Mountain bike helmets are built around a different set of trade-offs than road helmets. Coverage is the first decision: open-face for XC and trail, full-face for bike parks and downhill, convertible for riders who want one helmet across multiple disciplines. MIPS adds a low-friction liner that lets the helmet rotate slightly on impact, addressing rotational forces that a standard helmet can’t. Giro’s Spherical system takes the same concept further, building it into a two-shell construction where the outer shell is designed to rotate on the inner.

Bell’s Super series has become the benchmark for convertible enduro helmets — the Super Air R MIPS and Super 3R MIPS use a detachable chin bar, while the Super Air Spherical covers the fixed full-face option. Giro runs deepest: the Artex MIPS and Chronicle MIPS handle trail and XC, the Montaro MIPS II steps up for enduro, the Switchblade MIPS is the convertible option, and the Insurgent Spherical and Manifest Spherical address serious enduro and park descents. Kask brings the Defender for trail and enduro and the Caipi for XC, with Mavic’s Crossmax Pro rounding out the cross-country side.

Browse men’s road bike helmets for pavement-focused riding, see the women’s mountain bike helmets collection, or explore the full bike helmets range at RA Cycles.