The 10 Best Bike Helmets for Women in 2022

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bike helmet for women

Staff, Courtesy of Bern

A well-fitting helmet with up-to-date technology is a non-negotiable item when it comes to maximizing your safety during bike rides. A bike helmet should provide lightweight, breathable protection and should fit securely on your head. However, it’s not always easy to find helmets that will fit right when shopping online; that’s why we’ve chosen only helmets that can fit securely on smaller heads, as well as having lower profiles for aerodynamic purposes. These bike helmets for women are ideal for a range of riding styles, including mountain biking, road biking, and commuting.

Best Bike Helmets for Women

    What to Consider

    Intended Use

    Road, commuter, and mountain bike helmets can all work for different types of cycling, but some specialty design elements set them apart from one another. Road bike helmets will be lightweight and aerodynamic to help maximize efficiency. This means a lower profile and larger vents. A mountain bike helmet is designed to have increased coverage around the back of your head for multidirectional crashes, plus a larger visor and smaller vents to prevent debris from poking through. Commuter or generic helmets often look more casual, can have a less technical style, and come in a wider variety of designs and styles.

    If It Uses MIPS Technology

    MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) is a thin layer of material built into the inside of a helmet, often called a “slip liner.” This is anchored to the shell of the helmet at strategic points, but can still move on its own. This allows the helmet to rotate independently from your head, which helps absorb energy during impact. This means less force is transferred to your skull and brain. A helmet utilizing this technology will usually have the MIPS acronym in the model name or the description.

    Fit

    We highly recommend checking the manufacturer’s size instructions to ensure the helmet fits before making a purchase. A helmet should fit snugly without pressure points, and stay in place when you shake your head up and down or side to side. Helmets are designed to protect against falls from a range of angles, and a correct fit ensures not only that the helmet stays on your head in the event of a crash, but that the positioning is correct for maximum protection. Many helmets have several size options, and some have adjustable dials to loosen or tighten more precisely.

    How We Evaluated

    To determine the best women’s bike helmets on the market, we looked at the most popular—and safe—helmets for each type of riding, from mountain biking to urban commuting. We checked a variety of price ranges, styles, and intended uses, and ran our picks by local experts and avid mountain bikers, road cyclists, and bike commuters. Most are women-specific, and a few are unisex, but all of our choices offer solid size ranges and sleek styles.

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1

Most Versatile

Trella MIPS Adult Urban Cycling Helmet

  • Dial adjustment
  • In-mold construction for better venting
  • No visor
  • Universal fit, but no true size options

Key Specs

  • MIPS: Yes
  • Color: Yellow, silver, black
  • Size: Universal

This helmet is more tech-styled than urban, but we love that it can be worn as comfortably commuting as it can on a long road ride, and the back is extended down for added protection, which means this helmet is suitable for mountain biking or gravel riding, as well.

Giro’s proprietary Roc Loc MIPS system means a customized fit, and this helmet is well-vented, lightweight, and durable enough for everyday use. This helmet has a universal fit, which will work for most women, but be sure to check your measurements before buying.

2

Best Urban Commuter

Allston Helmet

  • Visor isn’t fully removable

Key Specs

  • MIPS: No
  • Color: Black, tan, blue
  • Size: Small, medium, large

This all-around urban styled helmet is at home on a work commute, pleasure ride, or bike messenger route. The helmet is built with 16 large vents, and has a moisture-wicking liner for hot days on asphalt. This is a newer style, with a more rounded build as opposed to the sleeker, more technical looking helmets on the market.

We love the flip-visor, which can be raised or lowered depending on weather and visibility needs. The helmet is built with Bern’s proprietary Zipmold+ Technology, which gives this model a lower profile and lighter weight while still being safe and strong.

3

Best for Hot Rides

S-Works Prevail II Vent MIPS Helmet

  • Lightweight
  • Excellent airflow
  • Crash sensor technology

Key Specs

  • MIPS: Yes
  • Color: Black/red, tan, black
  • Size: Small, medium, large

This lightweight, incredibly well-ventilated helmet will be your best friend on your hottest rides. This helmet features Specialized’s new 5th Dimension Cooling System, which eliminates extra foam from the middle and sides of the helmet to create more open air channels and improve airflow.

This helmet still uses MIPS, but a more minimal version of the technology to help keep the weight down. This S-Works Prevail is a splurge, but it also uses the brand’s ANGi Crash Sensor, which can be paired with your phone to alert emergency contacts in the event of a crash.

