We asked the staff of BICYCLING to pick their favorite road cycling helmets at every price. Whether you’re a racer or a recreational rider, your next helmet is likely in this group.
Remember those crazy aero helmets with pointy backs? Now, it's possible to get aero without looking like an alien. With the Kask Infinity Aero, you can combine watts savings with leather-strapped style that fits in even at a 'cross race. Adjust the sliding shield on top of the helmet to either cheat the wind or increase ventilation.—Molly Hurford
No matter which of seven colors you get (I’m partial to hot pink and black), this helmet might be the most comfortable ever. The MIPS liner is built into the fit system so when you turn the dial, it feels like the helmet is hugging rather than strangling your head. Huge vents allow for excellent airflow, and “no twist” fasteners keep your straps flat and even save watts—up to nine, says Bell.—Gloria Liu
Road helmets tend to take on a one-style-suits-all design. Bern bucks the trend with the FL-1 MIPS, inspired by the old leather hairnets worn by Tour de France riders, but with modern protective technology. The heritage look is great, but what I love most about the helmet is its value and back-of-head coverage.—James Hart
It’s easy to get a good fit in the Mavic Cosmic Pro, a lightweight helmet that adjusts to a wide range of head shapes using a thin, flexible retention band. The helmet’s low-profile padding manages moisture well. And the sleek design mimics some of Mavic’s more expensive race helmets.—Pat Heine
The Lazer Z1 keeps my inner gear geek happy with options to add an LED taillight, aero shell, heart rate monitor, a small cable that locks the helmet to my bike, and even magnets to hold Lazer sunglasses in place—all of which integrates with the helmet to create one streamlined package.—Joël Nankman
While it won’t give you that helmetless feeling of the wind in your hair, the Synthe feels breezier than many helmets—as if the shell is floating over your head, thanks to a suspended fit system designed to improve airflow. I also like the smooth profile—in video-game-character terms, it’s more Toad than Sonic the Hedgehog.—Emily Furia
With a modest weight and highly adjustable circumference and height settings, the Rev MIPS is so comfy I often forget it’s on. Twenty-one big vents provide plenty of airflow, and antimicrobial wicking pads keep the helmet from smelling like a sweaty locker room.—Caitlin Giddings
Smith’s Route MIPS is nominally a road helmet, but its styling is neither road-aero nor all-mountain chunky, so no one will bat an eye if you show up to the trailhead with it. The big aesthetic departure in the Route is also its chief technical attribute: the green Koroyd panels on the side vents that are intended to make it more able to absorb lower-energy impacts to mitigate closed-head injuries like concussions.—Joe Lindsey
The Sterling provides some serious comfort, with a cushy removable pad on the chinstrap and two interchangeable interior padding options: a one-piece mesh bug stopper with a micro-suede feel and a set of eight pads that grip to strategically placed Velcro patches. Even the strap itself feels softer against my face compared with others I’ve worn. Eighteen vents keep air moving between head and helmet, and easy-to-locate eyewear docks make stowing your cycling sunglasses hassle-free. —Jen Sherry
The Prevail has been my go-to racing lid for the past five years. The helmets’s Tri-Fix web splitter spreads the front and rear straps perfectly around your ear, so there’s no fussing, period. Set the length, and you’re done. Internally, the Mindset II micro-dial fit system allows you to adjust the height and diameter to hug your head just how you like it. The whole package is super-light, super-comfortable, fits with absolutely no fuss right out of the box, and disappears from my consciousness the moment I buckle it up and dial it into place so I’m 100 percent free to concentrate on the task at hand—bike racing.—Selene Yeager
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