The 10 Most Stylish Bike Helmets to Buy (Ideal for Commuting) [2023]

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This is a selection of the most stylish bike helmets for men and women. If you want to look stylish on your bike when commuting to or from work or on your bike trips, you are in the right place.

I like the Thousand Heritage the most. It is available in plenty of colors so men and women will choose. Thanks to MIPS, it is safer than non-MIPS helmets, it features vegan leather straps, a hidden lock (!), and most importantly, looks chic.

In this article, you will also learn how to choose a helmet that fits, what MIPS stands for, and what to be aware of when buying a bike helmet.

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What Are the Most Stylish Bike Helmets?

Skip to the comparison table…

All helmets in this selection are CPSC-certified, meeting the necessary safety standards.

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Thousand Heritage (Best Overall)

Thousand Heritage is a super stylish helmet that features several cool features. Let me explain them one by one.

The most important thing is safety. Thanks to MIPS which reduces strain levels during an impact, Heritage is safer than non-MIPS helmets.

It is also vegan-friendly because its straps are made of vegan leather. Thousand also cares about the environment and takes emissions seriously.

I also like the magnetic buckle which is more convenient than a standard and outdated plastic buckle. You have to try to fully appreciate how easy it can be to fasten your helmet.

The in-built lock is a unique feature of Heritage. Although it adds some extra weight, you can use it for locking the helmet and preventing theft, for example, when you do groceries.

Additionally, you can adjust the fit using the rear dial. Thousand Heritage is also known for its high-quality price and great built quality.

Choose from plenty of attractive colors suitable for men and women.

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Mokfire Bike Helmet With a Taillight (Best Budget)

Mokfire offers a large selection of colors you can choose from. My personal favorite is navy blue. But you can choose from white, black, and other colors.

You can turn on the detachable taillight at night and set it to one of the 3 modes available. The side straps will work passively because they are made of reflective material.

The helmet provides good comfort thanks to inner padding and the possibility of adjusting the size. It is available in 1 size 22-24 inches (57-61 cm) so make sure you measure your head circumference.

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LUMOS Kickstart (Best Smart Helmet)

This is the ‘smartest’ helmet in this selection. LUMOS Kickstart has in-build front and rear 500-lumen lights that ensure you will be visible in all conditions.

The front light is turned on at all times so that you will be visible from the front in night traffic. The rear light turns on automatically when you start to break.

When you change directions, you can control the turn signals using a remote attached to the handlebar. This way, you let other road users know where you go – just as you do in a car.

The Lumos Companion app allows you to customize the lights, check how much battery is left, and more. If you pair the helmet with Apple Watch, it will turn the turn signals based on your gestures.

LUMOS Kickstart is a well-ventilated helmet, so it is comfortable even in summer. Of course, you can adjust its size using the rear dial.

Kickstart’s main downsides are the battery life that lasts up to 10 hrs. This is much lower than the battery life of the Smart4u helmet and a higher weight of 0.84lb (380g) than other commuter helmets.

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Nutcase Vio Bike Helmet

Nutcase and their Vio helmet product line belong among the most stylish helmets on the market. These helmets are equipped with several cool features.

The first important feature is the MIPS system. It will provide your head and especially your brain with maximum protection.

Comfort and great ventilation are provided by the inner padding together with 3 huge air vents. Thanks to them, your head will stay cool even on hot days.

Nutcase Vio differs from other helmets by an LED strip. It significantly improves your visibility at night, which will increase your safety. It can light in 3 modes, and the battery lasts up to 3 hours. You can charge it with a USB cable.

The last cool feature is the removable visor, ensuring that the sun will not shine directly on your eyes.

This helmet offers dial-fit for improving fit as well as adjustable side straps. Together with its high built quality, it is one of the best stylish helmets you can buy.

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Base Camp Bike Helmet

I like the design of this helmet because it reminds me of a cap. It has an integrated sunlight visor, a rounded shape, and enough air vents to provide good airflow.

The most exciting feature is the detachable taillight that you can take advantage of at night. A CR2032 battery powers it, and the light has a flash mode too.

The Base Camp logo is made of reflective material so that it will increase your visibility as well. The logo is not too big, so don’t expect it will be enough, and invest in bike wheel lights, for example.

This Base Camp helmet is available in M size (21.65-23.6 inches, 55-60 cm) only. Luckily, this size fits most adults. But, if you have a big head, I recommend you look for a different helmet.

