Best aero helmets of 2024 - the fastest bike helmets available

Quite simply, upgrading to one of the best aero helmets is one of the easiest ways to go faster on a bike. As I said when I wrote the best road bike helmet guide, you wear a helmet every time you leave the house on a bike. That means your helmet will see a lot of use and be with you through countless adventures. It also means that choosing one of the best aero helmets could mean saving energy on every ride and the potential is significant. 

What's unique about choosing one of the best aero helmets is that within reason, there's not really any extra cost. If you already need a helmet and are planning on buying one, pick an aero helmet instead and you gain free speed. The challenge is only in choosing the right aero helmet for you. For those that focus on time trials, check out our list of the best time trial helmets. Those options represent no-holds-barred speed-focused helmets that aren't usable for everyday riding. For everyone else, keep reading to see a list of options that balance speed with everyday usability. 

Quick list

The best aero helmets available today

Editors choice best aero helmet

The Trek Ballista MIPS is a helmet I absolutely loved as soon as I took it out of the box. Before I could even see what it looked like, I could feel how light it was. My version hit the scale at 15 grams less than what Trek reports at only 260 grams for a size medium. It also manages that performance with MIPS and a five-star Virginia Tech score (see the FAQs below for why these are important).

Aside from weight, the other thing I love about the Trek Ballista MIPS is how fast it looks. I'd love to also report that it is fast but despite spending hours trying to convert the numbers given to something comparable, I couldn't. Also, what's fast for me might not be as fast for you, as it's dependent on position. What I can tell you though is that it looks quite similar to a full TT helmet and Trek says it has "very competitive performance among TT helmets." Do what you will with that info, I love it because it's incredibly light and it's a definite visual statement.

You might also be a big fan of Ballista MIPS if you spend much time travelling with a helmet. That's because the design allows the rear cradle to fold completely inside of the helmet. It's a space-efficient design that makes it impossible for the rear cradle to ever get crushed. It's likely a big part of why the overall weight is low as well. 

When it comes to negatives, the list actually crosses into the positives a bit. Meaning that while I love the style, there's no way it's going to be right for a lot of people. You'll never want to pair it with a tech tee and a gravel bike in the way that you can with the POC below, for example. That means an already expensive helmet is less versatile.

Best aero helmet for comfort

The Kask Utopia Y is a svelte helmet. It's not the absolute lightest here, both the Limar and the Trek are a bit lighter, but it's very close. What I'm describing is more than that though. There's a kind of minimalism to the whole design that somehow feels fast on your head.

The Kask Utopia Y also happens to be one of the most comfortable aero helmets on the market. The big, plush, padding uses "Resistex Carbon padding" which the brand describes as "a breathable material that promotes moisture dissipation to the outer shell." That same padding is also concentrated in two large strips that both help promote air movement within the helmet as well as direct sweat to drip out of your eyes when the system is inevitably overwhelmed on hot days.

When it comes to the chin strap system, you can tell once again that Kask has given comfort a lot of thought. Instead of webbing under the chin, Kask uses faux leather. It's more comfortable than what you find from other manufacturers but it's even more important on an aero helmet. On an aero helmet the faux leather allows the strap to stay closer to the body and guarantees you'll never have flapping webbing that's robbing aero performance.

The only downside to the Kask Utopia is a lack of Virginia Tech Testing. Kask passes all relevant government testing and the brand's proprietary WG11 protocol cover's rotational impact. Despite that though, when Virginia Tech doesn't have a score, it leaves an open question.

Best aero helmet for ventilation on hot days

Aero helmets have a reputation as being hot. It's something that many brands would dispute, notably Lazer says the Vento is cooler than without a helmet, but at the core of those claims is a basic assumption of movement. Those who've spent the end of a hot summer day slowly climbing a long hill will be happy to remind everyone, movement isn't always something you can count on. In those situations, aero helmets do struggle a bit and the POC Ventral MIPS has an advantage. 

The advantage that the Ventral MIPS enjoys at low speeds comes from big, open, venting. There's still plenty of exhaust and channelling of air but the front looks like the non-aero POC helmets. That means not only do you get cooler at low speeds but you also get a look that's less radical than some of the options here. You could easily wear the POC Ventral MIPS in a casual group ride, or with a gravel bike, and not feel out of place. You get aero performance without looking like you are trying too hard. That fact plus the added glasses grip material, and all the colour options, makes this an easy way to go aero for a lot of people.

