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MTB Downhill Helmets

It's going downhill at full speed! On steep descents, rocky slopes or in the bike park, the fun grows with the risk, and the more challenging the trail, the more adrenalin pumps through the body. But for safe bike flow on demanding trails, downhill helmets are a must. We explain to you how downhillers recognise reliable MTB helmets and why every downhiller and freerider should buy a downhill helmet.

Downhill helmets for the safe kick

Downhill tracks are the spicy dishes on every MTB menu. Whether short, steep descents, sharp bends or rooty underground - in the bike park or in the great outdoors, there are almost no limits to downhill riding, depending on the skill level.

There is one thing you should not have to worry about anymore: Can my helmet really protect me? Downhillers are the specialists among adrenaline bikers, and specialists for risky routes need special protection. So which helmet comes into question for you?

Buying an MTB helmet means being spoilt for choice. Helmets are available in all sizes, colours and shapes. Classic mountain bike helmets protect the head, but hardly do justice to the danger of accidents on downhill. You should therefore always choose a full-face helmet to complete your protector collection for upper body, shoulders, elbows and knees.

Which downhill helmets are available?

For downhill action, two versions of the mountain bike helmets are suitable. Which helmet you choose in the end depends on your riding behaviour and your feeling of warmth. The safest choice for downhillers are fullface helmets. The helmet and chin guard are firmly attached to each other in these models. The helmet encloses the entire head and protects the skull, face, temples, neck and jaw in case of a fall. Downhill helmets in the full-face version are best combined with matching goggles to protect you from dirt splashes, low-hanging branches, stones and insects.

Full-face helmets are equipped with large ventilation holes and channels for cooling, but some bikers prefer airier and more open helmets. If fullface is too much for you in midsummer, you don't ride extremely steep slopes and don't plan risky moves, you can also use a half-shell helmet instead of the fullface version.

Half-shell helmets lack the integrated chin guard, the rear part of the helmet has only a deep drawn back head protection and on the sides there is impact protection for the temples. Otherwise it is much more airy in the middle of summer. Nevertheless, we recommend Fullface if you want to buy a downhill helmet. Falls can hardly be avoided during downhill manoeuvres, and nothing is more important than a good, high-quality and comprehensive head protection.

The all-rounders: Downhill helmets with removable chin guard

MTB helmets are permanently optimized and adapted to new requirements. If a protective shell on the head was sufficient at first, modern helmets should not only be comfortable and safe, but also practical, light and multifunctional.

Due to the constant development of helmets, there is now a compromise between full face and half shell. Downhill helmets are now also available as so-called full-face helmets, i.e. full-face version with removable chin bar. This means that you no longer need two different helmets depending on the route. A chin guard is not always necessary for mountain climbs and can be easily removed. On downhill the bar is simply put back on and voila - full head protection.

Full-face helmets with removable chin protection offer a convincing combination of wearing comfort, low weight and good protection.

What material is a good helmet made of?

When choosing a helmet, you should pay attention to the material and the construction. Most downhill helmets consist of a hard shell made of hard plastic, which is welded to the flexible EPS foam. The hard shell prevents the helmet from breaking quickly, while EPS foam absorbs impact forces. Be careful not to use a soft-shell helmet, as the outer shell of such models is not made of hard plastic and therefore does not provide enough protection in intensive falls.

Newer helmets use the quite young MIPS technology. MTB helmets with MIPS use different materials to combine a robust hard shell with more flexible materials inside. This should not only protect the head from impact energy and skull fractures, but also prevent a concussion.

Falls cause strong lateral rotation of the head, which conventional helmets do not always absorb. MIPS focuses specifically on the possible rotations to which the head is exposed during a fall.

How the helmet fits perfectly

Of course it is not only important what downhill helmets are made of, but also how well they fit. A helmet must sit firmly and must not slip. As a rule of thumb when choosing a helmet, only one finger may fit between the eyebrows and the lower edge of the helmet.

Helmets can be flexibly adapted to your own head shape by an adjustable inner frame and a chin strap. The correct size of the helmet depends on your head circumference. You always have to add one centimetre to your head size. Helmets should have little room to move, not leave any pressure marks, be as light as possible and be easy to combine with additional safety glasses.

Hot action, cool head

If the track is hot, a cool head is all the more important. Good downhill helmets have air ducts that allow air to pass through the helmet at the face and out the back. The following applies: too many openings can impair the protective function of the helmet, too few hold the danger of heat accumulation. So make sure you use a helmet with good ventilation and inner padding that can cushion falls, but do not interrupt the air flow because it is too tight.