The 10 Best Road Bike Helmets Under $100 (Improve Your Safety on a Budget!)

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These are the best road bike helmets for under $100 worth your attention.

I’ve been doing road cycling for several years already, and these are the helmets I would buy when starting out.

I evaluated their reviews, weight, ventilation, design, popularity, and other features.

One helmet stands out from the rest. It’s the Giro Agilis (also available at rei.com). It gained popularity worldwide thanks to its timeless design, effective ventilation, comfort, and MIPS.

Below, you will also learn how to choose a road bike helmet, more about safety features, and much more.

Let’s dive in!

What Are the Best Road Bike Helmets for Under $100?

The best road bike helmets for under $100 are those that meet safety standards required by law, are lightweight, well-ventilated, and fit your head shape.

Road bike helmets under $100 differ from more expensive ones by higher weight and worse ventilation or aerodynamics. Their safety is comparable.

All helmets on this list meet the required safety standards like CPSC certification. They mainly differ in the other features (size, design, weight).

Skip to the comparison table…

Giro Agilis (Best Road Bike Helmet Under $100 Overall)

Giro is one of the most popular manufacturers of bicycle helmets. So it is no coincidence I have included several of their models in this roundup.

Agilis is a cheaper variant of the high-end Giro Aether Spherical. Agilis differs mainly in its design and weight.

It includes MIPS for your increased safety. I also like that it’s available in multiple colors, so you can match it with your bike or kit.

It is designed to be low-profile, so it won’t look like a mushroom, even if you have a big head.

Many people also agree that it’s more comfortable than other helmets in this price range.

Agilis’ main downside is that its buckle is pretty small, and the padding tends to wear out pretty quickly.

Also available at rei.com and competitivecyclist.com

Base Camp Road Bike Helmet

The Base Camp bike helmet caught my eye, especially thanks to its detachable visor. It almost looks like a pro aero bike helmet.

You don’t have to wear cycling sunglasses thanks to the visor because completely replaces them.

It features a UV400 filter that will protect your eyes against harmful UV rays. Naturally, you can detach it if you don’t like it or want to enjoy the view.

I selected it as the ‘best combo’ because it also has LED light for increasing your visibility at night.

This is a great benefit if you commute to work in the early morning or return from a trip late when the sun goes down.

Its biggest disadvantage is that it’s available in only a large size, making it unsuitable for people with small heads.

Specialized Align II (The Safest Road Bike Helmet Under $100)

According to Virginia Tech lab, Specialized Align II is one of the safest road bike helmets under $100 on the market. Surprisingly, it ended up better than some premium helmets.

Specialized is one of the industry leaders, so you can be confident in this helmet’s quality.

What I don’t like, though, is its weight. This helmet is on the heavier side of the spectrum, so it can cause neck pain unless you get used to it.

On the other hand, it’s available in plenty of nice colors, looks modern (and sleeker than Align I), and has reflective strips.

You will also appreciate its ventilation in hot weather, so you won’t sweat as much.

Add the comfortable fit, and you have a helmet that is hard to beat.

Also available at jensonusa.com and performancebike.com

Bell Formula

Bell is known as one of the helmets industry leaders. Their Formula provides a very good price/value ratio.

It’s lightweight, so you won’t almost feel it on your head, and it reduces the chance of neck pain. The weight is surprisingly low, considering the helmet has MIPS.

Thanks to the 19 air vents and optimized design, it’s well-ventilated, so your head won’t overheat in hot weather.

The main downside is that the sweat guide that should pull moisture away from the eyewear does not work very well.

Also available at competitivecyclist.com and jensonusa.com

Giro Isode

If you are looking for a cheap road bike helmet with MIPS, Isode is one to consider. It belongs among the most popular Giro helmets ever produced.

It has good ventilation and quick-drying padding that provides you with enough comfort.

Isode is very lightweight, considering the fact it has MIPS. It’s about 100g lighter than the Specialized Align II.

