On the outside, the POC Omne Air features an optimised-density EPS liner for "ideal impact force absorption". The exterior aesthetic is quite minimalist, with a relatively low profile, meaning it sits neatly on your head without looking bulbous in any way. If you want more specifics though, road bike helmets tend to split into aero, climbing, and city styles. Aero helmets are an excellent way to add aero optimisation without extra cost but they tend to run hotter and weigh a bit more. Climbers helmets have tons of vents and do a great job keeping you as cool as possible while still wearing a helmet. More and more they incorporate some aerodynamics and they tend to be better all around options with a style that fits in on more types of rides. City, or commuter style helmets add features like extra coverage and lights and work best with an upright, relaxed style of riding. How do we test the best road bike helmets? When you look at the Giro Aries Spherical, there are almost more vents than helmet and it falls to a set of transparent arches to hold it all together. Instead of putting the MIPS liner inside Giro uses the Spherical design. This allows two parts of the helmet to move against each other with no possibility of interrupting airflow. Then, as a final nod to cooling, there is extensive internal channelling to get the air right where it's needed. Everything combined, Giro claims that compared to the previous Giro Aether MIPS, the Aries ups cooling efficiency by 2.3%. That's on top of 4% less aerodynamic drag plus a Virginia Tech STAR value score of 8.40 making it the #1 ranked helmet tested at the time of writing. In an overwhelming number of cases, unisex helmets are preferred by women, and every helmet listed in this guide is perfectly suitable, no matter your gender. Do you need MIPS for a helmet to be safe? If you want to dive deep, Virginia Tech goes into great detail covering the science behind the number. To keep it simple though, the lower the number the better, and right now the top ranked helmet, out of 188 tested, has a score of 8.4. If you also see a star ranking, that is the same testing displayed in a different way. Any helmet with a score below 14.00 will have a five star ranking. Should you consider a bike helmet without a Virginia Tech rating?

The one thing I do wish this helmet had was a Virginia Tech score. This doesn't mean anything on its own, but helmets that have a test score from the independent testing facility allow consumers to compare their level of protection in an unbiased way. It's a nice added feature even when it just confirms what we already know. Instead of just ahead of the ears, the POC 360 system attaches to four points at the front of the helmet. Running along both sides of the helmet you will find a long connection between the rear cradle and the front. When you combine that with the rear attachments being so far forward, it causes the whole rear section of the cradle to float free of the helmet and envelope your head. Tighten up the rear dial and it tightens all the way around your head. It also means that POC helmets using it do a good job staying out of the way of the arms of your sunglasses.Probably the first thing that comes to mind for most people is safety. That's why we wear helmets so it makes sense to consider it. Thankfully though, every helmet sold will meet the standards required for the place it's sold. We have a list dedicated to the best cheap bike helmets and we also have something for the best aero helmets, which tend to be on the expensive end, but no matter the price point your helmet will have the protection you need. The Omne Air features a single-density EPS foam liner, as well as POC’s SPIN technology, which is designed to protect the head from oblique impacts. A comparable competing technology is MIPS, but whereas MIPS is a plastic liner, SPIN is comprised of a series of silicone pads that replace the foam pads in other helmets. POC says it doesn’t affect fit and is good for the lifetime of the helmet. On the upside, along with the frequent discounts, Smith seems to have confidence in the aero performance. While other brands don't give comparisons, Smith is happy to tell you how the aero performance of the Ignite compares. It's only 1 second slower than the Specialized Evade 2 over 40km. The Evade 3 isn't any faster so that's still a relevant piece of info.

Overall, the Rapha + Poc Omne Air Spin is a comfy, functional lid that also delivers on protection with the SPIN technology. Its slim profile fitted me snugly and makes it aesthetically pleasing too. You can get lighter MIPS/MIPS-alternative helmets at this price point and a little lower, but the Omne Air Spin is still pretty good value for money. However, if you often need to lower the spot where the two straps join together in other helmets, you might find this one doesn't have the right adjustability for you. Verdict Just like you don't need a gravel-specific helmet like the Omne Ultra, you don't really need a special rain helmet. You could add a helmet cover to whatever helmet you like and it would work. For those who ride in the rain regularly though, the POC Ventral Tempus MIPS is going to be your new favourite option. Any helmet on our list will work with any kind of bike you want to use. That said, most riders prefer to match the gear they have with the type of riding they are doing. Some of that is about specific features but it's okay that some of it is just about style. POC is obviously not ashamed to embrace that style element, and the POC Omne Ultra MIPS is unabashedly styled for gravel cycling. Rapha’s treatment adds some really nice two-tone colourways, which I think alone make this version tempting (for no extra over the standard version). Rapha also offers a wide fitment in two more sizes, opening up POC’s helmet to a bigger audience of those who don’t have a conventional head shape.

Smith Dispatch Helmet

You don't lose out on anything with the POC Omne Ultra MIPS. The weight penalty is an additional 10 grams but you do get the Recco reflector in exchange. Otherwise, there's the same longer coverage in the rear as other POC helmets and the same large vents are the Omni Air. There's also the same fit and 360-degree tightening system. There's very little to take umbrage with.