The best gravel bike helmets need to provide you with the same degree of protection as the best road bike helmets but need to handle a wider range of conditions.
Fast gravel riding is a rising trend with the increasing popularity of gravel racing, and the best gravel bikes increasingly include models geared for speed. But a gravel bike helmet also needs to continue to provide good ventilation and comfort over long time periods at lower speeds and often in weather that's either very hot, very wet or very cold.
Many brands include a helmet in their ranges that they specifically aim at gravel riders. In general, we've included helmets here that will work just as well for road riding. But if your gravel riding is more technical, a mountain bike helmet may be a better choice: we've included a favourite in the list below.
Here's our choice of the best gravel bike helmets and below that a buyer's guide to what to look for in the best helmets for gravel riding.
The best gravel bike helmets on the market today
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Nothing out there can guarantee safety, and the field of head trauma protection is moving so fast that cutting-edge one season is old news the next. One of the leaders in the marketplace is MIPS and the rotational impact protection that it provides.
The MIPS liner isn't always the most comfortable option though, so with this in mind MIPS, Giro, and Bell worked together to create a new system with the same end result, but without needing a separate liner. The result is Giro's Spherical Technology, a ball and socket design that splits the EPS foam liner into an inner and outer shell that fits one inside the other.
It allows for different foam densities as well as a slip plane without the need for a liner. If you prefer a road-style helmet for your gravel riding, the Giro Aether is an excellent option.
Read our in-depth opinion in our Giro Aether Spherical review.
If you're out in the wild and have a crash, a system to alert others could be a lifesaver. The Specialized Propero III lets you add the brand's ANGi crash sensor, although it's no longer included with the helmet. This sits on the rear cradle, detects a sudden acceleration and works with your phone to send an alert with your last known position to your contacts.
That's functionality that's also built into the best cycling computers, but it's good to have a second sensor as well.
The Propero III is a comfortable helmet, despite a little extra weight, has good ventilation and its MIPS liner adds extra safety.
You can read our full review of the Specialized Propero III helmet for more.
The MET Rivale MIPS is a good-looking helmet with plenty of ventilation and, as its name says, a MIPS layer included. At 240g it's light and there are seven colour options available.
MET has taken care of aerodynamics as well, and we rated the helmet's strap management system, comfort and ventilation. We've used the Rivale MIPS off-road as well as on, taking on a mountain bike race and crashing while wearing it.
Read more about our experience with the MET Rivale MIPS helmet, including the results of our own crash testing and MET's assessment of the result.
Spend all day with a heavy helmet on your head, and your neck will be begging you to take it off. The POC Ventral Lite is a solution at under 200g, and it's a helmet designed every step of the way to be as light as absolutely possible.
POC has counted every gram so meticulously that the eyeglasses retention system is a sticker that you can leave off if you don't want to use it. If you are someone who regularly stores their glasses on their helmet, then place the stickers for more security. That's extreme attention to weight and that's what you get with the Ventral Lite.
Want to know more? Read our in depth POC Ventral Lite review.
If you like to record your gravel exploits, placing your action camera on your helmet will give you great footage and may avoid some mud splatter.
The Bontrager Circuit WaveCel helmet can be fitted with two of Bontrager's Blendr mounts, which allow you to attach its Flare front and rear lights to the helmet - or a GoPro.
The helmet is not just a mount for accessories though. At the heart of the helmet's protection is WaveCel tech, which acts as a crumple zone, absorbing impact in a crash. You can also add a visor if you're heading through the undergrowth or want to adapt the helmet for commuting duties.
Read our full review of the Bontrager Circuit WaveCel helmet for more details.
What does it mean to make a gravel bike helmet? For 100% it means starting with a lightweight trail-oriented mountain bike helmet, removing the visor, and adding new colours.
For the rider that means you get the additional coverage that comes from a mountain bike design paired with a style that matches gravel riding. It also helps keep high technology without bringing a high price.
Helping to keep you safe the 100% Altis Gravel brings with it the proprietary Smartshock® Rotational Protective System. More than just a slip-plane system, Smartshock immediately compresses to absorb direct impact while also allowing rotation as necessary.
Our full review of the 100% Altis Gravel should answer any questions you've got.
The Elemento is Kask's most expensive helmet - in fact, we reckon the most expensive road/gravel helmet out there. It uses 1mm thick carbon fibre plates that can move relative to each other in place of the usual EPS foam, along with 3D printed pads that also help absorb energy in a crash.
