When you’re cycling, you must be wearing the appropriate gear to protect your head and body during the event of an accident. Therefore, wearing a helmet is essential to your health and safety.
We’ve found the top seven road bike helmets designed for comfort, protection, and design. Each of them features shock-absorbing technology to avoid head injuries.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | rating | price |
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Best Overall |
Smith Optics Signal MIPS Men’s Cycling Helmet |
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Best Premium Pick |
Bontrager Starvos WaveCel Cycling Helmet |
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Best for a Budget |
Giro Register MIPS Adult Recreational Cycling Helmet |
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TeamObsidian Airflow Bike Helmet |
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Giro Fixture MIPS Adult Dirt Cycling Helmet |
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BERN, Summer Lenox EPS. Helmet |
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Kask Rapido Road Cycling Helmet |
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Find the Best Road Bike Helmet Under $100 in 2022
Below, you’ll find the top options available on the market right now. We selected these road bike helmets based on design, comfort, fit, versatility, and, most importantly, protection.
Smith Optics Signal MIPS Men’s Cycling Helmet—Best Overall
Smith Optics Signal MIPS Men's Cycling HelmetThis is the best road bike helmet for under $100 for safety purposes. In particular, it’s designed with a unique thermal welding process that provides energy absorption properties. This means that the cores crush in a controlled manner upon impact, decelerating the energy from an impact. This results in reduced trauma levels.
Your head will remain protected at all times when you wear this men’s cycling helmet. In fact, each section within the core is created to precise durometer, size, and thickness specifications to offer high impact resistance.
Although this helmet acts as an energy absorber, it’s also fully breathable and remains comfortable to wear for long periods. This is all thanks to the open cell construction that allows cool air to enter while releasing hot air from your head. The helmet’s ventilation protection prevents you from overheating and sweating during intense cycling. With 21 open vents, this helmet will allow plenty of breezes to enter.
The helmet is available in various colors: black, cloud grey, neon yellow, pool, rise, and white. And there are three size options: Small, medium, and large. Finally, it’s also lightweight, improving the helmet’s comfort levels for long bike rides.
Bontrager Starvos WaveCel Cycling Helmet—Best Premium Pick
The Bontrager Starvos WaveCel Cycling Helmet excels in performance and comfort. This is because it’s designed with advanced WaveCel technology to create a perfect balance between comfort and performance for all cyclists. This means that you can wear it during the entire duration of your bike rides without pausing to adjust the fit.
Furthermore, this helmet was created with a one-handed fit adjustment system to accommodate different head heights and circumferences. Therefore, it’s an ideal purchase for all head shapes and allows you to share it with other riders, too.
Another reason that makes this one of the best road bike helmets is the materials it’s used with. Designed with WaveCel, a collapsible cellular structure, this material lines the inside of your helmet. The importance of this is to create a crumple zone that absorbs any force from an impact before it reaches your head.
So, not only does this cycling helmet feel comfortable to wear, but it’ll protect your head (and brain) from the impact of a crash.
In addition, it’s also equipped with comfortable internal pads that absorb moisture on hot days, preventing any build-up of sweat within the helmet. This feature also makes the helmet easy to wash and keep clean.
Giro Register MIPS Adult Recreational Cycling Helmet—Best for a Budget
Giro Register MIPS Adult Recreational Cycling HelmetDesigned with a snap-fit visor, this adult helmet is ideal for wearing in summer. This integrated design prevents the sunlight from entering your eyes and putting your safety in danger.
Furthermore, it features InMold construction technology that makes the helmet lightweight for wearing on your head for hours at a time. And this construction protects your skin in the event of an accident, alongside the polycarbonate shell with an EPS liner. Plus, the combination of these materials feels comfortable against your head without feeling bare plastic.
The Giro Register helmet features 22 vents to allow a gentle breeze to enter the helmet, helping to prevent any sweat or heat build-up, thus keeping you cool during vigorous cycles or when it’s hot outdoors.
Unlike other road bike helmets that can be uncomfortable and ill-fitting, the Giro Register provides a universal fit. And with a simple turn of the dial, you can customize the fit to your head thanks to the Roc Loc Sport system. Also, it’s available in a range of colors and sizes so that you can purchase the best fit for you.
