A good mountain bike helmet is the single most important piece of gear you can have for mountain biking. Not only does it keep your brain intact (super important), but a quality helmet can also keep you comfortable and cool. There’s not much worse than an ill-fitting, hot, and painful lid.
To help you find the best helmet for YOUR head, my team and I have tested, reviewed, and surveyed our community to identify the best mountain bike helmets around. Some of these are women-specific lids, but most are unisex helmets that just look good (and work well). Because unlike a saddle, for instance, there’s really no need to have a women’s specific helmet.
Our Top Picks
| Helmet | What We Love | List Price |
| POC Tectal | Excellent fit, extremely comfortable | $150 |
| Specialized Tactic 4 | High Virginia Tech safety rating | $120 |
| POC Kortal | Rated for e-bikes, works with goggles | $230 |
| Sweet Protection Primer | Excellent bang for your buck | $150 |
| Smith Forefront 2 | LOTS of color options | $270 |
| Smith Engage | Durable and comfortable | $130 |
POC Tectal
Price: $150 List
This is my favorite mountain bike helmet and the one I wear almost daily (as do my husband and son). Comfortable even on long rides, the POC Tectal offers superior rear-of-the-head protection while remaining comfortable.
It has an integrated visor that can raise to accommodate goggles, an enviable strap system, and comes in fun, bright colors. We also dig that it had Recco technology, so if you get lost or hurt while out riding, help can find you.
The ONLY con on this helmet is that it doesn’t have MIPS, so if that’s important to you, upgrade to the POC Tectal Race MIPS.
Read Review: POC Tectal
Smith Forefront 2
Price: $270 List
Finally a cute mountain bike helmet! In fact, I think Smith has some of the best helmets for women right now, coming a wide variety of attractive colors AS WELL as being functional.
The Smith Forefront 2 isn’t cheap BUT it does offer durability, safety, and comfort. The helmet has both MIPS and their proprietary Koroyd® construction. The unique Koroyd design not only helps with impact protection, it also helps keeps bugs and bees from flying into your helmet!
While the coverage and comfort are both excellent, the helmet is a bit lacking in terms of ventilation. It has lots of vent holes, but the airflow doesn’t reach the head quite as well. Still, on all but the hottest days, this is a great choice.
Full review coming soon!
Specialized Tactic 4
Price: $120 List
The Specialized Tactic 4 is a top pick for those concerned about both safety AND affordability. The Tactic is the highest-rated mountain bike helmet in the highly respected Virginia Tech helmet ratings.
We felt that the safety of the helmet was further solidified by the fact that it has MIPS technology, full rear of the head coverage, and it’s certified even for use with e-bikes. It is also ANGI compatible, which is Specialized’s crash sensor. You have to buy the sensor separately, but there is a place to attach it to the helmet.
You would expect this level of safety to come with a higher price tag, but in fact, the Tactic is one of the more affordable Virginia Tech five star helmets. Of the nine highest rated mountain bike helmets in their study, the Tactic is the only one under $150.
The only thing that our reviewer didn’t love was the fact that the visor is not adjustable, and that it’s not ponytail friendly.
Read Review: Specialized Tactic 4
Smith Engage
Price: $130 List
Smith’s Engage is team member Malorie’s go-to mountain bike helmet for rides. Renowned for its incredible comfort even on those extended trail rides, this helmet ensures a snug fit while boasting the added safety of MIPS technology.
It comes with a two-position adjustable visor, though storing goggles can be a slight challenge. This helmet stands out with its variety of vibrant color options, a sturdy dial at the back for fit, and ample ventilation to keep you cool.
If there’s a downside, it’s the limited size range. Although it comes in small thru extra large, in testing, we found that smaller and larger heads aren’t well accommodated.
However, its durability and comfort make the Engage a top pick. For those who’ve faced helmet crashes, Smith offers a generous crash replacement discount, underlining their commitment to rider safety.
Read Review: Smith Engage
POC Kortal
Price: $230 List
The POC Kortal stands out as a reliable companion for mountain bikers, emphasizing safety, comfort, and user-friendly design. The helmet has superior rear of head coverage, commendable ventilation, and a fit that ensures all-day comfort.