The helmet weighs 0.62 lb (280 g ). It is a standard weight, not too heavy, and not lightweight. You should not experience any neck pain. For example, pro road cycling helmets weigh around 0.44 lb (200 g).

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Giro Cormick MIPS Bike Helmet

The Giro Cormick helmet is the only stylish helmet in this selection that has the MIPS feature. This means this is one of the safest chic helmets in this selection.

This helmet is perfect for summer when it’s hot, thanks to 18 air vents that allow enough airflow that will ventilate your head.

Compared to the previous helmet, it does not have a taillight. But you can buy it in the Yellow/Fluo color visible even if it is darker outside.

Cormick is available in 2 sizes Adult (21.3-24.0 inches, 54-61 cm) and XL (22.8-25.6 inches, 58-65 cm), so it will fit most of the adult population.

Its inner padding and design will provide you with enough comfort. You will forget that you have a helmet on your head. The only downside is its weight of 0.77 lb (350 g).

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TIP: Improve your safety even more. Get one of the Best Bike Bells.

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Retrospec Bike Helmet

I like a few things about this Retrospec helmet. The first is its modern design, making it suitable for commuting to and from work or in a city.

The second big benefit is the range of colors available. You can choose a helmet that will match your clothes and your bike.

Your head will be properly ventilated thanks to 15 air vents even during the hot summer months. So, you won’t sweat as much, and you won’t have to take a shower once you arrive at work.

Another cool feature is the inbuilt LED light with 3 modes that increase your visibility and safety at night.

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PHZ Bike Helmet

The main feature of this helmet is, without a doubt, its detachable taillight. It offers 2 modes (steady, slow, and fast flashing), and when fully charged, it lasts up to 2 hours.

The light is useful, especially in heavy traffic or if you ride at night after a long work shift. It increases your visibility and thus your safety on roads and bike paths.

This helmet provides good ventilation, so it is no problem to wear it even in hot summer. I would recommend it for casual bike commuters and urban riders.

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Smart4u Bike Helmet

The Smart4u helmet is also a smart helmet. Thanks to the smart LED light, it can detect changes in your speed. So when you start to slow down, it turns on. This way, people behind you will be more aware of your further intentions.

The light lasts 26-36 hours on one charge, and its charging takes 3 hours. So if you ride from to time, it will last even a few months.

The only downside of this helmet may be the ventilation system. The helmet has one big air vent in the front, but it does not provide enough airflow.

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OutdoorMaster Skateboard Style Helmet

OutdoorMaster skateboard style helmet is a versatile helmet for all kinds of activities, including cycling and commuting.

It is iconic for its clean design and wide color selection. It is well built, and thanks to adjustable side straps and rear dial, you can adjust its size to ensure a perfect fit.

The helmet comes with spare padding, so you can replace the stock once it wears off.

You can find out more details about this helmet in my in-depth OutdoorMaster Skateboard style helmet review if you want.

However, the fact I included it on this list speaks for itself.

Also available at outdoormaster.com (use the “cyclistshub15” code to get 15% off your purchase and free shipping)

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My Verdict

Each of us prefers a different style, so choosing the most stylish helmets was not easy. But I believe you will choose from the selection above.

The most stylish bike helmet overall is the Thousand Heritage.

It is available in several attractive colors for both men and women. Its stylish brown straps are made of vegan leather, and the whole helmet is vegan-friendly.

The adjustable dial fit ensures the helmet will fit you well and will be comfortable. The magnetic buckle makes fastening effortless, and the in-build lock will allow you to secure your helmet against thieves.

Additionally, the helmet passed all necessary certifications, and it also features MIPS technology for improving your safety.

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Why Should You Wear a Helmet?

Bike helmets increase safety. This research found that head injuries dropped by about 60% overall when using a bike helmet. That is a lot!

I wear a helmet every time I sit on my bike. It doesn’t matter if I ride 60 miles trip or to a local grocery store. You never know what happens, so it is better to be protected.

TIP: You may also like Bicycle Safety Tips for the 21st Century.

You may have seen a video from Amsterdam or any other Dutch city. An average Dutch owns 1.3 bikes. Yes, bikes are very popular in the Netherlands. In the USA, the average is much lower (0.3 bikes per person).

I don’t understand why so few people wear bike helmets in the Netherlands. You can see in the following video that almost nobody wears it.

