As winter sets in, choosing the right bike helmet becomes crucial for a safe and comfortable cycling experience. With a plethora of options on the market, it’s important to rely on expert insights to make an informed decision.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the best bike helmets specifically tailored for winter cycling, to ensure you stay protected against the elements while enjoying your winter cycling adventures.
From reliable durability to cutting-edge features, we’ve curated a list that prioritizes both safety and comfort in colder conditions.
Before we get started, we also put together a guide for preparing your bike for winter cycling, you can check that out.
What to look for in a cozy winter bike helmet
Here’s a quick list of factors to consider in the best bike helmets for winter cycling:
- Snug and comfy fit with adjustable straps
- Good coverage for ears
- Enough warmth and adjustable ventilation
- A place to attach helmet lights
- Compatible with winter accessories like goggles and balaclavas
We rounded up the best winter cycling helmets, and before we further discuss what features to look for, let’s explore our list of top 11 best bike helmets for winter cycling with mini reviews.
Best Bike Helmets for Winter Cycling — Reviews of Top-rated Bike Helmets
ILM Bike Helmet with rechargeable lights
The ILM Bike Helmet is one of my favorite helmets and has exceeded my expectations. It not only looks great, but also fits securely. Overall, a fantastic helmet with thoughtful design and practical features.
The front and rear lights are a game-changer for my winter commuting, they provide excellent visibility.
And the visor is versatile, acting as a sunshade, rain protector, and wind blocker. This helmet will make your daily commute more comfortable.
It’s a good-looking helmet with exceptional quality, and the visor will keep your eyes protected from bugs and prevent discomfort in chilly weather.
Smith Signal Cycling Helmet — with MIPS Technology
The Smith Signal Cycling Helmet is a winner for winter commuting. If you’re familiar with MIPS Brain Protection System, you’ll know that it offers extra head protection by reducing rotational forces during impacts.
The lightweight design, ample vents, and stylish look make it a standout. And the adjustable fit ensures comfort for slightly larger heads.
You can also do micro-adjustments with the straps for perfect fit.
The inclusion of MIPS, and the reasonable price, makes this a fantastic investment for cyclists.
Smith Persist Cycling Helmet — with MIPS Technology
This is another great option from Smith with MIPS Technology and an outstanding choice for winter commuting.
It not only fits well and adjusts easily, but it’s also stylish and comfortable. The MIPS technology ensures top-notch safety, and the comfortable straps make it a pleasure to wear.
Its lightweight design adds to the overall comfort. Overall, it’s a perfect blend of style, comfort, and safety for cyclists.
ILM Multi-sport helmet — cycling, skiing, skateboarding, etc.
The ILM Multi-sport helmet is a versatile helmet, designed to be used for multiple sports.
Its removable earmuffs provide comfort and warmth, while the front and back vents ensure optimal air circulation, preventing overheating.
The visor and air vent system add to the comfort, and the helmet’s adherence to CPSC, ASTM, and CE safety standards guarantees powerful protection.
Whether on an E-bike, Moped, or during winter sports like skiing, this helmet excels in comfort and safety across various sports.
.
Bern Hendrix Bike Helmet – Multisport Certified, MIPS Protection
This helmet impresses with its lightweight design, excellent ventilation, and customizable fit.
The ABS Thin Shell and Ribtech EPS provide optimal temperature regulation without compromising on weight.
It’s versatile for all seasons, including winter with an optional conversion kit.
The MIPS technology provides better concussion prevention, making it a reliable choice for safety. And it’s good for its price.
KRACESS KRS-S1 Smart Bike Helmet
The KRACESS KRS-S1 Smart Bike Helmet is another solid choice for winter commuting.
It has a sturdy build with an adjustable fit, and the cushions for ears are great for cold weather.
The bright and powerful backlight improves visibility, while the Bluetooth connection to the iPhone is fast and stable.
It also has an integrated camera and signal remote control, and both work pretty well.
BEON Cycling Helmet with Tinted Visor
This BEON Cycling Helmet is well-built and offers both style and functionality.