4

Best Budget-Friendly Package

Vasona MIPS Helmet

  • Removable visor
  • Versatile styling
  • Budget-friendly MIPS option

Key Specs

  • MIPS: Yes
  • Color: Black, teal, white, titanium
  • Size: Universal

We don’t mess around when it comes to safety, so while this isn’t the cheapest bike helmet on the market, for a MIPS helmet from a well-respected company, it’s extremely budget-friendly. This helmet uses Giro’s in-mold polycarbonate construction for the hard-shell protection, with impact absorption from the EPS liner. The helmet has 22 vents and adjustable dials, and is well-suited for everything from casual in-town rides to longer excursions and mountain bike outings.

5

Best Vintage Commuter Style

Heritage Collection

  • Anti-theft compatible (with U-lock)
  • Lots of color options
  • Affordable
  • Not for technical riding
  • Less venting than other helmets

Key Specs

  • MIPS: No
  • Color: Gray, mint, black, titanium, rose gold, navy, orange
  • Size: Small, medium, large

This stylish helmet comes in a wide variety of colors, features an easy-to-use magnetic buckle, and has elegant vegan leather straps to complete the look.

This is a functional helmet that manages to be safe, durable, and affordable all at once. It comes in a range of sizes and has a dial-fit system for customizable snugness.

It does weigh somewhat more than more “athletic” bike helmets, and since it’s not optimized for technical riding, it won’t vent as well. However, as a bonus, Thousand is a carbon-offset, climate-positive company.

6

Worth the Splurge

Helios MIPS Spherical Bike Helmet

  • Advanced protection
  • Effective airflow

Key Specs

  • MIPS: Yes
  • Color: Black/yellow, black/red, black, white
  • Size: Small, medium

This helmet is a splurge, but it’s also one of the most high-tech options out there. This model uses a dual-shell design called Spherical MIPS, which means it has a layer of protection that slides and (very slightly) rotates under the other layer, allowing for more absorption and give upon impact from any direction. This is also ideal if you crash on a loose surface that shifts on impact, making this a top contender for gravel riders.

We also like the brand’s Roc Loc 5 Air fit system, which cools more effectively, thanks to a design that allows the helmet to sit slightly elevated above the top of your head.

7

Best for Mountain Biking

Tectal

  • Fuller mountain bike coverage
  • Good airflow
  • Expensive
  • Fit can be awkward

Key Specs

  • MIPS: No
  • Color: Teal, pink, blue, navy, white, black, orange, maroon, green
  • Size: XS/S, M/L, XL/XXL

This helmet is optimized for challenging days on singletrack, with plenty of coverage from the extended visor as well as its extensive temple and back-of-head protection. The POC Tectal has 17 vents for increased airflow, and is as durable as they come, with enhanced fibers in mapped locations based on potential impact. This helmet is not MIPS, but has a reinforced EPS liner and a unibody shell construction.

This helmet is low weight for a fuller-coverage mountain bike helmet without sacrificing durability or safety.

8

Best Budget MTB Helmet

Sparks MIPS Helmet

  • High-tech for the price
  • Lower profile
  • Fuller mountain-bike coverage
  • Visor can be hard to adjust
  • Universal sizing

Key Specs

  • MIPS: Yes
  • Color: Black, blue, white
  • Size: Universal

This moderately priced mountain bike helmet has extended protection for the temples and back of your head while still being well-ventilated for extended climbs. This is a lower profile helmet that manages to stay within a budget-friendly range while still utilizing MIPS technology and easy-to-use fit adjusters.

This helmet is built with a polycarbonate shell molded to EPS foam and the company’s Dual Flow Ventilation, which pulls air into the channels and lets it flow across your head for added cooling on hot days.

9

Best for Road Biking

Agilis MIPS W Womens Road Cycling Helmet

  • Sleek, lower-profile fit
  • Lots of color options
  • Lightweight
  • Might be hard to fit for larger-sized heads

Key Specs

  • MIPS: Yes
  • Color: White, purple, green, gray, white/yellow
  • Size: Small, medium

With a whopping 32 vents, this lightweight, comfortable road biking helmet is as breezy as any option you’ll find on the market today.

Venting and aerodynamics are key for competitive road riders, and this helmet comes in clutch in both categories while utilizing MIPS technology and an easily adjustable sizing dial. The helmet uses in-molding construction for durability and impact protection without added bulk, and the women-specific build provides a secure, almost custom-feeling fit.

10

Best for Extended Comfort

Sphere MIPS Helmet

  • Lightweight
  • Lots of colors
  • Fewer vents than other road-style helmets

Key Specs

  • MIPS: Yes
  • Color: Blue, green, yellow, black, blue, pink/black
  • Size: Small, medium, large

This helmet expertly combines all-day comfort for extended road or gravel rides with lightweight, aerodynamic design that doesn’t compromise on safety and technology. MIPS offers protection against rotational impacts, and the 18 vents provide enough airflow for warmer days.

The Lazer Sphere features a Rigidity Brace system that helps reinforce the protection against multiple impacts, and they use a unique “Advanced Rollsys” fit system to dial in the tightness.

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