It works particularly well for “enduro” riding and is compatible with goggles. The visor is larger than normal which we appreciated for keeping sun off our faces.
Its design is tailored to handle both regular biking and e-bike adventures, certified to the Dutch NTA 8776 electric bicycle helmet standard.
Drawbacks? Some might find it bulkier and boxier than preferred, and we experienced notable color fading over time.
Like the POC Tectal, it comes in both a basic, non-MIPS version as well as the Kortal Race MIPS.
Read Review: POC Kortal
Sweet Protection Primer
Price: $150 List
The Sweet Protection Primer is a fantastic option for women looking for a high-quality, stylish mountain bike helmet at a mid-range price. With MIPS technology included, it gives riders peace of mind on the trails.
Unlike some MIPS helmets, the Primer’s liner is comfortable and doesn’t snag or pull hair, which is a great feature for women with longer hair. The helmet also advertises itself as ponytail-friendly, though I found it to be best suited for low ponytails or braids.
One of the Primer’s strongest features is its breathability. Even during hot summer rides, the helmet kept my head cool, making it versatile enough for both mountain biking and commuting. The rear fit dial is a little smaller and less grippy than others I’ve tested, but the straps are easy to adjust and don’t twist or tangle.
The visor, unfortunately, is a bit of a letdown. While it has multiple positions, it doesn’t lock in place and tends to slip upward during rides. I also found that the lowest position wasn’t quite low enough for my preference. Aside from that, there’s not much to complain about.
Read Review: Sweet Protection Primer
Comparison Chart: Women’s Mountain Bike Helmets
| Helmet | Size | Weight | MIPS? | # of Vents | Extras? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POC Tectal | XS/S: 51-54cm M/L: 55-58cm XL/XXL: 59-62cm | 340 g | No (Race version does) | 15 | Adjustable visor Goggle clips, Reco technology |
| Smith Forefront 2 | S: 51-55 cm M: 55-59 cm L: 59-62 cm | 397 g | Yes | 20 | Koroyd®, adjustable visor, camera mount |
| POC Kortal | S: 51-54 cm M: 55-58 cm L: 59-62 cm | 390 g | No (Race version does) | 17 | Certified for e-bike use |
| Sweet Protection Primer | S/M: 53-56 cm M/L: 56-59 cm L/XL: 59-61 cm | 389 g | Yes | 13 | Adjustable visor |
| Specialized Tactic | S: 51-56 cm M: 55-59 cm L: 58-62 cm | 380 g | Yes | 17 | Certified for e-bike use |
| Smith Engage | S: 51-55cm M: 55-59cm L: 59-62cm XL: 61-65cm | 350 g | Yes | 21 | Adjustable visor |
How to Choose
Not sure how to pick the right helmet for you? Read on for things to look for in a mountain bike helmet, and how these helmets stack up against each other.
Safety/Certifications
The good news is that you don’t need to spend too much time worrying about which helmet is “safest.” All helmets sold in the United States have the CPSC certification which sets a minimum level of protection.
Beyond that, we know that there are some things that most likely will improve the safety of a helmet–the amount of rear-coverage, the quality of the fit–but there is limited unbiased laboratory testing telling us which helmets are best.
The best testing is probably done by Virgina Tech. While we like to use this as a starting point, the Virginia Tech ratings do have limitations. It does NOT rate all the helmets on the market, and is missing a fair number of what we consider really great helmets. It also doesn’t test the helmets in the real world, and therefore doesn’t capture how well the helmet fits on multiple head shapes/sizes nor how well a helmet stays in place on an actual trail ride.
Still, here are how the helmets on this list are rated by Virginia Tech:
- Specialized Tactic: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- POC Tectal: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Smith Forefront: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Smith Engage: not tested
- POC Kortal: not tested
- Sweet Protection Primer: not tested
In addition to the CPSC cert, if you are riding an e-bike, you’ll want to look for the NTA 8776 cert, which is a Dutch certification. This means the helmet has been tested for higher speeds. Of the helmets on this list, both the POC Kortal and the Specialized Tactic have it.
MIPS vs Non-MIPS
On the topic of safety, there is a lot of talk about MIPS. What is MIPS, you might ask?
It stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. Without getting into the knitty-gritty it is essentially a liner inside the helmet that creates a low-friction slip-plane.
There is limited third-party evidence that it is actually safer than a non-MIPS helmet. While I personally like the added protection of the MIPS, it does add expense and eliminates other helmets that offer a really great fit. MIPS is great to have but I wouldn’t immediately discount all other helmets without it.
On helmets that have MIPS, there are several different designs. Some have a thin plastic liner inside the helmet (Smith helmets, Sweet Protection Primer, Specialized Tactic) which is not my favorite because it can snag long hair. Others have MIPS integrated into the padding (POC Tectal Race MIPS), which is more friendly to those with long hair (or conversely, folks who are bald).
All of the helmets on our list either have MIPS as the standard, or in the case of the POC helmets, have a MIPS version.
Get the right fit
To make sure that your helmet is both safe and comfortable, you need to make sure first that you’re buying the right size helmet. Most of the helmets on this list come in 3 sizes (S, M, L), although those sizes have different meanings across brands.
In order to pick the right size helmet, you’ll want to measure your head. Really–stop being lazy and get out the measuring tape. With a flexible tape, measure the circumference of your head right above your eyebrows. Make sure to get the measurement in centimeters as that is how most manufacturers size their helmets.
You can then compare this to the size chart each manufacturer provides. For your convenience, we’ve included the sizes for each helmet in our comparison chart above.
Unfortunately, even once you get the right size helmet, it may or may not fit YOUR head well. Some of us have rounder heads, some have more oval shaped heads.
Even if a helmet works great for your best friend, it may not work great for YOU. For this reason, I suggest trying on some helmets from your local bike shop, or order somewhere with easy returns so you can try a few.
Helmet Ventilation
One reason it is worth buying a NICE helmet (any of the helmets on this list qualify) is the increased ventilation. Cheaper helmets are notoriously sweaty and uncomfortable.
Generally speaking, the more ventilation holes there are and the larger they are, the better the airflow. If you live in a hot climate, I’d definitely recommend spending a little more to get a nicer helmet with better ventilation.
Adjustment and straps
Another reason to throw out a little extra cash is to get a helmet with a comfortable and secure adjustment system. All the helmets on this list have a rear-fit-dial that helps get the perfect fit for your head. We also really dig helmets, like the POC Tectal and Sweet Protection Primal, that have clean, dummy-proof side straps.
Weight
The lighter a helmet is, the more comfortable it is going to be on long rides. Although 100 grams may not feel like a lot in the store (in fact, it might be imperceptible), a few hours into an all day epic, there really is a difference. Again, we’ve included weight in our comparison chart to help you choose.
Budget
The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a nice helmet. Skip some of the extras like MIPS, a helmet mount, adjustable visor, goggle clips.
Instead, focus on finding a helmet that is lightweight, has good ventilation, and that is easily adjustable. On the other hand, if budget isn’t an issue–add all those nice-to-haves back in.
Considerations for long hair
This isn’t important for everybody, but if you have long hair and like to wear a ponytail while riding, you might want to look for a women’s specific helmet that actually fits a ponytail. Helmets with more rear of the head coverage, while safer, generally make it harder to comfortably wear a pony or bun.
In our experience, the helmets with MIPS liners also have a tendency to snag long hair which can be rather painful and make a mess of your ‘do.
More Stuff You Might Like
- Women’s Mountain Bike Jerseys You Will Love
- Best Women’s Mountain Bike Shorts
- 9 Ways To Increase Your Confidence On The Mountain Bike
About The Author
Kristen Bonkoski is the founder and owner of Femme Cyclist.
An avid cyclist for a few decades now, she took to cycling during her late teen years — a time when she needed something to help boost her self-esteem and confidence.
Mission accomplished, the sport has become an important part of her life. Kristen’s favorite disciplines are mountain biking and bike commuting, although you can also find her cranking out a century on her road bike and touring with her husband and son. If it has to do with two wheels, she enjoys doing it.
Kristen is a certified USA Cycling coach, and she runs Rascal Rides, a website about biking with kids.
Thank you so much for this really helpful guide. Love the photo, BTW!