As with other helmets on this list, the one thing that would really elevate this helmet is a Virginia Tech score. POC has moved to a version of MIPS that is virtually invisible, and the brand has done well with past models, but the latest models lack Virginia Tech testing and it's a shame. It's also worth noting that this helmet is one of the heavier options.

For more details about this helmet, take a look at our POC Ventral SPIN review. The two helmets share everything except for a change to a version of MIPS that is incredibly close to the previous SPIN technology. 

Best value aero helmet

Right away it's easy to add up negatives to the Smith Ignite helmet. It's a model that was new way back in 2018 and suffered from some complaints of breathability when it was new. Since then it hasn't been updated and that means it still has the old style MIPS liner which is heavier and less pleasant. It also hasn't had Virginia Tech testing.

The reason the Ignite makes this list despite those negatives is that it seems to be a very fast helmet. The shape is reminiscent of a TT helmet and the brand shows aero results besting the Evade 2. Granted it's only one second but a win is a win. Plus, the Ignite has one of the best glasses retention systems on the market as long as your sunglasses have arms with a thin, straight end.

The other reason that Smith makes it to this list is that budget aero helmets don't really exist. Aero helmets aren't generally more expensive but the brands usually have only one aero option and it's at the top of the pricepoint. Smith isn't different but they produce a lot of colours that frequently come and go, with regular discounts a symptom of that. If you want a fast race day helmet you can almost always find a Smith Ignite in a funky colour for half price. 

Best aero helmet for stashing sunglasses

I'm never one to stash my sunglasses on my helmet unless I happen to be testing that feature for a review. For a lot of you though, it's a must-have feature. If that's you, the Lazer Vento Kineticore is the helmet that does the best job. The design does ask that your glasses flex outward a bit but once in place, there is a rubber pad that holds them very solid. It doesn't take much effort to get them in the right place and once there, they aren't moving. 

Aside from that, the Lazer Vento Kineticore is one of the few helmets still willing to experiment with a non-MIPS rotational impact system. Kineticore is a system that builds crumple zones into the EPS foam itself. Not only does it manage a five-star Virginia Tech rating but it also inherently means there is plenty of air channelling. It's a clever system that does a lot of things right. 

What's a bit less clever, or perhaps overly clever, is the ScrollSys Adjustment system. Instead of a rear dial to tighten the rear cradle. You'll find a belt system at the rear of the helmet. It works fine but it's not as easy to move as something like the Ballista MIPS and the Boa dial that helmet uses. 

You can read more details in our Lazer Vento Kineticore review.

Best all-around aero helmet

The Specialized Evade III marks the third generation of one of the earliest and most universally loved aero helmets. What's interesting about this being the third generation is that for the last couple, Specialized hasn't been trying to make it a faster helmet. Instead, the brand has been leaning into making a helmet that is easier to grab every time you head out the door. The third generation is just as fast in the wind as the first but it's now 10% cooler with larger rear venting and less weight. 

Along with the updated cooling capacity, you will find a new version of MIPS. Look through the list and you will see that MIPS Air isn't unique to Specialized but it's a vast improvement over earlier versions. At this point, you won't notice any difference compared to non-MIPS equipped padding and this helmet manages a five-star Virginia Tech rating.

When it comes to making the Specialized Evade III the best all-around choice, it's actually more about a basic design style than the details. Specialized keeps the whole helmet contained rather high on the head compared to other options. The rear cradle doesn't have a way to adjust it down but it does mirror the rest of the helmet in how high and out of the way it sits. The thin and narrow webbing used for securing the helmet once again stays out of the way. Everything comes together in a way that stays out of the way of any sunglasses, or headphones, you might ride with. The Specialized Evade 3 is a helmet you can put on and forget about. 

Best aero helmet for making yourself visible

Both the Giro Eclipse Spherical and the Specialized Evade 3 are excellent everyday options. They are different in the way they fit, with the Giro providing more of a cap feeling and Specialized feeling like it's perched up high. The Giro is more likely to interfere with sunglasses but the real reason it gets the nod for visibility instead of everyday use is the strength of the optional rear light. 

Other options on this list, like the Lazer Vento Kineticore, also have clip-on lights but Giro does a better job with integration. It almost disappears when fitted and at only 19 grams the combined weight is still less than the Specialized Evade 3. In my own experience, having that extra light is one of the main reasons I often reached for this helmet. 