You will appreciate the low weight during long rides because it won’t tire your neck muscles.

Its main downside is that the side straps are not adjustable. You can adjust the chin strap and the rear dial only.

Also available at competitivecyclist.com

NHH Road Bike Helmet

This NHH helmet is a perfect choice if you are looking for a light road bike helmet. It’s even lighter than some high-end helmets.

It has 22 air vents providing good ventilation in hot weather. You will also appreciate its availability in many colors, including those suitable for women.

It comes with a protective sleeve that will protect it against scratches during transport. It’s pretty handy if you travel a lot.

Of course, the chin strap and rear dial are adjustable. Unfortunately, it’s only available in one size, limiting the number of people it’s suitable to.

Smith Optics Signal

One of the biggest highlights of the Smith Optics Signal helmet is its availability in plenty of sizes.

This makes it suitable for people with different head sizes – from small to large ones.

It has an average weight (but compared to Align II is lightweight), and people agree that it’s comfortable.

Signal is one of those helmets that look modern, have great ventilation, and provide you with a high level of protection.

One tip: If you are between sizes, go for the smaller size.

Specialized Echelon II

Echelon II shares many features with the Align II, including a high safety rating, compatibility with ANGi sensors (not included), and reflective strips.

I like the Echelon design more because it looks more like premium road bike helmets.

Thanks to the better vertical adjustability of the retention system, it’s comfortable and fits many head shapes.

Its main disadvantage is limited color availability and still relatively high weight.

Also available at jensonusa.com and performancebike.com

Bell Avenue

Bell Avenue almost looks like the Bell Formula. Avenue is a little sleeker and more affordable but heavier.

It also has MIPS to reduce the rotational forces during impact and provide you with better protection.

You will appreciate its availability in multiple colors, so it’s easy to match it with the rest of your cycling kit.

Thanks to multiple sizes, including those large ones, it’s suitable for people with large heads.

Many people agree that its main benefit is comfort and fit.

Rockbros Road Bike Helmet

This Rockbros road bike helmet is cool-looking and well-ventilated thanks to the large air vents.

I recommend it for people living in hot areas or those who like riding long climbs.

It has a magnetic buckle that is easier to use than standard buckles. That’s definitely a nice touch.

Considering its price, you will probably notice it feels cheap. However, it meets all necessary safety standards.

Honorable Mentions

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My Verdict

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How to Choose a Road Bike Helmet?

Size, Fit & Adjustability

Before you order your new road bike helmet, make sure you buy the right size.

How to choose the right size of bike helmet?

Every bike helmet manufacturer has slightly different sizing. It’s determined by the circumference of the head in inches or cm. Use a soft tailor tape measure to measure yours.

Once you know your head circumference, it is pretty easy to choose the correct helmet size. If you can, don’t hesitate to try it in person.

How do I know the helmet fits?

It has to feel ‘just right.’ If there are some pressure points, it’s probably not a good helmet for your head shape.

Modern bike helmets have adjustable side straps, chin strap, and dial fit. You can adjust them all so the helmet won’t be too loose or too tight.

Weight

The road bike helmet’s weight is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a new helmet.

Helmets under $100 may be lighter than high-end road bike helmets. This is because they may not have additional safety features like MIPS that increase the overall weight of the helmet.

The following table shows the weights of the selected road bike helmets under $100.

The lighter helmet, the better for your comfort. You probably won’t experience neck pain caused by a heavy helmet. I recommend buying a helmet below 0.66 lb (300 g).

Design & Aerodynamics

These days, the design is the main feature that differentiates helmets from each other – colors, shape, aerodynamics…

Almost every brand has its own signature. After a while, you will be able to recognize helmets by Bell, Giro, Specialized, POC, and other manufacturers.

After all, that’s why the selection above includes more helmets so you can choose the one you like the most.

Road cyclists are usually ‘marginal gains’ hunters. This means they take care of things like weight, aerodynamics, etc.

