Trail and enduro helmets

As bikes and trails continue to push the envelope, it’s no surprise that helmets are evolving to keep up. You will never regret investing in the most important piece of safety kit

Modern trail bikes are more capable than their predecessors, we can therefore ride them harder and faster, and on tougher trails too. That also means when we make a mistake we’re going to crash harder and faster. This is why we’ve also seen quite a lot of recent advances in the design and protection levels offered by bike helmets.

The majority of trail riders will still be rocking a half-shell helmet but it’s likely to have an extended section at the back and also feature an integrated MIPS liner to help dissipate impact forces.

In theory, adding extra protection means the helmet may run a little hotter, but venting has been improved too and most will also include good quality anti-bacterial padding to soak up excess perspiration.

In this test we’ve included eight of the best open-face helmets on the market, but we know many riders want more protection, so we’ve also included four enduro-style helmets. One of those is a halfway house, one is convertible via a removable chin bar, and two are straight up full-face helmets, albeit with material removed to cut weight and improve the airflow.

With the introduction of adjustable retention devices, multi-layer construction, MIPS technology and features like magnetic closures, goggle strap clips and storage bags, the price of helmets has gone up.

That technology is trickling down and should soon be found on entry level