TeamObsidian Airflow Bike Helmet—Best for Airflow
TeamObsidian Airflow Bike HelmetThis Airflow bike helmet features 22 large air vents throughout its design to keep your head cool while you’re cycling in tough conditions or when it’s hot outside. This is great to avoid a build-up of sweat within your hair and the helmet. Furthermore, this efficient ventilation system helps the helmet to be as lightweight as possible, thus improving the overall comfort levels.
Most importantly, it’s designed to offer life-saving benefits and protect your head in the event of an accident. It promises this by featuring a hard exterior shell in the mold, which is then reinforced with added foam to hold all of the parts firmly in place. The combination of these materials helps to keep your head safe in case of an accident.
In addition, this road bike helmet is comfortable to wear for long periods of time—a feature that’s important if you cycle regularly or endure long routes. In particular, it’s available in two sizes and features delicate and soft chin pads that lay flat against your cheeks for improved comfort. Also, the helmet is adjustable, thanks to the Patented Adjustment System that makes it adaptable to the shape of your head.
Giro Fixture MIPS Adult Dirt Cycling Helmet—Best for Females
Giro Fixture MIPS Adult Dirt Cycling HelmetIf you’re looking for the best road bike helmet under $100 for females, the Giro Fixture unit makes an excellent option. Its design and shorter back allow women with long hair to have a ponytail while wearing this helmet. This is ideal for excellent comfort without having to compensate for your favorite hairstyles.
Although it features fewer vents than many other road bike helmets on this list, these are large and well placed, offering optimum airflow. This might not provide as much breeze as other units, but it’s not necessarily a disadvantage if you’ll use it in the winter months.
With that being said, the built-in visor makes this helmet ideal for wearing when it’s sunny outside. But the visor is well designed so that it won’t restrict your vision when cycling like some road bike helmets can.
Furthermore, this helmet is comfortable to wear all day everyday. With its built-in plush foam padding, it remains comfortable against your head—making it suitable for those with short hair, too. And not having a hard plastic directly against your head makes you more likely to endure a vigorous bike ride without having to cut it short.
This Giro Fixture helmet uses In-Mold construction that allows for better cooling, as well as make its design lightweight and comfortable. Finally, it’s equipped with MIPS—technology that reduces rotational forces. This technology ensures that the helmet remains firmly in place during the event of an incident and reduces the amount of rotational force transferred to your brain during an accident.
BERN, Summer Lenox EPS. Helmet—Best for All Weathers
BERN, Summer Lenox EPS. HelmetThis BERN road bike helmet embodies a stylish design with a classic baseball-style hard brim that captures the essence of urban cycling. In fact, this design might be appealing to those who prefer not to wear a helmet because of its appearance and/or comfort levels.
Instead, the BERN helmet features an adjustable retention system to ensure a secure fit and make it universal so that it can adapt to your head size. Plus, the moisture-controlling liner keeps you dry and comfortable when it’s raining or when there’s a build-up of sweat.
But aside from design and comfort, this BERN helmet made the list because of its protection levels. It passes all bike and snow certifications to remain safe and lightweight for all-year-round use. Also, it uses MIPS technology to reduce rotational motion that can cause severe brain injuries. This low friction layer allows a sliding movement of 10 to 15 mm in all directions, massively reducing any rotations.
Best of all, this EPS model comes with replaceable warm and cold weather liners, making it ideal to use in the summer and winter. And these weather liners are easy to remove, so there’s no complicated set-up process.
Kask Rapido Road Cycling Helmet—Best for Summer
Kask Rapido Road Cycling HelmetThis sleek cycling helmet features 24 large air vents, allowing fresh air to flow over your head so that you don’t overheat. This is perfect for use in the summer, and the vents make the helmet more aerodynamic so you can pick up speed quickly.
The helmet uses MIT technology to offer a high level of safety and protection, thanks to the polycarbonate layer covering the top of the shell, across the back, and on the base ring. This way, your entire head is protected from all angles.
Furthermore, the helmet comes with in-molding technology that joins the outer and inner layers for excellent durability and protection. All the while, the polystyrene shock-absorption layer shields your head in the event of an accident.
Finally, cyclists will love how comfortable and secure this helmet is to wear. Featuring an adjustable, up-and-down fit, you can tailor the helmet to your individual head shape for long-lasting comfort. Plus, the soft interior pads provide hours of comfort—even in the most tough cycling conditions.
