A look at the sculpted forms of polystyrene that have been keeping the editorial team’s heads safe recently.

Helmet design has moved on quite a bit over the many years that we have been riding. In terms of style, a modern helmet is fashionable, great to look at and no longer something to be embarrassed to be seen in. Helmets are no longer roughly based on the design of a large toadstool, but instead are sleeker than ever before. New methods of construction have reduced weight while increasing airflow, but at the same time helmets have never been safer.

Of course, the name MIPS® springs to mind when we think of flagship head protection, but rotational impact protection is just one area helmet safety has improved. A modern helmet might also feature different layers of shockabsorbing EPS foam, a different density for high- or low-speed impacts. Coverage has improved, with open face helmets now protecting the rider further down the head than before, and the new breed of convertible helmet gives you a one-stop shop for downhill, enduro and trail riding. The helmets below aren’t simply lids we’ve had laying around, but helmets that the Singletrack Team have been wearing on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These are the helmets we wear to protect our noggins from a knocking.

100% ALTEC

Tested by: Charlie • Price: £139.00 • From: Silverfish, silverfish-uk.com

I like my current helmet, because it ticks all helmety boxes I want to see ticked. I like to get a brightish coloured helmet for better road safety. Matt black is cool, but there are so many dicks on the road that I am much happier with some colour going on. There are lots of colour options, including black.

The white foam is pretty honest… it clearly looks like it is made from the same polystyrene that TVs come packed in and, in a high-tech way, it is.

The nifty Smart Shock system suspends the helmet above your skull on 14 small rubbery pivoting shock absorbers. They claim this not only reduces the rotational force in a crash, but also the direct impact force as they squish down. The tips of these shock absorbers are hard and are only slightly recessed into the pads. This might well be felt and become annoying for people without hair, but I wouldn’t know about that.