Why You Need a MIPS Helmet

Of course everyone knows that helmets are an essential piece of equipment that we all use when riding our mountain bikes. And if you don't use one you deserve whatever brain damage you get when you smack your head on a rock! But how much thought do most people really put into their helmet besides how well it matches their jersey and how many vent holes it has?

The most important part of a bike helmet is how well it protects your head in the event of a crash. There are different types of helmets that are designed for different types of riding. You have your full face helmet for the downhill stuff, your XC helmets for the easy Sunday rides and then your all mountain\enduro type helmets for the more technical trails. Now just because a helmet looks like it provides adequate coverage and protection doesn't necessarily mean it does.

This is where MIPS helmets come into play. MIPS stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System and is designed to provide protection against the rotational motion caused by angled impacts to the head which can result in brain injury. Rotational impacts are more dangerous to the head than linear impacts. MIPS technology was developed in Sweden in 1996 and is becoming a major factor in helmet design.

This improved level of protection is accomplished by adding a layer between the EPS foam and your head. This layer moves about 10 to 15 mm in any direction to reduce the rotational motion from angled impacts and will allow the head continue in the direction to which it was originally heading without transferring the rotational energies to the brain. MIPS works by mimicking the brain's own protection system with this type of movement.

As you can see in the image below that there is quite a difference in the strain level to the brain with an impact while wearing a MIPS helmet and one that is not MIPS equipped. If you think about how your head would hit the ground during a crash you will realize that its normally at an angle rather than straight down directly to the top of your head.

There are many helmet manufactures that offer MIPS equipped helmets so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one that's right for you. MIPS is also used for other types of helmets besides ones meant for biking. We have been using the GIRO Montaro helmet and are liking it so far. The Bell Sixer is also a good choice for a MIPS helmet. Here are the manufacturers that offer MIPS equipped bike helmets.

If you want to study up on the research behind MIPS technology they have published a bunch of their R&D papers on their site that you can read.

Posted by Jim Bernstein