Buying Guide
To discover the best road bike helmet under $100 that’s right for you, there are some important features to consider. Below are the top considerations to make throughout the buying guide to help you sift through the plethora of options currently on the market.
Price vs. Safety
You should have a budget in mind before considering a road bike helmet. But a cheaper model will typically get you fewer safety features and not be from a reputable brand.
However, a more expensive road bike helmet will typically feature an aerodynamic design that allows you to cycle faster on your bike. Plus, a more
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Comfort and Fit
In a nutshell, your road bike helmet should fit so that it doesn’t fall off when you move to the side, but it shouldn’t be too tight that it limits your movement (nobody wants that during an intense cycling session).
Instead, your chosen bike helmet should provide an all-around vision so you can see clearly. If it’s too big on one side or the visor covers up your eyes, your safety will be seriously impacted.
Finding the right size for your helmet requires measuring your head. Use a measuring tape and start above your eyebrows on your forehead. Make sure you start the measuring tape at around 2.5 cm. Bring the tape all around the circumference of your head and make a note of the measurement, making sure that it’s not too tight or too loose.
This measurement will help you choose the circumference for your chosen helmet to fit securely and won’t fall off.
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Ventilation
Ideally, your chosen road bike helmet will have a ventilation system to keep you cool when you’re cycling in hot conditions. However, if you’re searching for a budget-friendly model, it may not feature vents. Although this might seem disappointing, it’s not a necessary feature if you typically don’t cycle in the summer.
However, a built-in ventilation system in your helmet helps to reduce the overall weight, making it lighter and more comfortable. After all, who wants a heavyweight on their head during a tough cycle?
Helmets with a handful of no vents are considerably warmer. And as sweat builds up during a big uphill climb in the middle of summer, you may regret not looking for a design with at least 10 vents built-in.
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Straps
Straps improve the bike helmet’s design so that it remains securely in place. Without them, you risk the helmet falling off mid-ride and impacting your safety if you encounter a bike accident. However, the straps shouldn’t be so tight that you can’t comfortably move your head forward and it restricts your movement.
Opt for adjustable straps—especially if you intend on sharing the helmet with other riders. Plus, this will improve the helmet’s longevity as you can adjust its fit throughout its lifetime.
We also recommend carefully evaluating the materials used on the straps. Softer exterior materials, such as cotton, are more comfortable against the skin and reduce irritation, making it more pleasurable to wear overall.
In addition, the upper straps should create a ‘V’ shape just beneath the ear. And once you have the helmet on, you shouldn’t be able to fit more than two fingers between your chin and the strap. Plus, the buckle and chin area should fit close underneath your chin while allowing you to drink and eat with ease.
Retention System
A retention system is responsible for keeping the helmet on your head and offering an adjustable fit that can be fine-tuned for your comfort. Ultimately, the type of retention system you choose is completely down to personal preferences. Still, if you have long hair and wear it in a ponytail, you’ll need a ponytail-friendly retention system.
Therefore, you should search for the best road bike helmet for your gender to offer the best retention system for you.
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Weight
No rider wants to wear a heavy helmet during a bike ride. Fortunately, many brands have designed light models to aid with comfort and security during your rides. On average, a bike helmet will weigh 277g for a medium-sized model.
Like we mentioned earlier, a built-in ventilation system will lighten the helmet’s weight, improving your comfort during intense cycles. And if you want any extras—such as a reflective light—you should consider that these additions will increase the helmet’s weight.
But it would be best if you always put safety first; a lighter helmet isn’t necessarily the most safe. Helmets that are thicker and heavier often provide shock absorption in the form of a polystyrene layer and EPS foam, which can contribute to the overall weight.
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The Best Bike Helmets
Overall, we hope you enjoyed reading this road bike helmet under $100 review. But, if you’re still unsure of the best helmets for you, we recommend the Smith Optics Signal MIPS Men’s Cycling Helmet as the best option.
This helmet offers energy absorption properties to protect your head in the event of an accident. In fact, it’ll decelerate the energy from an impact, helping to reduce trauma-related injuries massively.
Alternatively, the Bontrager Starvos WaveCel Cycling Helmet makes an excellent runner-up. It features WaveCel technology to create an excellent balance of protection, performance, and comfort. Therefore, you can use it while cycling for peace of mind that it’ll protect your head in the event of an impact. Plus, its design makes it aerodynamic, enabling you to cycle at maximum speed with a helping hand from the helmet.
