17 affordable lids for road, mountain biking and leisure riding, as tested by our experts
While it’s possible to spend north of £300 / $300 on a cycling helmet, our choice of the best bike helmets under £100 / $150 prove you don’t have to pay a fortune to get quality protection.
Whether you’re looking for a budget mountain bike helmet, budget road bike helmet or a budget helmet for commuting, all our picks – as rated and reviewed by the BikeRadar team – are comfortable, offer a good fit and cost less than £100.
MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection) or similar additional protection systems, designed to add extra protection in the event of a rotational impact to the head in an accident, used to be confined to premium helmets, but they’re now found in many cheap cycling helmets too.
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 budget helmets under £100 here for road cyclists and mountain bikers. We’ve also covered helmets suitable for commuters who cycle to work.
If you want to consider more premium helmets, 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 helmets to top-end lids worn by the pros, and include 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.
For now, however, let’s get onto our pick of the best budget bike helmets out there costing less than £100 (or around $150). All of these helmets have been fully reviewed by the BikeRadar team. If you’re looking for advice, we’ve also included a buyer’s guide to budget bike helmets at the bottom of this guide.
Best budget bike helmets under £100 / $150 in 2024
Bell Avenue MIPS
- £65 / $120 as tested
- MIPS included
- Easy adjustment and good retention
The Avenue MIPS, as its name says, is a budget rood bike helmet that 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.
Specialized Propero 3
- £95 / $140 / €130 / AU$200 as tested
- MIPS included
- Quality details and high airflow
With an internal skeleton, the Specialized Propero 3 (still available, but there’s now a newer Propero 4) weighs 305g in medium size, which is reasonable. We liked the quality straps that stay dry and comfortable when working hard and the shape, which mimics the high-end Prevail helmet.
Specialized has packed additional safety features into its budget road helmet with MIPS and you can buy separately its ANGi crash protector that fits to the helmet shell and identifies abnormal accelerative loads and works with your phone to alert your designated contacts to possible accidents.
Bell 4Forty MIPS
- £90 / $110 / AU$180 as tested
- Comfortable to wear and the fit system is easy to adjust
- Great airflow and top value
There’s great airflow from the Bell 4Forty’s 15 vents, and it’s comfortable on long climbs. The shape works well if you have a more rounded head and the fit system is easy to adjust.
You can push the visor up high enough to park your goggles, although we’d have liked to see indexed adjustment.
Cannondale Junction
- £65 / $95 / €98 as tested
- Brilliant value
- Overly long straps
The Cannondale Junction is an affordable MIPS-equipped all-road helmet that performs nearly flawlessly. We found the straps to be excessively long, but you could easily trim them.
The Junction feels safe enough to wear off-road on gravel rides. It even has a small, removable peak. Yet the Junction’s fairly low weight and ample ventilation stop it from becoming too cumbersome or hot on long, warm days out.
Lazer Chiru MIPS
- £60 / $60 / $120 as tested
- Comfortable, neutral fit
- Some glasses won’t fit on the helmet
The Lazer Chiru MIPS helmet fits well and very comfortably, with good adjustability and without bouncing as you ride.
The airflow isn’t as good as some of the best mountain bike helmets, so it runs hot, although not excessively so. There’s a non-adjustable pop-on visor.
Check your sunglasses will fit on the helmet though, because some larger-framed models may run out of space. The fit with goggles wasn’t an issue. The included MIPS is a bonus for a budget helmet.
MET Vinci MIPS
- £100 / €120 / AU$170 as tested
- Low profile and light weight
- Good ventilation and sweat management
The MET Vinci MIPS has a low profile and includes 16 vents, which kept our tester’s head cool on warmer rides. It includes gel pads, which dry quickly and soak up sweat well. The lay-flat straps are very adjustable.
Although MET claims trickle-down from its higher-priced Trenta and the 269g weight (size M) is competitive, we’d have liked to see the shell enclosing the bottom edge of the foam to improve durability.
We’d advise sizing up if you’re between sizes – those with larger heads may find the Vinci a little close-fitting.
Scott Argo Plus
- £75 / $100 / €80 as tested
- Includes a MIPS liner
- Comfortable, with an effective visor
Although there’s no MIPS in its name, the Scott Argo Plus helmet does include a MIPS liner.
At 366g, the weight is reasonable for the price, although the rear coverage isn’t as deep as some trail lids. The visor is non-adjustable, but it’s effective and non-intrusive.
We found the cradle fitted well and the ratchet dial was easy to use wearing a pair of the best mountain bike gloves. Sweat wasn’t handled as well as the best mountain bike helmets though.
