Giro Agilis helmet review

The new Agilis takes cues from Giro’s road and MTB range to produce a road bike helmet that’s tough and protective enough to survive a rough and tumble life without excess weight. It’s cool and comfortable whether you’re in a road paceline or crawling up a gravel climb and it’s not a bad price either.

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Construction

Giro has set out from the start to make the Agilis tougher than your average road lid. The EPS core of the helmet is protected by a four-piece, interlocking hardbody shell that wraps right up inside the lower edge. The vents are all chamfered slightly so there’s no raw core exposed to scuffing or denting that’s more likely if you're riding a gravel bike. The shell also extends down slightly further than a typical road helmet for more protection against slow speed tumbles.

It uses Giro’s Roc Loc 5.5 MIPS cradle which connects into the helmet with four elastomer studs, designed to reduce rotational G forces and protect your brain in a sliding crash. There’s a ‘three rung ladder’ for height adjustment at the back and a small dial for altering circumference. The cradle increases direct contact area at the back of your head which is always an issue with MIPS liners but Giro has synced shaping with the vents as much as possible. 

Thin XT2 anti-microbial pads add some crown and forehead/temple cushioning without perching the Agilis too high on your head. Straps are anchored inside the helmet rather than on the edge, with sliding Y pieces and a snaplock buckle completing a simple but effective setup.

While there’s still a lot of confusion about what you wear for gravel riding, we reckon Giro has got the Agilis ‘hench/edgy road’ styling spot on. It comes in seven different colour combinations from stealth to neon too, but sizing is more aggregated with just small, medium and large options. 

There are 32 vents in total, ranging from large inline strip vents and boxy exhaust ports to small square vents that punctuate the diagonal arch architecture of the helmet and extensive internal channelling helps keeps fresh air flowing.

Performance

With only partial padding and a simple strap system, the initial fit impressions are practical rather than plush. The Roc Loc system is comfortable and secure though, and Giro’s massive helmet sculpting experience ensured it sat well on most testers' heads. Giro clearly made good use of their heat mapping skull form and in-house wind tunnel too. The larger vents, internal channelling and battery of big exhaust ports suck plenty of air through at speed on the road but there’s enough radiation that we didn’t get baked crawling up steep gravel climbs in the recent UK heatwave. The sturdy side rib and MIPS technology add literal ‘peace of mind’ when you get carried away off-road too. 

Verdict

Like gravel bikes, gravel helmets are always going to have to balance a lot of potential priorities but we reckon Giro has pitched the Agilis really well. Full hardshell construction, slightly extended protection and MIPS cradling are backcountry friendly but it’s still light and vented enough to work fine in a shaved leg and skinsuit environment. Considering the feature list and impressive overall performance, price is reasonable if not exceptional too.

Tech Specs

• Sizes: S, M, L
• Weight: 296g (M)
• RRP: £89.99 ($90.00 / €99.95)