“We hope we don’t need them, but we also hope we don’t run out of talent.”
As winter unfolds into shoulder season, the conversation around protection on the trail becomes increasingly relevant. Not just a simple choice of colors and brands, but a decision that could quite literally save your life.
I’ve spent the past year and a half living intimately with six different helmets across various terrains, temperatures, and talent-depleting moments. Each crash a humbling reminder of why this piece of equipment deserves more thought than most riders give it.
Before jumping into our helmet comparison, I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to Jenson USA for making this mountain bike helmet review a reality through their generous sponsorship. As the premier online destination for everything from complete bikes to components and riding gear, Jenson USA has been instrumental in supporting my passion in creating valuable content for the riding community!
Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah from Jeff Kendall-Weed’s YouTube videos for riders who prefer reading over watching. They’re written in Jeff’s first-person voice to stay true to the style and storytelling of the original content.
Endura MT500 MIPS – Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS – Troy Lee A3 – Leatt Enduro 4.0 – Giro Tyrant – Fox Dropframe Pro.
Finding Your Place Along the Protection Spectrum
Before we compare vents to visors and acronyms to adjustments, let’s back up slightly. Not all helmets share the same design intent. Some offer minimal coverage in exchange for featherweight construction and maximum airflow – perfect for desert riding but potentially inadequate on high-speed jump lines.
Consider what you need to prepare for… If you’re the type of rider who keeps rubber side down and avoids big air, a lighter helmet may serve you well. But for those logging frequent flyer miles, a more robust helmet provides insurance against those moments when a stray blackhawk appears on the horizon of your confidence.
Where I ride most often in the Pacific Northwest, our trails are fairly built up and high-speed. I tend to prefer more protection than what a traditional road-inspired helmet offers. My favorites are the ¾ design helmets that offer substantially more cranial coverage while remaining far less cumbersome than a full face.
Every time I mention these helmets are safer, an army of commenters deploys, insisting the only legitimate choice is a full face. But I sit somewhere in the middle, which I would argue hosts the best vantage point to see from multiple perspectives.
A question I have for you is this: how often do you actually use your chinbar? As someone who has had more crashes than I can count, I am with you: no one wants to lose any teeth. That being said, the more common damage happens with a slap of your head sideways into a tree or against the ground. Any extra coverage down the side and back of your skull will keep your brain safe. With a full face, you can’t communicate as effectively with other trail users (beyond verbal communication, there is a loss in reading lips and facial body language), you can’t hydrate as efficiently, and you might even be putting your neck at more risk.
The bottom line: find the compromise that works with you, and be a soldier about it in the comments. Let’s hear what your helmet of choice is, and why you love it!
The Local Equation
Helmet choice largely depends on your local conditions. For six months out of the year in the PNW, I’m too cold on the trails. For another four months, it’s perfect. And for maybe eight weeks when warmth creeps in, I finally appreciate the airflow of lighter designs. But when riding in Arizona’s furnace (like when visiting Pivot HQ), I absolutely understand why most folks opt for minimal coverage.
The Safety Dance: Virginia Tech Ratings
One of the best developments in helmet safety transparency has been Virginia Tech’s published helmet rankings. The lab shares their methodology, and currently has 258 helmets ranked. With the exception of the Leatt, all helmets reviewed here have earned a 5-star safety rating. While these rankings provide valuable information, they’re certainly not the definitive authority.
Full Disclaimer: I bought most of these helmets myself, from Jenson USA – though I was able to secure discounted pricing due to my work with the company over the years. I’ve disclosed if I did not buy the helmet myself.
Six Helmets + Eighteen Months = Countless Miles
Let’s dive into the six helmets that have accompanied me through dirt, dust, and occasional disaster over the past eighteen months:
Endura MT500 MIPS®: The Unexpected Hero
Endura gave me this helmet at Sea Otter 2023, and Endura has been a client buying ads on my YouTube channel for the last year.
The MT500 uses Koroyd, which I haven’t been a huge believer in… which you might remember when I talked some smack about it in Smith helmets during my last helmet review video. But, this helmet changed my mind completely.
Picture this: soaking up the sun in Spain, on a casual trail ride with Enduro World Series winner Damien Oton, then suddenly – talent depleted – I’m diving headfirst into unforgiving Spanish rock. The aftermath? A helmet transformed into modern art, but remarkably, my head remained intact.
This helmet absolutely prevented a concussion. From post-crash examination, I could see that the Koroyd and EPS worked as a two-stage system to better absorb the impact. I’ve hit my head an uncountable number of times, and I was genuinely blown away by how gentle the collision felt, especially considering how little the helmet is. My leg was painted black and blue, my backpack shredded, but my head emerged as the least of my concerns.
