The safest bike helmets we have data for
Independent crash-test results from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab for 72 of the 115 helmets we track, ranked best first. Lower STAR score = better.
Ranked by STAR score, best first
| # | Brand | Model | Stars | STAR score | Fits | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | POC | Cularis | ★★★★★ | 7.10 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€230 | View |
| 2 | POC | Cytal | ★★★★★ | 7.51 | 50-61 cm (19.7-24.0 in) | ~€320 | View |
| 3 | Sweet Protection | Fixer Carbon 2Vi Mips | ★★★★★ | 7.66 | 53-62 cm (20.9-24.4 in) | ~€699 | View |
| 4 | Sweet Protection | Strayer 2Vi Mips | ★★★★★ | 7.88 | 53-62 cm (20.9-24.4 in) | ~€349 | View |
| 5 | MET | Trenta 3K Carbon MIPS | ★★★★★ | 8.20 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€400 | View |
| 6 | Sweet Protection | Fixer Composite 2Vi Mips | ★★★★★ | 8.24 | 53-62 cm (20.9-24.4 in) | ~€449 | View |
| 7 | Giro | Aries Spherical | ★★★★★ | 8.40 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | Check price | View |
| 8 | Sweet Protection | Falconer 2Vi Mips | ★★★★★ | 8.45 | 53-61 cm (20.9-24.0 in) | ~€249 | View |
| 9 | Specialized | Tactic | ★★★★★ | 8.55 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€79 | View |
| 10 | Specialized | S-Works Prevail 3 | ★★★★★ | 8.64 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€289 | View |
| 11 | Sweet Protection | Trailblazer Mips | ★★★★★ | 8.69 | 53-61 cm (20.9-24.0 in) | ~€199 | View |
| 12 | Specialized | Mode | ★★★★★ | 8.80 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€75 | View |
| 13 | Sweet Protection | Bushwhacker 2Vi Mips | ★★★★★ | 9.05 | 53-61 cm (20.9-24.0 in) | ~€249 | View |
| 14 | Specialized | Ambush 3 | ★★★★★ | 9.11 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€199 | View |
| 15 | Sweet Protection | Falconer Aero 2Vi Mips | ★★★★★ | 9.12 | 53-61 cm (20.9-24.0 in) | ~€299 | View |
| 16 | Fox | Crossframe Pro | ★★★★★ | 9.40 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€147 | View |
| 17 | Specialized | Align II | ★★★★★ | 9.55 | 52-62 cm (20.5-24.4 in) | ~€55 | View |
| 18 | Specialized | Chamonix 3 | ★★★★★ | 9.64 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€69 | View |
| 19 | Giant | Rev Pro Mips | ★★★★★ | 9.86 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€249 | View |
| 20 | Specialized | Ambush 2 | ★★★★★ | 9.88 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€99 | View |
| 21 | MET | Downtown MIPS | ★★★★★ | 10.01 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€80 | View |
| 22 | MET | Miles MIPS | ★★★★★ | 10.01 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€80 | View |
| 23 | Lazer | Z1 KinetiCore | ★★★★★ | 10.06 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | Check price | View |
| 24 | Giant | Roost Mips | ★★★★★ | 10.09 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€99 | View |
| 25 | Sweet Protection | Primer Mips | ★★★★☆ | 10.25 | 53-61 cm (20.9-24.0 in) | ~€149 | View |
| 26 | MET | Terrae | ★★★★☆ | 10.31 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€150 | View |
| 27 | MET | Revo | ★★★★☆ | 10.45 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€200 | View |
| 28 | Sweet Protection | Fluxer Mips | ★★★★☆ | 10.48 | 53-61 cm (20.9-24.0 in) | ~€199 | View |
| 29 | Specialized | S-Works Evade 4 | ★★★★☆ | 10.50 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€329 | View |
| 30 | MET | Terranova MIPS | ★★★★☆ | 10.53 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€70 | View |
| 31 | Trek | Quantum WaveCel | ★★★★☆ | 10.67 | 52-64 cm (20.5-25.1 in) | ~€109.99 | View |
| 32 | SCOTT | Arx Plus | ★★★★☆ | 10.75 | 51-61 cm (20.1-24.0 in) | ~€100 | View |
| 33 | Giro | Helios Spherical | ★★★★☆ | 10.82 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | Check price | View |
| 34 | ABUS | MoDrop MIPS | ★★★★☆ | 10.87 | 51-61 cm (20.1-24.0 in) | Check price | View |
| 35 | MET | Vinci MIPS | ★★★★☆ | 10.90 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€120 | View |
| 36 | Specialized | S-Works Evade 3 | ★★★★☆ | 10.93 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€289 | View |
| 37 | Specialized | Loma | ★★★★☆ | 10.98 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€109 | View |
| 38 | Giant | Rail Mips | ★★★★☆ | 11.09 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€145 | View |
| 39 | Giro | Eclipse Spherical | ★★★★☆ | 11.20 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€179 | View |