Let’s put a few numbers in context. The following table shows a few countries and the number of cyclists killed in accidents.

Country	Population	Cyclists killed
Netherlands	17.18 mil.	228
The UK	66.27 mil.	99
The USA	327.2 mil.	857

I guess you’re beginning to understand where I’m going. I’m not saying that not wearing a helmet affects the number of deaths of cyclists. The number may be higher because people in the Netherlands use bikes more often than people in the USA.* But I believe every cyclist should wear it.

*26% percent of trips were done on bicycles in the Netherlands in 2008 compared to 1% in the USA in 2009 (source).

Most US states require wearing a helmet if under 18, but this varies based on state and city. Visit helmets.org for more info.

Generally speaking, if you are an adult, it is completely up to you whether you want to wear a helmet or not. I assume you don’t mind wearing it if you read this article. Thumbs up!

A study from 2012 found that 29% of adults and 42% of children in the USA wore a helmet when riding a bike, so there is room for improvement.

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How to Choose a Bike Helmet?

Before you purchase a new bike helmet, make sure you take into consideration the following factors. The guide below is a shortened version of my in-depth bike helmets guide.

Certification

Every bike helmet sold in the USA should have the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) certification. Unfortunately, you may find helmets that don’t have this certification.

NOTE: In Europe, there is the so-called EN 1079 standard, in Australia and New Zealand AS/NZS 2063, etc.

Especially when shopping online, I recommend shopping from verified online stores and sellers. During my research, I came across helmets without certification. But don’t worry, the selection above includes CPSC-certified helmets only.

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

Size & Fit

One of the most important things you should consider when buying a new helmet is its size. A too big helmet won’t protect your head. A small helmet may not fit your head at all.

How to choose the right size of bike helmet?

Every bike helmet manufacturer has slightly different sizing. This means that Bell’s S size helmet may have different dimensions than the S size helmet by Giro. So make sure you double-check it.

The size of the helmet is determined by the circumference of the head in inches or cm. To measure it, I recommend using a soft tailor tape measure.

Once you know the size of your head circumference, it is pretty easy to choose the helmet. It is always better to try it in person, so choosing the right size is twice as important if you can’t do that.

How do I know the helmet fits?

First of all, you have to feel it. If there is ‘something wrong, the helmet probably does not fit you.

These are the official recommendations of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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

Weight

The weight of the helmet is another important factor to consider. The weight of an average helmet varies between 0.55 to 0.77 lb (250 to 350 g).

I remember when I bought a 50g lighter helmet than the one I had. I noticed the difference right away, and I regretted not buying a lighter helmet before.

So, the lighter helmet, the better for your comfort and your neck muscles. You won’t experience neck pain during longer rides.

Design

And finally, the design. After all, you are here because of the chic bike helmets, right?

I believe the color is pretty clear. But I would like to talk more about the shape and air vents.

Stylish bike helmets are often similar to skateboard helmets. They are more rounded compared to road bike or mountain bike helmets, for example.

Helmets for commuters are often also equipped with a sun visor. Thanks to it, these helmets remind standard caps and, of course, block the sunlight.

The selection of helmets above includes mostly these rounded helmets. You won’t see too many professional cyclists wearing them. They are not designed for maximum performance but rather for looking chic.

Your new helmet should also provide enough air vents so your head will be ventilated, thanks to the airflow that goes through these holes.

The manufacturers know that, so you won’t find too many helmets without air vents. Yet, some helmets provide better ventilation than others.

The vents ‘ size on the front is a good way to estimate whether the helmet will be well-ventilated. If the helmet does not have enough holes at the front side, it will not ventilate very well, and your head will sweat more in the summer.

Note: Your head will sweat in all bike helmets (the helmet does not stop this natural process). The important thing is that the helmets allow ventilation and, thus, simultaneous drying.

Standard vs. MIPS Helmets

The last important thing to look for is whether the helmet offers MIPS or not. MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. Let me explain.

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.

How does MIPS work?
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. (Source)

The movement is possible thanks to the inside construction. If you want to know more details, I recommend watching the following video.

What is the difference between standard and MIPS helmets?
The main difference is that the standard helmets without the MIPS do not have an inside ‘cage’ that can move during an impact. This means you may experience a higher strain level in your brain compared to the MIPS helmet. And, as we said before, higher strain levels may lead to brain injury.

Learn more about bicycle helmet safety technologies.

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Stylish 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.