Kask says that carbon plates can absorb more impact energy than conventional designs and distribute it more evenly. Their thickness, or rather lack of it, also means that there's better air circulation through the helmet - a plus for gravel riders.
Our initial rides with the Elemento helmet have found that it hugs the head really well, with no movement and no tendency to slide down into your field of vision - again a plus for gravel riders. The Merino wool front pad is unusually soft as well. Virginia Tech's helmet lab has rated the Elemento 5* in its testing.
Look out for our review incoming and read our Kask Elemento launch story.
The gear you use for gravel cycling gets destroyed in a way that is completely foreign to road cycling. Ride in the rain and it's even worse. Everything you wear comes back coated in mud and grime and, after a while, it becomes a permanent part of it.
The POC Ventral Tempus MIPS is designed to be more enclosed than most helmets, which helps to fend off the weather and keep you warmer. It's also easy to clean after a muddy ride, with fewer nooks and crannies.
We've reviewed the SPiN version of the helmet, which has been discontinued, but the MIPS helmet retains the same shell, just swapping in MIPS protection in place of SPiN.
Read our full thoughts in our POC Ventral Tempus Spin review.
If you're planning aggressive off-road riding, a mountain bike helmet may be a better shout than a road or gravel helmet. Not only will it have an adjustable peak to ward off branches and keep you from being dazzled by the sun, the rear of the helmet usually sits lower, so adding extra protection for the rear of your head in an awkward fall.
The Lazer Coyote KinetiCore uses the same rotational impact tech as the brand's latest road helmets, with an internal crumple zone that deforms and can break off in a crash. It's lighter than a sliding plane system, as it takes away from the helmet's EPS foam rather than adding another layer to the helmet.
This makes the Lazer Coyote KinetiCore competitively light for an MTB helmet. It's inexpensive too.
How to choose the best gravel bike helmet
Gravel riding has risen in popularity and there is now a whole sector of the market now dedicated to gravel-specific clothing and accessories. If you prefer to adopt a more relaxed choice of kit for gravel riding then a gravel-focused or specific helmet may be of interest to you. Something perhaps that looks a little less like a performance road helmet and takes some style inspiration from the MTB world.
That being said, safety and fit when it comes to helmet choice are paramount. A helmet's ability to keep you safe should always be your first concern when shopping for one. Working to your budget, see what helmets have certain safety features (such as MIPS) that appeal or feel right for you and if possible try a helmet on before you buy to ensure it's comfortable and fits you correctly.
Do I need MIPS?
MIPS is a brand name, like Hoover, that has become synonymous with rotational impact protection. It stands for "Multi-directional Impact Protection System", and, like other systems of its kind, adds a liner with a small amount of movement inside the helmet shell that allows it to slide relative to the helmet and your head on impact.
This, it is claimed, reduces the rotational impact on your head, as most impacts are not linear, and basically makes the helmet safer. It's a technology that's trickling down through helmet ranges and is rapidly becoming ubiquitous, even in the best-budget cycling helmets.
Do I need a visor?
The visor is something familiar to the mountain bike crowd, but alien to roadies, so depending on your riding style this will help inform your decision.
Mostly road or fast gravel? Then you probably don't need one. Gnarly trails and steep inclines, with very little smooth riding? Maybe a visor is the thing for you.
The visor will provide an element of protection from the sun, as well as rogue tree branches in woodland settings, but in a racy position, it'll likely obscure your vision. Gravel helmets with visors are also likely to be drawing from mountain biking designs, and will probably have better rear-side protection.
Rest assured, if you do get a helmet with a peak, most are removable, so you can always take it off.
What about aero gravel helmets?
You can, if absolute speed is your goal, wear an aero road helmet for your gravel riding. However, speeds off-road are generally slower than those on smooth tarmac, and aero helmets that can struggle with ventilation are going to be even more sweaty at slower speeds on a hot day.
As such we've not included any out-and-out aero helmets in this guide, although if you plan to try gravel bike racing, aerodynamics is as important at the pointy end as it is on the road. An aero helmet will also keep your head more comfortable in poor conditions, due to its more enclosed design.
When should I replace my helmet?
For most gravel riders you'll probably be fine with your current gravel or mountain bike helmet, but at some point, all helmets need replacing, which is when you could always come back here.
After a crash that's resulted in a bumped head, or any impact to the helmet (don't drop them!) you should replace it immediately. It's annoying and an expensive addition of insult to injury, but not doing so could risk worse the next time you end up rubber-side up.
General wear and tear and UV exposure also degrade helmets over time. Manufacturer recommendations differ, but usually suggest a replacement after around five years.