Naturally, you’re going to be stoked on something when it saves you. But for the sake of a well-rounded review, I’ll say that I rank the Endura’s overall comfort to be just okay. On longer rides, I’d grow tired of wearing it by the three-hour mark.
The visor runs small, and overall coverage is less than I typically prefer, but for warm weather rides, it feels like a solid compromise.
Price? A little high. Safety? Absolutely respectable. A good buy for a warm climate rider who sends it big, and has a high value on big hit safety.
Price: $239 @ Jenson USA
Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS®: The Surprise Package
Growing up in California, I spent my childhood going to bluegrass festivals and events all over the state, but it seems that this helmet has absolutely nothing to do with the musical genre, nor what grows back east in rural Kentucky fields.
What it lacks in coverage, it makes up for with airflow that makes Arizona summers slightly less hellish. Premium Fidlock buckle and whisper-quiet MIPS make the Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS® worth considering—especially on discount. This is my favorite of the smaller options here.
My introduction to this helmet came through quirky serendipity. Orbea flew me to Spain to ride their latest Rise, providing all attendees with these Bluegrass helmets. I had intended to represent my Endura helmet throughout the trip, but after transforming it into abstract art on day one (as explained above), this freebie got its time to shine in the spotlight.
Almost a year later, the Rogue has earned its place as a warm-weather favorite. My primary complaint is that protection feels minimal. However, for riding the barren Arizona desert or sweaty gravel grinding, the extra airflow and lightweight design are worth a safety sacrifice.
Overall quality feels decent, with a premium Fidlock buckle. The MIPS® liner is well-constructed, quiet, and the overall fit is remarkably comfortable. Like Doc Watson, I’m a fan – especially if you find it on sale.
This is one of the best minimal coverage helmets I’ve worn in terms of comfort and durability. I haven’t crash tested it yet, but I do trust it. 5 hour rides are comfy in this helmet.
Price: $190 @ Jenson USA.
Troy Lee A3: The Disappointing Romance
As a former racer, I’ll always harbor a sweet spot for Troy Lee Designs helmets. Even when sitting still, they exude speed and a bad ass attitude. Between the edgy industrial design and sprint-car-esque graphics, the A3 looks more Lamborghini than Lento.
The Troy Lee A3 is great for four-hour comfort, less great for branch clearing.
Having enjoyed the A2 in my 2021 review, expectations were Space Needle high for this white piece of protection. And, given that Troy Lee goes together with Southern California like In-N-Out Burger pairs with chest pain, I expected warm weather performance to be nothing short of amazing. Let’s just say – I’m not mad, just disappointed.
My biggest complaint? Sweat streams directly into my eyes. The A2 (previously tested) actually performed better in this regard. While the A3 features a nicer magnetic buckle, the repeatedly broken visors left me disillusioned. I’ve broken TWO visors! For someone frequently clearing branches with a helmet visor, this presents a genuine concern.
I did reach out to Troy Lee about a warranty visor and they sent me a no-charge replacement, but it doesn’t discount the fact that it’s rare that a visor breaks… even rarer when it’s two.
Despite that, comfort on the trail rates quite high – I could easily manage four-hour days without complaint. I just wish that visor was larger, stronger, and that sweat management worked more effectively.
Now that it’s discounted, the value proposition improves, but I expected more from this premium lid. Troy Lee still offers my favorite styling and artwork among all options, and I desperately wish they would create a proper ¾ design to compete with Fox and Giro.
A good choice for a moderate climate weather who find a good deal- and who wants to look bad ass.
Price: $149 @ Jenson USA
Leatt Enduro 4.0: The Transformer
Outside of neck braces, Leatt rarely crossed my radar until a chance encounter at a Lake Tahoe motorcycle race, where they hosted a booth chock-full of gear. After meeting their management team (many former Giro staff), I requested gear samples. When nothing materialized, I purchased this helmet myself from Jenson USA (I did get a slight discount- thanks Jenson!) and proceeded to wear it aplenty.
I struggled to decide which Leatt model to buy, but eventually landed on the Enduro 4.0. It seemed closest to the ¾ shell design that suits my riding style.
This is the only helmet I reviewed with an optional chinbar – impressively constructed and confidence-inspiring. Once installed, it’s stiffer than a guardsman at Buckingham Palace and equally authoritative.
Removable chinbars represent an excellent concept, though I rarely remember to bring mine riding. Most of my backpacks can’t accommodate it, and I generally avoid terrain that necessitates such gear. Nevertheless, Leatt’s implementation works well.