| 40 | Giro | Tyrant Spherical | ★★★★☆ | 11.22 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | Check price | View |
| 41 | MET | Trenta MIPS | ★★★★☆ | 11.25 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€260 | View |
| 42 | MET | Shelter | ★★★★☆ | 11.26 | 52-64 cm (20.5-25.1 in) | ~€80 | View |
| 43 | Specialized | Propero 4 | ★★★★☆ | 11.26 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€189 | View |
| 44 | Trek | Rally WaveCel | ★★★★☆ | 11.32 | 51-66 cm (20.1-25.9 in) | Check price | View |
| 45 | Trek | Ballista Mips | ★★★★☆ | 11.44 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€249.99 | View |
| 46 | SCOTT | Argo Plus | ★★★★☆ | 11.60 | 54-61 cm (21.3-24.0 in) | ~€80 | View |
| 47 | Trek | Circuit WaveCel | ★★★★☆ | 11.73 | 51-66 cm (20.1-25.9 in) | ~€157 | View |
| 48 | Lazer | Cage KinetiCore | ★★★★☆ | 11.76 | 52-62 cm (20.5-24.4 in) | Check price | View |
| 49 | Specialized | Search | ★★★★☆ | 11.82 | 51-62 cm (20.1-24.4 in) | ~€149 | View |
| 50 | Giant | Rev Comp Mips | ★★★★☆ | 11.87 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€95 | View |
| 51 | Sweet Protection | Promuter Mips | ★★★★☆ | 11.96 | 53-61 cm (20.9-24.0 in) | ~€199 | View |
| 52 | Trek | Solstice Mips | ★★★★☆ | 12.07 | 51-61 cm (20.1-24.0 in) | Check price | View |
| 53 | Specialized | Camber | ★★★★☆ | 12.11 | 49-63 cm (19.3-24.8 in) | ~€59 | View |
| 54 | Bern | Macon 2.0 MIPS | ★★★★☆ | 12.20 | 52-62 cm (20.5-24.4 in) | ~€77 | View |
| 55 | Giro | Manifest Spherical | ★★★★☆ | 12.20 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€127 | View |
| 56 | Giant | Path Mips | ★★★★☆ | 12.48 | 49-61 cm (19.3-24.0 in) | ~€59.9 | View |
| 57 | Giant | Relay Mips | ★★★★☆ | 12.48 | 49-61 cm (19.3-24.0 in) | ~€54.9 | View |
| 58 | POC | Cytal Carbon | ★★★★☆ | 12.65 | 50-61 cm (19.7-24.0 in) | ~€400 | View |
| 59 | Lazer | Coyote KinetiCore | ★★★★☆ | 12.65 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | Check price | View |
| 60 | Giant | Rev Elite Mips | ★★★★☆ | 12.69 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€145 | View |
| 61 | Trek | Blaze WaveCel | ★★★★☆ | 12.69 | 52-62 cm (20.5-24.4 in) | ~€249.99 | View |
| 62 | MET | Rivale MIPS | ★★★★☆ | 12.70 | 52-61 cm (20.5-24.0 in) | ~€170 | View |
| 63 | Thousand | Chapter MIPS | ★★★★☆ | 12.91 | 54-62 cm (21.3-24.4 in) | ~€156 | View |
| 64 | Giro | Syntax MIPS | ★★★☆☆ | 13.37 | 51-65 cm (20.1-25.5 in) | ~€150 | View |
| 65 | Fox | Mainframe MIPS | ★★★☆☆ | 13.37 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€83 | View |
| 66 | Fox | Speedframe | ★★★☆☆ | 13.39 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€110 | View |
| 67 | Lazer | Jackal KinetiCore | ★★★☆☆ | 13.60 | 52-64 cm (20.5-25.1 in) | ~€190 | View |
| 68 | Lazer | Strada KinetiCore | ★★★☆☆ | 13.62 | 52-64 cm (20.5-25.1 in) | ~€120 | View |
| 69 | Lazer | Tonic KinetiCore | ★★★☆☆ | 14.30 | 52-64 cm (20.5-25.1 in) | ~€70 | View |
| 70 | Lazer | CityZen KinetiCore | ★★★☆☆ | 14.55 | 52-64 cm (20.5-25.1 in) | ~€65 | View |
| 71 | Smith | Signal MIPS | ★★★☆☆ | 15.49 | 48-65 cm (18.9-25.5 in) | ~€68 | View |
| 72 | Endura | Hummvee Plus MIPS | ★★☆☆☆ | 16.79 | 51-63 cm (20.1-24.8 in) | ~€75 | View |
Ratings from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. We copy their numbers; we do not test helmets.
How to read a STAR score
Virginia Tech buys helmets at retail and drops them onto an angled anvil at two speeds and six positions, measuring linear and rotational acceleration. Those are combined into a single STAR value that estimates concussion risk, so a lower score is better — and the star rating is just that number bucketed: 5 stars is the top tier, 1 star the bottom.
Two warnings that matter more than the ranking itself. A rating belongs to one exact model: the MIPS version and the non-MIPS version of the same helmet are different products and often differ by a full star, so we never copy a rating between variants. And “not rated” does not mean unsafe — the lab has only tested a few hundred of the thousands of helmets on sale. Of the 115 models we track, 72 have a published rating.
Fit is a safety feature too
A 5-star helmet that sits too high because it is at the limit of its size range does not protect you like a 5-star helmet. That is the argument for starting from your measurement rather than from a “best helmets” list: get the shortlist that fits, then pick the safest one on it.
Enter your head circumference and we will show the safety rating next to every helmet that actually fits you.
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