Although the light represents a different kind of safety, there's still plenty of traditional helmet safety on board. Instead of MIPS Air, Giro uses MIPS Spherical. It's a system that uses a ball and socket design to move the slip plane into the layers of the helmet. The inner section remains solidly attached to your head while the outer part of the helmet can shift. The five-star Virginia Tech rating suggests it's a system that works well. 

The one point of frustration I encountered with this helmet only came up after thousands of miles. Eventually the tab in the padding that helps channel dripping sweat away from the eyes came apart. 

You can read more details in our Giro Eclipse Spherical review.

Best aero helmet for lightweight performance

I'm someone who loves to ride from sunrise to sunset and even beyond. The longer you spend in a helmet the more you care how heavy it is. It's one of the reasons that I love the Trek Ballista MIPS but if you are looking for the absolute lightest helmet then it's always been Limar and the trend continues with the Limar Air Atlas + MIPS. The numbers are close but everything has a winner and if you measure grams, it's Limar. 

There is a caveat though. The Limar Air Atlas has a removable fairing in the rear that Limar calls the UFO. With the fairing out you lose performance but with it in the weight matches other options. In my testing I saw no loss of ventilation with the fairing in place so it seems unlikely to get removed in most situations. The choice is there though and without it, there’s nothing lighter.

Either way, the Air Atlas has a lot going for it. The buckle is a magnetic Fidlock design that makes it quick and easy to get in and out of and the y-junction below the ears is equally quick and easy to adjust. When it’s time to climb, the large outside vents will hold your glasses quite well although they lack a specific grip material like other brands.  

Don't forget about speed either, this is an aero helmet after all and that's the point. Limar doesn't share the results of testing vs other helmets, like most brands, but the brand does compare to the previous generation helmet and that one was compared to a slightly older TT helmet. It's amazing to understand that the helmets here, Limar included, are as fast as TT helmets from just a few years ago while also being usable on every ride. 

The one thing I'd love to see Limar do is submit the Air Atlas for testing by Virginia Tech. There is MIPS Air technology but, as with every helmet lacking a score, the lack of the test leaves a question. I also question if perhaps it’s worth a bit more weight to have more padding at the front. I wasn’t overly bothered but Kask has such generous padding that the difference is notable with Limar.

Also tested

Landing on the final options for this list required a ton of testing with a wide variety of helmets. Two helmets that didn't make the list only because of the concept are the Kask Protone Icon and the Trek Velocis. These two helmets are extraordinarily good but they aren't aero helmets. The focus is on getting as aero as possible while also staying highly breathable. If you are willing to leave some watts on the table for more breathability then they both offer a good half-step. 

Outside of those helmets, there were also a couple of helmets that almost made the list. The Met Manta MIPS and the Rudy Project Nytron only just missed inclusion. The two helmets have some small drawbacks, the Met runs a bit small and the Rudy Project is heavy, but that wasn't what kept them off the list. The biggest issue with both is that they don't shine in any one specific way. When tested on their own, I was happy with them. If I only had a single helmet, I would be quite happy with either choice. In comparison though, they struggled to define themselves. If you find a great deal on either of these two helmets, or you see something I didn't, you won't be unhappy with your purchase. 

How to choose the best aero helmet for you

The implication with an aero bike helmet is that it is a measurable way to make you faster. We have wind tunnels and we can measure drag, this should be simple right? Unfortunately the nature of product releases mean that it's not that simple. 

It is incredibly rare for any company to come out and give exact numbers for anything aero-focused. That happens both because no company wants to look bad but also because it's impossible. Competing companies don't have advanced access to upcoming products from other companies, and when you get to the finite details of testing one aero helmet against another, what's fast for one person isn't necessarily fast for the next, as the results are almost always position-dependent.

Unfortunately, that means we have to take aero performance off the table when making a decision. If you are looking for the best aero helmet, you won’t find a definitive answer as to what the fastest aero helmet is for you, without buying every one of them and going to a wind tunnel yourself. Instead, our advice is to accept that all aero helmets are in a similar ballpark, one which is faster in general than a standard helmet. Then, with that in mind, consider the aspects of a helmet that you are able to get info on, such as sizing, comfort, weight, and of course style.