Primarily using it in open-face configuration for this review, it performs admirably but lacks the sleekness of dedicated half-shells. With rainy weather dominating the first couple of months riding with the Leatt, I noticed some odor issues with internal padding. Since then, the smells seem to have resolved. More padding would be welcome, but overall, the helmet proved comfortable for three-hour adventures.
Interestingly, Leatt has not submitted this helmet for Virginia Tech testing. In fact, only one Leatt model appears in their rankings, scoring near the back of the pack at 211 of 258.
I reached out to Leatt for a comment, and after a few days, received the following communication.
“The VT test is heavily weighted towards a helmet with MIPS® due to the NOCSAE headform that is used. The NOCSAE headform is very sticky and has a high coefficient of friction, more than double that of a human head.
“We can assure you that our helmets perform well with these latest test methods and our Shell/EPS and Turbines combination ensure that our helmets far exceed the limits for linear and rotational accelerations. We value the BriC (Brain Injury Criteria) rating and Head Rotational Velocity and make sure that our helmets perform well here as it directly correlated to brain injury.
“Recent studies have also shown that one can not only focus on rotational acceleration, but need to look at these in combination with linear impacts.”
To be transparent, this answer doesn’t make a whole lots of sense to me.
Their issue with the test is that they claim it gives advantage to helmets with MIPS®.
MIPS® states on its own website that its namesake system “can reduce harmful rotational motion that might otherwise be transferred to the user’s head.”
Leatt does not use MIPS®. Instead, they have their own “Turbine Technology,” and to me, it sounds like a close approximation to the MIPS® system. According to Leatt, turbine technology “decreases rotational acceleration and linear g-forces, reducing impact force and lowering the risk of concussion.”
Now I’m curious. What do YOU think?
For me, this explanation raises questions – if Leatt’s technology accomplishes essentially the same goal as MIPS®, why avoid independent verification? Their absence from comprehensive testing plants a seed of uncertainty, though both testing methods and proprietary technologies have merit.
With Leatt not being engaged with Virginia Tech for public testing data, does this plant a seed of doubt moreso in Virginia Tech, or in Leatt? Even if Virginia Tech has MIPS® users performing better, doesn’t the Leatt helmet include their own, non-name brand type of rotational force dispersion that would be comparable?
Who should buy? Well, the Leatt excels if you need one helmet for both local trails, shuttles, and bike park sessions. The chin bar is VERY respectable, and the process of installing/removing isn’t bad. The half shell version of the helmet works well enough, and the two stage foam is legit. I found 3 hours to be my comfort limit.
Price: $299 @ Jenson USA
Giro Tyrant: The Reliable Classic
They say never trust a tyrant, but I’ve done exactly that, to the point I’d confidently recommend it.
This helmet represents exceptional value, particularly with sale pricing being easy to find. Built with quality and substantial protection, the Tyrant remains unchanged since its 2019 release. Six years later, it continues to impress – simple, solid, reliable. Simply: still great.
The traditional buckle works easily enough, padding lasts a while, and the simple shell and visor are squeak-free. The Tyrant employs a “helmet inside a helmet” approach to cranial hall monitoring, with dual layers of EPS foam sliding within each other. The adjustment system fine-tunes fit precisely, and the helmet demonstrates hammer-like reliability (though I wouldn’t recommend actual hammering).
It does feel somewhat heavier than the Dropframe Pro and runs warm in hot weather. The medium fits slightly tight on me but remains manageable for four-hour rides. While not as comfortable or lightweight as the Dropframe, it’s reasonable considering the price point. The Tyrant also feels more durable – while I replace my Fox annually, this Giro easily provides two solid years of protection.
Unlike many full-face designs that muffle surrounding sounds, the Tyrant’s acoustics allow for normal trail communication. The visor could be longer, but overall, this helmet delivers exceptional performance, especially considering its sale pricing.
Who should buy? Moderate to colder climate riders who charge hard enough to validate a bigger helmet. The Tyrant is an exceptional value, and I’m so stoked that it is still available. This for mid-travel, sendy days, and a Bluegrass for long days, would be a great quiver. And having a second, dry helmet on hand is not a bad idea!
Price: $111 (‼️) @ Jenson USA.
Fox Dropframe Pro: The Fragile Favorite
This helmet performs so impressively that I purchased two – though that might not necessarily reflect positively. The prior generation I tested back in 2021 showed promise but suffered from sizing issues. This second iteration brings significant improvements, featuring a substantially larger visor and vastly improved fit. I comfortably wear this helmet all day.