Van Rysel RoadR 500
- £30 / $40 / €35 as tested
- Great looks for a budget helmet
- Good ventilation from its 14 vents
Decathlon has some great-value cycling kit, the Van Rysel RoadR 500 helmet being a case in point. It looks racy and more expensive than its price tag suggests, and its 14 vents give you good airflow.
Adjustment works well, although the dial adjuster isn’t a match for those on many higher-priced helmets. You don’t get extra sliding plane protection, but the RoadR is still a great-value option.
Endura Xtract II
- £60 / €75 as tested
- Great airflow and a quality feel
- No MIPS option
There’s a quality finish to the Xtract II road helmet that belies its position as Endura’s entry-level helmet. The shell wraps around the EPS foam core, for example, so the latter is less likely to become gouged and look tired with use.
The dial adjuster has a rubber coating, so it’s easy to grip and fine-tune your fit.
There’s good airflow to help keep you cool and at 270g it’s light, partly due to the absence of MIPS, which typically adds around 20 to 40g to a helmet’s weight.
Giant Relay MIPS
- £45 / $50 / €47.50 / AU$80 as tested
- Great value for a MIPS helmet
- Decent ventilation
Another low-priced road helmet that manages to slot MIPS into its spec, the Giant Relay MIPS has good airflow from its 17 vents and includes anti-odour padding. It’s been given a five-star rating in the independent Virginia Tech annual helmet safety testing.
Adjustment is effective, even if it’s a little clunky. Weight is just under 350g, but we didn’t find this noticeably heavier than other helmets when riding.
Limar Air Stratos
- £80 / €100 as tested
- Well-made, lightweight budget helmet
- No MIPS option
Technically a gravel helmet (you can tell by the muted matt colours), nothing else marks out the Limar Air Stratos as different from a road helmet. The shape is similar to the best road bike helmets, there’s plenty of padding inside the shell and easy adjustability, even if the dial adjuster is on the small side.
Limar helmets are among the lightest out there and the Air Stratos clocks just 240g on the scales, beating many much more expensive lids. That’s partly due to the absence of MIPS though.
MET Allroad
- £70 / €80 as tested
- Gravel-specific design
- Integrated light and sun visor
Mixing a road-going shape with MTB features such as a removable peak, the MET Allroad is another helmet aimed at gravel riders. If you do stray onto a road, there’s an integrated rear blinkie in the adjuster dial to up your visibility.
We rated the comfortable fit and easy adjustment from the ponytail-friendly cradle design.
MET Veleno
- £85 as tested
- Comfortable with deeper coverage suitable for gravel
- Peak isn’t adjustable
MET’s Veleno design sits between a lightweight vented road helmet and a deeper-coverage mountain bike trail helmet.
The rear of the Veleno is deeper than your average road lid, extending right up to behind your ears with its extra coverage helping to protect you from spills on rougher terrain. The tough polycarbonate shell covers the edges and underside, which helps protect the foam core from wear and tear.
The mid-sized peak is big enough to do its job. The peak is removable, but it doesn’t have any adjustment.
The rear micro-adjust is a little fiddly, but our tester never felt the need to adjust the helmet from its standard height setting.
In a size large, the Veleno weighs 305.8g. There is a version with MIPS for £120.
Scott ARX Plus
- £99.99 / $120 / €130 / AU$160 as tested
- Removable visor to straddle road and gravel use
- 11 colours, with extra reflective detailing on the grey tested
The Scott ARX Plus straddles road and gravel riding, with a removable visor for the latter. Scott includes MIPS and there are 11 colour options if the battleship grey we tested doesn’t float your boat.
Although the 17 vents provide adequate ventilation, they’re mainly at the front and the two at the rear felt a little restrictive, leading to heat build-up. In other respects, the ARX Plus performs well, if unspectacularly.
Smith Convoy
- £65 / $85 / €75 as tested
- Great fit and good ventilation
- Non-wrapped core edges mean the rim is prone to gouges and dents
Smith integrates MIPS into its low-priced Convoy helmet and offers pretty good rear coverage, although not as much as on some of its pricier helmets. Other economies include a shell that doesn’t fully wrap around the Convoy’s foam core, which may lead to quicker wear.
Fit is great despite the low-profile padding, which copes well with sweat build-up. The visor is non-adjustable, but we found it easy to keep it out of our line of sight by adjusting where the helmet fitted on our heads. The 325g weight is reasonable too.
Smith Engage MIPS
- £95 / $110 / €100 as tested
- Well padded and good ventilation
- Core is fully wrapped by the shell to help prevent damage
Unlike the Smith Convoy, the Smith Engage MIPS does feature a shell that wraps fully around the core, potentially upping durability.
While you get MIPS, unlike Smith’s more expensive lids, there’s no Koroyd crushable layer, although Koroyd can restrict airflow somewhat.
