Cyclingnews Awards: Aero helmets

I'm not the fastest rider, and I've never been one to do much racing, but I like to experience my bike adventures as fast, or at least as efficiently, as possible. I always wonder if maybe there's a way to make every pedal stroke count for just a little more. After pouring my heart into deeply researching the best aero helmets the answer, according to aerodynamics, is a resounding yes. 

Taking advantage of that aerodynamic advantage is less clear cut. Modern bikes offer aero advantages and wheels have always been the most obvious, but aerodynamics isn't a zero sum game. You can optimise every detail of your kit and pick up a few watts everywhere. Turns out though, helmets are a big one. Not only do you already need a helmet, meaning it's not an additional cost, but the potential gains are huge. Picking the right aero helmet can mean as many gains as a good pair of wheels. There are always trade offs though, right?  

The reality is that helmets are a functional part of your clothing and safety gear. There's a lot that goes into making a helmet beyond just how fast it is and the only way to figure out what actually works is to spend time with the options. For weeks I spent every ride in a new helmet and I put out a list that I felt covered options for a variety of people with different viewpoints. 

Now that I've got a little more breathing room, the 2023 Cyclingnews Awards is providing an opportunity to further tighten that list. With the bulk of the testing behind me, which are the products that I still love to use? I've filtered everything down to three simple categories, the best overall, the best value, and an honourable mention. If you like the idea of picking a helmet that is both a joy to wear and makes you faster, keep reading.  

Best overall

Long after I stopped the serious testing for the best aero helmets, the Trek Ballista continues to be the helmet I grab when I head out the door. From the beginning what I liked about it is how light it is. That, obviously, hasn't changed and this is still among the lightest helmets, of any kind, on the market. Limar has something that's technically lighter but only if you strip the aero fairing from the rear. Kask, and more recently Uvex, do have aero helmets that come close in weight but as I've spent more time with the Trek helmet, it's not the weight that has been the strongest point. 

Instead, what I've come to love about the Trek Ballista is how it handles heat. From the very beginning, Trek put a lot of emphasis on the ability of the Ballista to keep a rider cool and comfortable in the heat but I've found there's more to it. There's always this idea that aero helmets are hot but as we've headed into the heat of the summer, I've found the Trek Ballista is at least as good as any other helmet I have in the heat. There's plenty of air that moves through it, it's noticeably quiet, and something about the front pads is different. 

I can't take a picture and tell you exactly what is different but when you are dripping sweat, there's something different about the Trek Ballista. Instead of dripping father forward and onto my glasses, the Trek helmet seems to keep sweat better attached to my face. It's perhaps an odd thing to love but I ride in the heat a lot. Absolutely dripping sweat is pretty common so I appreciate whatever makes it a little better. 

As far as negatives, I've found those have shifted a bit over time as well. When I first wrote about it I focused on what I thought were polarising looks. I've always loved the looks, and continue to do so, but it turns out that other people feel the same way. Instead what always bugs me is the tendency of the rear cradle un-attach itself when putting the helmet on or taking it off. As much as I like the cable only rear cradle, you really need to loosen the BOA dial or it will unclip from the rest of the helmet and you'll need to fiddle with it. 

Best budget

As I was writing this up, I spent way more time than I had trying to find an alternative for the best budget aero helmet. The reality is that there just are not options for budget aero helmets on the market. That means I've had to rely on a bit of a trick to bring you an option. 

While the Smith Ignite matches the price of other options at full retail, it's almost always available at a discount. What happens is that Smith is constantly bringing new colour options to market. Those colour options rotate so often that they are a bit like limited editions. They stick around for a season and anything left over starts getting discounted. If you can be open to something a bit different for the look of your helmet, there's almost always a half price deal on a Smith Ignite in an unusual colour. 

The Smith Ignite isn't only a bargain helmet though. The reality is that while it's a bit outdated in some ways (it came out originally in 2018) it seems to continue being competitive in terms of aero performance. I know this because Smith published results showing not only the performance of the Ignite but also how it relates to other helmets. That means, by tracing the path of statements from other brands, we can see that it's in the running against both the Specialized Evade 3 and the Giro Eclipse. 

Despite that aero performance, the biggest downside is that the Ignite was on the market long before the latest versions of MIPS. In the five years since Smith started making the Ignite, MIPS has brought options to market that don't involve a second layer. The original MIPS was heavier and less breathable and choosing the Ignite means going back in time a bit. 

Honourable mention

I don't keep track of exactly how much time I spend in gear like helmets but the Giro Eclipse has to be up there with the most used pieces of gear I own. The negative I cited was that the flap at the front of the padding comes apart over time but I have to admit, it's hardly fair. That little flap exists to channel sweat off the front pad and give it a place to drip. In short, it's a sacrificial piece.  It did come apart, when other helmets didn't have that issue, but it also came apart because of the sheer number of hours I've spent in the helmet. It's constantly sweat stained and it's been through a beating only a few helmets I've ever owned can match. 

One of the big reasons I love this helmet is how seamlessly the accessory light integrates into it. Yes, it's an accessory you have to buy but the Eclipse tends to run a bit cheaper than other aero helmets so you will still come out ahead. It's also true that there are helmets with similar lighting systems, the difference is Giro does it better. Once it's attached, the Roc Loc 5 looks like it was always meant to be there and it helps me feel just a bit better when I'm covering long distances on country roads. 

Despite all the positives about this helmet, it does lag behind the Trek just a tiny bit. The biggest difference between the two being that the MIPS spherical on the Giro makes it a little harder to push it off your brow when needed. That detail, along with the padding issue and slight weight advantage, is why the Trek snagged the best overall. Keep in mind though, the Giro Eclipse is less expensive.