NILS Extreme HA200D

We grabbed our first glimpse of the Kask Valegro Helmet on the heads of Team Sky riders at the 2017 Tour as they donned them on the hottest mountain stages where aerodynamics takes a back seat to ligh more→t weight and ventilation. Since that time, we've been patiently waiting for Kask to bring the helmet to the market for us mere mortals. The team that's known for its obsession with marginal gains once again makes—ahem—headway in helping design a product that in the end, we all benefit from. Kask engineers carefully shaped the profile of the Valegro's polycarbonate shell and verified the results in the wind tunnel, creating exceptional cooling performance and heat exchange, the perfect recipe for …

Tough, light, toasty, airy—the Giro Owen Spherical Helmet is all these things, giving us protection from first pow day to spring corn and from groomers to heli lines. The streamlined construction won' more→t strain our neck on long bell-to-bell sessions, and the Mips tech deflects rotational forces when we fail to stomp a jump. The front vent lines up with our goggles, ensuring our view stays clear, while the adjustable ventilation system dumps excess heat on long climbs, hard charges, and warm days. When temps are icy, we close up the vents and strap on the ear pads to lock that heat in.

The Pro-X3 Elbow Guard is a pad we’re confident using from local XC loops to downhill bike park days. Impressive impact foam hardens on impact, meaning it’s plenty flexible while we’re riding but extr more→a strong if we take the occasional crash. The slip-on pad is lightweight and extremely comfortable, shedding moisture quickly so that the pad doesn’t slide around while we ride.

Sweet Protection only makes one helmet that's more protective than the Rocker Helmet, and that's the Rocker Full Face. Unless you're charging waterfalls the size of a small building, the standard Rock more→er is enough for the biggest challenges in the river. Sweet Protection used a unique combination of thermoplastic and carbon fiber to make the shell softer at the crown and more rigid toward the sides. Coupled with the high-impact, low-weight EPP foam inside, this combination of material allows for the most versatile impact protection from big, low-speed hits and small, high-speed bonks. All in all, you get a lid that fits like a glove, drains quickly, adjusts in mere moments, and keeps your skull …

Leave protection up to Lazer with the Strada Kineticore Helmet for guarding our melon on our ride. It features highly breathable ventilation channels that keep us cool on our ride, and high-value perf more→ormance in a lightweight and comfortable package. The ScrollSys belt adjusts to find our ideal, secure fit, and LED light compatibility at the rear of the helmet makes for maximum visibility for rides that start before the sun comes up and ends when it sets.

Full-face helmets offer the best level of protection for mountain biking, but are often cumbersome and lack the ventilation needed for anything other than downhill. Enter the Stage Mips Helmet from Tr more→oy Lee Designs. An impressively low weight combined with extensive ventilation make the Stage Mips our choice for enduro-style riding or racing, where technical descents worthy of a full-face helmet are mixed in with climbs and long transfer stages. It's still downhill certified, ensuring it can hold up to high-energy impacts if you're riding DH or bike park, but the lightweight and highly-ventilated design make it much more enjoyable for the rides when you have to earn your descent first.