When you are out on the trail, you can never be perfectly sure what might happen, and the most vulnerable part of your body – and the part that it is the most important to protect from damage – is your head. The best way to do that you can protect your head is by simply wearing a mountain biking helmet.
However, many of the mountain biking helmets that are on the market are simply way too expensive to fit into the budget of most mountain bikers. Considering how important this piece of gear is, you should never be without one. So to help you out I am going to let you know what I have found to be the best mountain biking helmet under $200.00 to be.
Then, if that price is still too high for you, I will give you my recommendation for the best helmet that is under $100.00. But, if your budget is really tight, I will end by giving you my last recommendation for the best mountain biking helmet that you can actually get for less than $50.00.
My Recommendation For A Mountain Biking Helmet Under $200.00
If you can afford to get it, the Smith Venture MIPS mountain biking helmet is actually well under $200.00, though it still costs more than $100.00. At only 12 ounces it is very nice and lightweight compared to a number of other helmet options, which means that it won’t wear as much on the muscles in your head and neck after a long day on the trails.
At the same time, like all of the bike helmets in the Smith Company line, it is still quite durable and it is made for cross country. As you would expect from having such a maker, this helmet features the latest MIPS technology. The MIPS is essentially a specifically designed layer that is incorporated into the helmet with the sole purpose of absorbing the shock for your head, and at the same time it also decreases the amount of damage that is done to the helmet itself in case of a crash.
On top of the MIPS feature, it also does a great job of going down in the back to protect the back part of your head as well should you fall backwards somehow. On the front side, this Smith Venture helmet has a visor that is integrated into it to help block some of the sun from getting into your eyes, and it is even designed to keep the rain out of your face as much as possible as well.
It has a very nice aerodynamic design that also features 20 different air ducts for the maximum amount of breathability and coolness for your head. These air ducts are especially made to allow the air to pass away from your face and any glasses that you might be wearing, thereby helping to keep moist air away from them and reducing their fogging.
This bike helmet is available in Small, Medium, and Large sizes and in black, dark grey, grey, white, peach and grey, purple and black, and in jade colors. This gives you a number of options to choose from, none of which are too bright, and the sizing chart that is provided with it helps you to pick just the right size that will fit you the best.
My Recommendation For A Mountain Biking Helmet Under $100.00
If the last option was out of your price range and you are still looking for a good mountain bike helmet under $100.00, then my recommendation is the TeamObsidian Airflow mountain bike helmet. At only 10 ounces it is exceptionally light in weight and its design is nice and fairly aerodynamic.
This TeamObsidian helmet option also has 22 large air vents that make sure there is plenty of airflow around your head to keep it cool. What is perhaps just as important to people with longer hair is that this mountain bike helmet is even ponytail friendly. This is a great thing to have especially in hot climates and in the summertime when you really want to get your hair off of the back of your neck.
The chin strap is not only cushioned in order for the maximum amount of comfort, but it is also equipped with a quick release. The dial fit on the back makes adjusting the fit really simple and easy to do, and it has the added benefit of being able to be adjusted both horizontally as well as vertically.
The pads on this mountain bike are washable which is a great feature to have when they get dirty, or just plain sweaty after spending long days on the trail. The visor is removable, and when it is on the helmet is does a great job of shielding your eyes. While it can be handy to take it off if you don’t want it on for any reason, this also means that it can potentially get knocked off too.
This TeamObsidian bike helmet only comes in black and white and it only comes in two sizes: Small and a Medium/Large. The warranty is not as good for this helmet as it is for the more expensive option, still, the manufacturer’s warranty does last for a full two years.
Finally, it also does not give as much protection to the back of the head or come with the MIPS feature for added safety. Even though it is not as good of a mountain bike helmet, it still has all the basics that you need and it is a great overall helmet to own if you happen to be on a budget.
My Recommendation For A Mountain Biking Helmet Under $50.00
Should your budget be too tight to even afford the previous option, my next recommendation for a mountain biking helmet that is under $50.00 is the KINGBIKE Ultralight Bike Helmet. However, you won’t have to make many sacrifices at all in order to go with this cheap option.
Like the other options for the more expensive bike helmets, this one is very light in weight at just under half of a pound. It has a total of 24 air vents to make sure that your head stays well ventilated and cool even on hot days.
Its rear regulator is easy to make adjustments to in order to help make sure that you get just the right fit and it is controlled with the use of an adjustment dial at the back of the helmet. The KINGBIKE mountain biking helmet may not be as aerodynamic as other helmets are, but it also comes with a front visor that is detachable if you do not want to wear it.
One of the features that is unique to this helmet is the fact that it comes with a rear helmet light that easily attaches onto the back of the helmet near where the adjustment dial is at. This light is red and has three different light settings that you can choose from: steady on, fast flashing, and slow flashing. When the battery runs low it is easily replaced with a new one, and it is just as easy to remove the light entirely when you are riding trails during the day and don’t need it.
This helmet also comes with a bag that you can safely put your helmet in to carry it around. This bag’s drawstring design makes it easy to slip over your shoulders like a backpack or to attach to the handles of your mountain bike. This KINGBIKE mountain biking helmet comes in two different sizes and in a whopping thirteen different color choices, meaning that there are plenty of different colors that you can choose from.
Two of these color options – the solid black and the solid titanium – are even CPSC approved. The CPSC stands for the Consumer Product Safety Commission and has regulations and tests that each helmet has to pass in order to be approved by them, meaning that these helmets meet all of the needed safety requirements and that they have as much durability as you will need in your bike helmet.