Surprisingly lightweight despite its bulk, the Dropframe Pro ventilates surprisingly well without leaving your skull feeling exposed like a tourist wading through the Amazon.
My primary complaint is that the flimsy buttons securing the cheek pads need a little extra TLC – occasionally unclipping to require attention. That, and the helmet feels more flimsy than the considerably cheaper Tyrant. However, the light weight is the upside to that.
The deep skull coverage provides confidence, though aerodynamic and acoustic refinements would help reduce wind noise. It also slightly impairs hearing of other trail users. Nevertheless, for comprehensive coverage, the Dropframe excels.
The downside? It feels somewhat fragile. After a year of multi-day riding weeks and the associated boucy transportation in my van, car, and duffel, I felt compelled to replace it. Given its lightweight construction, I anticipate annual replacement – a tough pill to swallow at $279, though not the most expensive option reviewed.
Who should buy? Anyone who wants the best. This helmet is both VERY comfortable, and feels very safe. The venting works well, the visor is built nicely, and it’s a great overall choice. But it’s over twice the cost of the Tyrant. I’ll let you decide what you value more- the best of the best, or another Ben Franklin in your wallet.
Price: $279 @ Jenson USA
The Helmet Dilemma: Finding Your Place on the Protection Spectrum
Like so many aspects of mountain biking, helmet choice sits in the convergence between personal preference, riding style, and local conditions. The pendulum swings between maximum protection and maximum comfort, leaving each of us to find our own unique balance point.
I’ve grown to appreciate that ¾ coverage sweet spot – helmets that protect substantially more than traditional designs without the full commitment of a downhill lid. For my riding in the Pacific Northwest, this balance serves me well through most seasons.
Each year, like the calendar’s inevitable progression, we face choices about how we protect ourselves through the evolving variables of each season. Some stick with tradition, others blindly chase marketing, but the riders living life with intention make conscious choices based on their unique needs and riding style.
As you consider your next helmet purchase, I encourage a moment of introspection: Are you making gear choices based on what others say, what the current “style” is, or what truly serves your riding?
Each ride offers a chance to practice and expand our approach to how we ride our favorite trails. And sometimes – when talent inevitably runs short – the right helmet (hopefully) transforms a potential disaster into little more than a good story and a piece of modern helmet art.
What helmet serves your riding best? Have you experienced a crash that changed your perspective on protection? Share your experiences in the comments below.
and I’d argue that the only wrong answer is a ride without a helmet!
Peace & Wheelies!
As always, thanks to Jenson USA for making it possible to live the dream. Your purchase helps support the channel, and I genuinely appreciate it.
Craving more? Subscribe to the blog, YouTube Channel, and like and comment below whenever your heart desires!
Extra thanks to Endura for supplying me with a few of my favorite riding kits, which you can find over here.
And thanks to LMNT for keeping my hydrated with plenty of electrolytes! Get a free sample pack with your purchase here.
4 comments
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Came here to replace the dropframe pro as its the worse I ve worn with 0 utility for 3/4 as they are bendable plastics. Ears dont fit well and accoustic is horrible. Not not mention that no earbuds etc are possible
Thanks for stopping by, Dimitrios! Jeff’s on an epic moto trip along the BDR and will get back to you in a few days!
Hey Dimitrios, sorry to hear the Dropframe Pro isn’t working for you. The Giro Tyrant has better acoustics, meaning you can hear more trail sounds, and the ear padding is certainly a bit different- it may feel better. Overall it does feel a bit more “solid,” as it’s built with heavier materials. With the “helmet in a helmet” design, with two EPS shells sliding over each other, it seems to have good safety. I’m on my third Tyrant now, and really like them- after crashing in them a few times, I absolutely trust them. They are heavier than the Dropframe Pro, fit a bit smaller (~1cm smaller for medium Tyrant vs medium Dropframe Pro), are cheaper, though the smaller Giro visor isn’t as effective. The older, standard Dropframe is good, but the sizing is horribly off. At around a 59cm head, I had to wear an XL Dropframe. You can absolutely use ear buds with the older Dropframe. My overall favorite is the Dropframe Pro- I like the fidliock buckle, the coverage is great, and the big visor is awesome in sun, rain, and mud. I use the Tyrant a bunch for dirt jumping, as it feels safe, but I don’t need the big visor or lighter weight. Tyrant is a bit warmer, so it’s not a summer helmet for me. I haven’t used the OG drop frame for MTB rides in ages, but I do use it to moto around the yard. It almost feels like an XC helmet compared to the other two. Hope that helps!