With this helmet, you can comfortably wear your glasses and still have an excellent field of view through the sturdy visor.
The helmet feels sturdy, and almost feels like a motorcycle helmet. It has a unique style which may not be for everyone, cyclists who want a distinctive look will appreciate it.
The lightweight, comfortable design, and the soft paddings, adds to its appeal for winter commuting.
Shinmax Bike Helmet with Detachable Magnetic Goggles
The Shinmax Bike Helmet is another top choice for comfort and versatility.
It’s one of the best helmets I’ve tried, and it’s great for cyclists with larger heads.
It’s lightweight and easy to throw on, the detachable sun visor shield is a standout feature, providing shade and bug protection.
Adjusting the fit is a breeze, and it’s a great choice for winter commuting.
LIVALL EVO21 Smart Cycling Helmet
If you’re into smart helmets, you’d love this one. It stands out with its excellent features and attention-grabbing lights that help improve visibility during winter commuting.
The snug fit and well-designed app improves the overall user experience. While the helmet is made of good-quality materials and has an awesome design, the lack of speaker functionality is a minor drawback.
However, its solid-build quality still makes it a reliable choice for safety and style.
Lumos Ultra Smart Bike Helmet with MIPS Protection
The Lumos Ultra Smart Bike Helmet is a game-changer for safety during winter commuting.
Beyond just crash protection, its bright lights will help illuminate your path, and also make you more visible to drivers.
The adjustable fit, easy smartphone connectivity, and turn signals are all great features for a helmet.
It gives you both visibility and peace of mind on the road.
MOUNTALK Bike Helmet with Magnetic light
This is another fantastic choice for winter commuting. Its lightweight design and easy fit make it comfortable for long rides.
The standout feature of this helmet is the magnetic backlight, seamlessly attaching to the helmet and staying securely in place.
The light activates immediately when you attach it to the helmet, this ensures better safety in low light conditions.
Its sturdy build-quality makes it a reliable and user-friendly helmet for both comfort and visibility.
Buying Guide: Features to Look for in Winter Cycling Helmets
Good fitting
How well a helmet fits is arguably one of the most important features — if not the most important. Ideally, a helmet should fit snugly on your head, and stay in place when you’re cycling, even at a high speed.
If it fits right, it stays snug, comfy and firm. It won’t shake or wobble when you’re cycling.
It’s always best to get a helmet with an adjustable fit system, as this will allow you to customize the fit to your head shape. This also ensures a snug and secure fit, minimizing the risk of the helmet coming off during an impact.
A helmet with adjustable straps and a dial helps you find the “just right” feeling. Also, the straps should sit flat against your face for a comfortable and secure fit.
Good coverage
A full coverage design in a bike helmet means it protects not only the top of your head but also the back and sides.
Helmets with a full-coverage design are the best for winter cycling because they provide extra protection to the back of the head. This is especially important in winter, when the risk of slipping and falling is higher.
Another important detail is a built-in visor or shield to help deflect cold winds, this will protect against snow and debris, and reduce wind chill on your face during high-speed rides.
MIPS Rating
MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. It’s a technology that is designed to provide extra protection against certain types of impacts, like angled impacts.
Helmets with MIPS rating often meet or exceed safety standards, which is exactly what you want in a helmet.
MIPS adds an extra layer of protection beyond what traditional helmets offer. It provides better protection against rotational forces, so your head is protected no matter the direction or angle you land on during a fall.
Enough warmth
It can get pretty cold when cycling in winter, and it’s not just your head that gets cold, but your neck and ears too. Insulation in a bike helmet keeps your head warm.
When biking in winter, you might wear extra layers, like a hat. A “good fit” also means the helmet adjusts to your head with these layers to keep your head warm, and safe during chilly rides.
Adjustable Ventilation
This may sound counter-intuitive, especially since we just talked about enough warmth. But your winter helmet should have adjustable ventilation because winter temperatures can change. Sometimes it’s cold, and sometimes it’s not so cold.
