe’s hallmark innovation is its Roc Loc Air fit adjuster, which allows a rider to adjust the helmet’s pressure and fore/aft lift with one hand, even while riding. This allows the Giro Synthe to be one of the best-fitting, most comfortable helmets to ever exist.
This helmet might be the most all-around impressive cycling helmet you can get your hands on in 2015. You should definitely check it out HERE.
Lazer Z1 Helmet
Another helmet at the forefront of technological innovation for cyclists is the Z1 Helmet from Lazer. This brand new helmet is incredibly lightweight, coming in at just 220 grams, and provides some of the best aerodynamic performance we’ve seen in a helmet.
This Belgian helmet manufacturer has long been one of the favorite companies for professional cyclists, and if the pros like using something, you should probably take note.
The Lazer Z1 prides itself on being one of the best-fitting, most comfortable helmets around as well, using its patented Advanced Rollsys System to ensure that the helmet fits perfectly on your dome. The Z1 is also the most versatile helmet in the world when it comes to climate; it protects you much better than the others on this list in cold weather – especially with its optional Aeroshell, for another $20 – but also is one of the most breathable helmets for long, hot days on the bike.
Lazer’s Z1 also protects your head incredibly well against impact, as its signature Rigidity Brace System (RBS) makes the helmet function kind of like a car’s roll cage, as during a crash, the cracked EPS stays together to provide maximum protection.
The Lazer Z1 is one of the most impressive helmets you can find anywhere. Check it out here!
If you’re in the market for a new helmet for this cycling season, you can’t do any better than the ones mentioned on this list. Combining aerodynamic performance, lightweight comfort, and potentially lifesaving protection, these helmets will make your head a whole lot happier.
Our friends at Backcountry.com are currently running some incredible deals on the helmets mentioned here, as many of them are up to 50% off for a limited time. But we’ll help you out even more with a special coupon for an additional 25% off. Just click here!
Here’s to a safe and happy cycling season with a great new helmet!