The VaporFit retention system wraps all the way around the head for good adjustability and there’s a positive click to the adjuster dial.
The fit of the helmet is comfortable too, with plenty of padding, 21 vents and good internal channelling.
Specialized Align II
- £45 / $55 / €60 / AU$80 as tested
- Includes MIPS in a low-priced helmet
- A little heavy at 374g for a M/L
Yet another quality budget helmet that proves MIPS has been democratised, the Specialized Align II also gives you a secure fit, with a quality dial adjuster, and plenty of padding to keep your head comfortable.
The 16 vents ensure good airflow, although we noticed the Align II’s 374g heavier weight when out riding.
Buyer’s guide to budget bike helmets under £100
Are cheap helmets any good?
While you can buy helmets that cost several multiples of the price of a budget bike helmet, the basic protection offered will be similar. All bike helmets, whether budget or premium, have to pass the same set of tests to prove they’re fit for purpose.
These tests differ slightly by jurisdiction, but all involve a drop test fitted to a head form to ensure the helmet can withstand a typical impact and offer protection for the wearer.
More expensive helmets generally feature more vents and sizing options. It’s easier – and thus, cheaper – to mould a helmet with fewer, smaller vents, than one with more extensive venting.
R&D on features such as aerodynamics and internal airflow tends to take place on premium helmets, although this typically trickles down to brands’ lower-priced helmets.
Premium features such as carbon fibre ribs are also reserved for more expensive helmets. This means budget helmets are usually a little heavier than brands’ premium helmets, although this is unlikely to be noticeable unless the helmet is spectacularly heavy.
So, in summary, you may not get all the bells and whistles of a premium helmet in a low-priced bike helmet, but it’s likely to do just as good a job of protecting you in a crash.
Do you need MIPs in a helmet?
MIPS is designed to provide additional protection over that tested by the statutory crash tests required before a cycle helmet can be sold.
It’s patented by a Swedish company, which claims the sliding layer it incorporates into the helmet shell affords extra protection from rotational forces in an accident.
Many helmets (including those used for other sports – not just cycling) are tested for crash protection by the independent Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. In its tests, Virginia Tech consistently rates helmets equipped with MIPS as the safest bike helmets.
That’s not to say that MIPS is the only way to provide extra protection – other systems such as KinetiCore, used by Lazer in some of its helmets and WaveCel, used by Bontrager, also rank highly.
Other brands, including Kask, test using the WG11 protocol, which they claim better represents a crash situation.
The good news is almost all budget cycling helmets now include additional protection, either from MIPS or another system.
Budget bike helmet features to look out for
Here are a few other features to consider when choosing a budget cycling helmet.
Weight
As discussed above, a light helmet feels nice, although you’re unlikely to notice any additional weight once you get used to your helmet.
Sizing
Almost all helmets are available in sizes S, M and L, based on head circumference, although some will offer only two sizes.
Make sure the size you choose is correct for you, if possible by trying before you buy, because helmets differ in internal shape. This means some models may be more or less comfortable depending on the shape of your head.
Venting
More ventilation is another feature that’s nice to have, but unlikely to be something you’ll notice once you start riding.
How much venting you need is likely to depend on your personal preference, the riding you do and where you ride.
Commuter helmets, even premium ones, have a more enclosed design with fewer vents than road bike helmets or MTB helmets.
If you’re not riding at high intensity, this can be an advantage, particularly if the weather is cold or wet. More vents may be more comfortable on hot rides.
Fit adjustment
Almost all bike helmets enable you to slide the rear cradle up and down. They’ll include an adjuster, typically using a dial to adjust the cradle circumference.
Again, a budget helmet may have a more basic adjuster than a premium one.
It will still do its job effectively though and it’s another feature you’re unlikely to notice once you’ve got the fit dialled in.
Straps
Budget bike helmet straps are often beefier than those on fancier lids and their buckles may be less svelte. Again, it’s something you’ll probably get used to.
Visors
It’s usual for a mountain bike helmet to include a visor. They’re a feature of many commuter helmets too.
A budget MTB helmet may have a non-adjustable visor, while in a fancier MTB helmet, it may be possible to raise or lower it to suit the weather conditions and angle of the sun. They can also be adjusted to fit better with your sunglasses or MTB goggles.
It’s worth checking how well a visor will work for you and whether it’s adjustable before buying.
More bicycle helmet options
If you’ve not quite found what you’re looking for above and are prepared to spend a little more, we’ve got a range of other guides to the best bike helmets we’ve reviewed.
Check out our guide to the best road bike helmets, best MTB helmets and best commuter helmets for more options and more detailed buying advice for each helmet type.
If you’re after something more specialised, we’ve also got guides to the best aero helmets for roadies, the best enduro helmets for mountain bikers and children’s bike helmets for the kids.