Smith Optics Forefront Mips Helmet

Smith Optics Forefront Mips Helmet Info

The Smith Optics Forefront Helmet with MIPS Technology is truly at the forefront of mountain bike helmets. After years of crafting some of the most advanced ski and snowboard helmets on the market, Smith decided to enter the mountain bike helmet arena, and their powerful opening shot – the Forefront – has been made only better with the introduction of MIPS. How? Read on.

First, the helmet itself: the Forefront helmet is a full coverage helmet, providing protection from a wide variety of potential impacts - exactly what you want from an all-mountain lid. But it's the Koroyd technology - the honeycomb-like lattice beneath the helmet's external shell - that's the game-changer. Smith claims that when the material is combined with the industry-standard EPS, the helmet will dissipate 30% more energy from a crash before it reaches your head.
All that protection doesn't translate to a heavy package or a hot noggin, thanks to Smith's proprietary Aerocore technology, which orients the Koroyd’s hollow tubular structure in such a way that it accelerates both air intake and air exhaust. That increased airflow isn't just beneficial for body temperature regulation: the Forefront's AirEvac ventilation system also keeps warm air away from your sunglasses or goggles, reducing fogging.

The best helmet in the world won't do you much good if it doesn't fit, of course. VaporFit, Smith's turn-dial fit system, offers a full five centimeters of adjustability. The whole VaporFit system can move up and down or rotate forwards and backwards for perfect engagement. And although Smith may be relatively new to the bike helmet market, the snow sports giant is no stranger to product integration. Nifty slots allow you to slide your sunglasses onto the front or back of your helmet on long, hot climbs, and an integrated elastic loop will secure your goggles on aggressive descents. The removable visor can rotate a full 15 degrees, integrates with goggles, and won't bounce around. Smith offers dedicated mounts for solid support of GoPro cameras and Light in Motion lights, too.

So where does MIPS come in? MIPS is an advanced feature of this version of the helmet. It’s a separate layer of the interior of the helmet, suspended independently of the exterior shell, which shifts, or “floats,” upon impact. When the helmet takes a hit – or multiple hits (MIPS stands for Multiple Impact Protection System) – it will often jarr the wearer’s head, but the MIPS system isolates the impact to the exterior shell, preventing the shock from directly impacting the head or jerking it around. It’s a system that was years in development and has seen applications across dozens of sports, yielding unprecedented success in reducing traumatic brain injuries or other collateral damage that comes with helmet impacts. Expect to see it appear on many more helmets in the coming years.

Bringing cutting-edge safety technology to style and comfort is nothing new to Smith, and with the Smith Optics Forefront Helmet with MIPS Technology, mountain bikers now get to experience the latest and greatest the company has to offer.