INTERESTING FACT: Pro riders choose different helmets for mountain and flat stages/races. They wear standard road helmets in the mountains and aero helmets on flats.

If you are not as demanding as pros, feel free to go for a helmet that you like, not for the one that is 15 seconds faster on 25 miles (40 km) when ridden at around 30 miles/h (50 km/h).

Ventilation

Ventilation is an important feature, especially during the hot summer months. You don’t want your head to overheat during a three-hour ride.

Fortunately for us, road cyclists, road helmets are very well-ventilated. As a result, the head sweats less and dries faster thanks to the airflow.

The main difference between standard and aero road helmets results from the previous section.

Certifications

Every bike helmet sold in the USA must have the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) certification. Yet, you can find helmets that don’t meet the requirements for this certification.

The purpose of the certifications is to verify that the helmet meets certain safety and protection requirements. For example, in Europe, there is the so-called EN 1079 standard, and in Australia and New Zealand AS/NZS 2063, etc.

All road bike helmets in this selection are CPSC-certified.

To pass the certification, the helmets go through a series of testing. Watch the following video to see a few examples of these tests.

I also recommend checking out Virginia Tech, which evaluates helmets’ safety.

Extra Safety Features: MIPS, WaveCel, etc.

The last important thing to look for is whether the helmet has an extra safety feature or not.

These and other technologies, like Kali, Leatt, 6D, KinetiCore, SPIN, etc., reduce the rotational and/or linear forces during an impact.

What is the difference between standard and helmets with extra safety features?
The main difference is that the standard helmets don’t have an inside mechanism for reducing impact. This means you may experience a higher strain level in your brain during an impact compared to the helmets with MIPS or WaveCel. Higher strain levels may lead to brain injury.

1. MIPS

MIPS is a system that was developed and researched for more than 20 years. Helmets with MIPS reduce the forces that arise during an impact and are then transmitted to the brain.

Reducing the rotational forces means the risk of brain injuries is minimized. This means MIPS helmets are one of the best road bike helmets for under $100 for your safety.

MIPS allows the head to move 10-15 mm inside the helmet. This reduces harmful rotational motion that would otherwise be transferred to your brain and cause injuries.

The movement is possible thanks to the inside construction. Watch the following video to learn more.

What is the MIPS downside?
The main downside of bike helmets with MIPS is the weight. These helmets are heavier by about 0.88-1.59oz. (25-45g). MIPS also does not reduce linear forces.

2. WaveCel

WaveCel is a cellular structure inside of a helmet that reduces impacts and rotational forces. It is used by Bontrager helmets.

How does WaveCel work?

What is the WaveCel downside?
Similar to MIPS, WaveCel also adds around 1.76oz. (50g) to the helmet’s weight. Furthermore, WaveCel technology is used on Bontrager’s helmets only. They are also more expensive than MIPS or SPIN helmets.

Read the WaveCel vs. MIPS comparison to learn more about their differences.

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Why Should You Wear a Helmet?

I think it is important to remember why wearing a helmet on a bike is important.

According to this study, the number of injuries is reduced by an average of 60% when wearing a bicycle helmet.

Unfortunately, according to this 2012 study, only 29% of adults and 42% of children wore a helmet when riding a bike.

Personally, I try to follow the ‘leading by example’ rule. So I wear a helmet whenever I sit on a bike. It doesn’t matter if I ride 60 miles trip or to a local grocery store.

Did you know that 57% of bicyclists killed in the USA in 2020 were not wearing helmets? Helmet use was unknown for 25%. (Source)

Let’s take a look at the previous statement in a chart. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

I also interpolated the data with trend curves. The trend is growing for all categories. Yet, the ‘helmet use’ category grows the slowest. In 2015-2018, it even declined.

What is the conclusion here? A bike helmet is important, and it can save your life. And as the following video states, “helmet has always been a good idea.”

Bike Helmets FAQ

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This post is regularly updated to provide the most up-to-date product tips. If you find a product that is not up to date, please, contact me.