By Oli Woodman

Published: Sunday, 16 October 2022 at 12:00 am


While it’s possible to spend north of £300 / $300 on a cycling helmet, these top-rated options prove you don’t have to pay a fortune to get quality protection.

Whether you’re looking for a mountain bike helmet, road bike helmet or a helmet for commuting, all our picks – rated and reviewed by the BikeRadar team – are comfortable, offers a good fit, and cost less than £100.

MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection) used to be confined to premium helmets, but it’s now found in many cheap cycling helmets too. It’s designed to add extra protection in the event of a rotational impact to the head in an accident.

Helmets with MIPS form the majority of the best-rated lids in the independent assessments published annually by Virginia Tech.

We’ve included the best helmets under £100 here for road cyclists, mountain bikers and commuters who only cycle to work.

If you want to consider more expensive helmets though, check out our separate guides to the best road bike helmets and the best mountain bike helmets. These lists cover all of our top-rated helmets, from budget to top-end lids worn by the pros, and our full buyer’s guide.

We’ve also got a guide to the best enduro helmets, which can be worn with or without a chin protector for mountain biking, if that’s what you’re looking for.

For now, however, let’s get onto our pick of the best bike helmets out there for less than £100 (or around $150). As ever, all of these helmets have been fully reviewed by the BikeRadar team.

Bell Avenue MIPS

5.0 out of 5 star rating
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The Bell Avenue MIPS helmet offers truly outstanding value.
Dave Caudery / Immediate Media
  • $120 / £65 as tested
  • MIPS included
  • Easy adjustment and good retention

The Avenue MIPS, as its name says, includes MIPS for additional protection. There are 18 vents, so there’s good airflow, while we liked the ease of use and effectiveness of the fit adjustment system.

Although at 310g, the Bell Avenue MIPS is a little heavier than some of the best cheap bike helmets, it’s not out of line considering the excellent value on offer.