Winter helmets that come with adjustable vents let you regulate airflow. This feature will help you prevent overheating when it’s not so cold, and when it’s very chilly, you can always close the vents to trap warmth like a cozy blanket. It’s all about your comfort anyway.
Helmet light
It gets dark early in winter, and your helmet lights will help you see and be seen. So it’s great if your helmet can work with lights, it’s like having eyes on your head that shine in the dark.
This is optional though because you can always have bike lights attached to your frame. My favorite rechargeable bike lights for cycling in low light conditions — like winter — is the Ascher Ultra Bright USB Rechargeable Bike Light Set.
Reasonable weight
A lighter helmet is generally more comfortable, especially during longer rides. It reduces strain on your neck and provides a more pleasant riding experience.
The weight may not be very important for shorter commutes. However, for longer rides, a lighter helmet can contribute to reduced fatigue and increased comfort.
Some winter helmets come with added features like extra insulation, which may increase the weight slightly. In such cases, the benefits of the extra features may outweigh the concern about added weight.
Compatibility with Winter Accessories Like Balaclavas and Goggles
If you use goggles for extra eye protection, choose a helmet with a design that seamlessly integrates with them. This prevents gaps between the helmet and goggles, keeping your face shielded from the cold.
Also check that the helmet has enough space to accommodate a balaclava comfortably. This extra layer provides added warmth and protection on very cold days.
How do you keep your head warm while cycling in the winter?
It can get really cold in winter, and keeping your head warm while cycling is very important for comfort and safety.
You should invest in a good-quality thermal helmet liner thin, thermal skull cap or headband made from materials like fleece or a moisture-wicking fabric.
These accessories are designed to be thin enough to comfortably fit under your helmet while also insulating you from the cold.
Materials like fleece or a moisture-wicking fabric are great because they retain heat and keep sweat away from your skin.
And look for options with windproof features to shield your head and ears from the biting winter winds.
What to wear under a helmet in the winter
It’s best to wear a thermal skull cap or headband under your helmet to keep your head and ears warm. I usually go for a thin, moisture-wicking material that provides insulation without compromising the fit of the helmet.
This winter helmet liner cap is a great choice. It’s moisture-wicking, and breathable fleece fabric provides maximum warmth.
You can also use a neck gaiter or balaclava to cover your neck and lower face for added protection from the cold.
What to wear under a bike helmet to keep ears warm
To keep your ears warm under a bike helmet, wear a thin, snug-fitting skull cap or headband made from a thermal and moisture-wicking material.
A great option like the TSLA Thermal Fleece Skull Cap, with windproof features to provide additional protection against chilly winds.
It’s designed to fit comfortably under your helmet, to provide insulation for your ears without compromising the helmet’s effectiveness or your overall comfort during winter cycling.
Is it safe to wear a beanie under a bike helmet?
Wearing a thin beanie under a bike helmet is safe, only if the beanie doesn’t compromise the helmet’s fit or effectiveness. A thin and breathable beanie that fits snugly is generally safe. If the beanie affects the way your helmet fits, then it’s not safe.
Can you use a ski helmet for winter cycling?
Yes, you can use a ski helmet for winter cycling, and I’ve actually seen a lot of cyclists that do this.
Ski helmets and winter cycling helmets often have a few features in common, like insulation, coverage, and the ability to keep your head warm in very cold weather.
Ski helmets are also usually designed to accommodate goggles, and this feature can be useful for winter cycling as well, especially in snowy or windy conditions.
If you’re going with a ski helmet, make sure it meets the safety standards for cycling. Safety standards are very important. I mean, that’s the real reason we all wear helmets in the first place.
There are actually helmets with safety standards for different types of sporting activities, and can be used for several different sports, like skiing, cycling, climbing, etc. These are especially great to have if you enjoy a wide range of winter sports.
It’s worth mentioning that not all ski helmets are rated for cycling use. And if you can’t find a multi-sport helmet you like, you can always stick with a certified bike helmet, and just layer hats/balaclava underneath.
