Bicycle Helmet Performance Ratings

Summary: Here is a combined September 2025 list of the highest rated US market helmets from Consumer Reports (high level impact) and Virginia Tech (low-level and rotational impact results). We also have a list from Transport for New South Wales of Australian market helmets, and a list from Hiper rating helmets on the UK market. And we have links to the independent Folksam and University of Strasbourg recommendations for European models. Helmets sold in different markets are rarely the same helmets even if the brand, model name and appearance are identical.

The list below includes helmets that received both Excellent or Very Good impact protection ratings (5 or 4) from Consumer Reports and Virginia Tech's Five Star and Four Star helmets for preventing concussions. The list would be longer if the two had tested an identical set of helmet models, and if manufacturers did not change their helmet model names for the same model. Virginia Tech now has 139 helmets with Five and Four Star ratings, after adopting stricter criteria in July 2025. Consumer Reports has 122 with impact protection rated 5 or 4. All are certified by the manufacturer to meet the US CPSC standard.

Concurrence

Five or Four Va Tech Stars and 5 or 4 Consumer Reports Impact protection rating in alphabetical order:

Bell Formula MIPS
Bell Stratus MIPS
Fox Racing Speedframe
Giant Path MIPS
Giant Relay MIPS
Giant Rev Comp MIPS
Giant Rev Elite MIPS
Giro Tyrant Spherical
Lazer Coyote Kineticore
Specialized Align II
Specialized Chamonix 3
Specialized Mode
Thousand Chapter MIPS
Trek/Bontrager Circuit WaveCel
Trek Quantum Wavecel
Trek/Bontrager Rally Wavecel
Trek Solstice MIPS
Trek/Bontrager Starvos WaveCel

Transport for New South Wales Testing of Australian Models

We have a page up on the NSW star ratings, based on the most comprehensive testing program in the world, with a list of their top models. They test helmets sold in Australia, meeting the Australian standard that is similar to the US CPSC standard.

Helmet Impact Protection Effectiveness Rating

Imperial College of the UK has a rating program called Hiper that publishes test results for some of the helmets sold in the UK market. They all meet the European standard. Some may even meet the US CPSC standard. The program uses only oblique impacts, calculating linear energy management from the data gathered. It uses a new headform, but otherwise is similar to MIPS testing. You can find the Hiper website here including a page on their methodology, and download the academic paper it is based on here.

Folksam Testing of European Models

The respected Swedish insurance company Folksam publishes extensive helmet test reports every year. Their helmet report for 2020 rated European models, and they provided their actual test data. There may be a more recent article on their site. Note that even US brands included in the test are the helmets sold in Europe, so the test results are irrelevant to US buyers, who would find a different version of the helmet in the US market.

University of Strasbourg Testing of European Models

The Strasbourg program is known as CERTIMOOV. They have a star rating system. But once again, these are not the US models! They are the European version, and in most cases would be a completely different helmet to meet the European standard and European marketing requirements, even if the outside appearance and model name are the same.

French Source of testing data: Que Choisir

There is a French consumer magazine, Que Choisir, that tests bicycle helmets and publishes ratings. Unfortunately the ratings are behind a paywall, and the site refuses to accept our credit cards to subscribe.

Back to the top

Back to the Home Page