BEST eBIKE HELMET FOR S-PEDELEC | REVIEW Abus vs Giro vs Met
What’s the difference between a regular bike helmet and an eBike helmet? A regular bike helmet is designed to protect you at speeds of 15mph/24km/h. An eBike specific helmet is designed to protect you at speeds of 28mph / 45km/h.
This review looks at five NTA 8776 certified eBike helmets that have been designed specifically for use on speed pedelecs or fast eBikes and also meet government approval ratings for safety.
In a hurry? The best fast eBike helmet for overall value is the Giro Camden which you can find here.
Companies such as Abus, BBB Cycling, Met, and several others all collaborated together to bring about this new standard. These companies and others like Giro, Bontrager, Cratoni and Specialized have created at least one if not more NTA 8776 approved speed eBike helmets as well as their standard bike helmets. You can see the full list here at NEN.nl
While these speed helmets are readily available in Europe and the UK, they have been historically much harder to get in the USA. However this market is beginning to open up and it is now a little easier to get your hands on helmets designed specifically for speed ebikes or s-pedelecs.
In the table below we’ll look at five of the best eBike helmets for s-pedelecs from three companies – Abus, Giro and Met – that all meet the Dutch standard and are suited for both complete beginners to eBikes and experienced riders alike.
Comparison Table - Abus Giro and Met
 
| Met Grancorso Helmet Gloss Safety Yellow Downhill Mountainbike |
|---|
| Optional rear light. Extra cost |
| Lower part |
|
Helmet includes reflective materials. |
| Small 52-56cm Medium 56-58cm Large 58-62cm |
| Check Price on Amazon |
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| Product | Met Grancorso Helmet Gloss Safety Yellow Downhill Mountainbike |
|---|---|
| Rear Visibility | Optional rear light |
| Reflectors | Lower part |
| Special Features | Helmet includes reflective materials. Choice of bright colors helps with visibility |
| Sizes | Small 52-56cm Medium 56-58cm Large 58-62cm |
Features of NTA 8776 Helmets
- Best if you're on a budget
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ABUS are best known for their security products and were one of the first companies to develop helmets for the eBike market. After the first success with the Pedelec helmet, they came up with the Pedelec +. Made with EPS Core and Polycarbonate shell this helmet provides deep temple cover and neck protection. The design of the helmet includes a small visor to offer some shading from the sun.
Safety Features
- A clever safety feature is the rechargeable LED triangular light high up on the back of the helmet. This can either be set to show as a steady light or flashing. It’s positioning means that it won’t get blocked by high collars or scarves. It also means that it’s one less accessory needed for your eBike.
- In addition to the built-in light the helmet has reflectors on each side behind the ears for increased visibility
- The Zoom Evo Adult is the Abus version of the rear wheel retention system
Comfort Features
- 13 air vents connected with flow channels to keep you cool as you ride
Convenience features
- A built-in net offers full protection from insects – very useful when travelling at speed.
- There is also a handy reflective rain cover integrated in the helmet. So one less thing to carry or lose.
- The very clever fidlock magnetic strap buckle which enables faster securing of your helmet with just one hand and is helpful for people with less mobility in their hands
Colors
- Concrete Grey,
- Midnight Blue,
- Motion White,
- Velvet Black
Overall impressions of Abus Pedelec+
Pros
Cons
Good visibility at rear
Can be a little noisy in the wind
Keeps hair dry in the rain
No eye protection
Prevents insects and bugs getting in your hair
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Overall impressions of Abus Pedelec 2.0
Pros
Cons
Good visibility at rear
No eye protection
Keeps hair dry in the rain
Prevents insects and bugs getting in your hair
Helmet fits comfortably even if you have long hair
- Premier helmet
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Made with EPS Core and Polycarbonate shell.
Safety Features
- MIPS or Multi Directional Impact Protection System is commonly found within Giro helmets. This is a secondary liner within the helmet which is designed to slide on impact to reduce rotational forces and jarring of the brain.
- Like the Abus helmets, the Bexley features a rear light. However this light is so large it covers the whole of the back of the helmet making you extremely visible to other road users.
- The Roc Loc City Air is the Giro version of the rear wheel retention system and provides fine tuning the snug factor of the helmet.
Comfort Features
- 10 air vents of which 4 are adjustable for wind tunnel ventilation
- A neat retractable eye-shield to protect you from the wind and glare
Convenience Features
- Anti-microbial padding to keep the helmet fresh
- Just as with the Abus helmets, Giro provide a fidlock magnetic strap buckle which enables faster securing of your helmet with just one hand and is helpful for people with less mobility in their hands
Colors
- Black,
- Titanium Flash
- White
Overall impressions of Giro Bexley
Pros
Cons
Excellent visibility at rear
Expensive
Total eye protection
Extra impact protection with its MIPS technology
- Best all round value
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The Camden comes with the exact same features and sizes as the Bexley (see above) minus the eye protection.
Overall impressions of Giro Camden
Pros
Cons
Excellent visibility at rear
No eye protection
The fit is extremely adjustable
Very comfortable to wear
Extra impact protection with its MIPS technology
- Bright and highly reflective
Met have been in the bike helmet business for over thirty years and this is Met’s first attempt at an NTA 8776 approved eBike helmet. The Grancorso looks like a typical urban helmet and comes with a removable visor
Safety Features
- An optional USB light fitted above retainer wheel
- The Grancorso is the only helmet with built-in reflective material around the bottom of the helmet for increased visibility
- The Safe-T Advanced is Met’s version of the rear wheel retention system
Comfort Features
- 8 air vents connected with flow channels to keep you cool as you ride
- A removable eyeshield
Convenience features
- The very clever fidlock magnetic strap buckle
- Anti-allergenic interior padding
Colors
- Black
- Anthracite
- Sand
- Safety yellow
- Deep blue
Overall impressions of Met Grancorso
Pros
Cons
Bright reflective colors gives good all round visibility even without lights
Rear lighting only optional
Protects eyes with eyeshield
Very few air vents to keep cool
Cool urban look
Best NTA 8776 helmet
The top 3 NTA 8776 approved ebike helmets in this review are
- Giro Bexley for providing all round protection for your head as well as your eyes with it’s adjustable visor. Additionally ensuring visibility with its huge backlight.
- Giro Camden for providing the same benefits as the Giro Bexley without the visor
- Abus Pedelec+ cheaper than our top two, but still provides the required all round protection plus its built-in accessories
The best ebike helmets for s-pedelecs are NTA 8776 certified and are built to withstand an impact at 45km/h or 28mph.
While you can wear other tough helmets possibly designed for mountain biking for example, unless they are NTA 8776 rated, you are unlikely to get the increased level of protection needed for bombing around on a speed pedelec.
HELMET BUYING GUIDE
The helmet you choose will depend on type of riding you do whether that is recreational, road or mountain biking.
Recreational helmets are generally cheap and cheerful and come in a wide range of looks and styles.
Road helmets tend to focus on ventilation, minimal weight and aerodynamics.
Mountain bike helmets provide extended head coverage compared to road helmets. They tend to come with visors and provide ventilation and retention systems to keep the helmet snug.
Comfort and Fit
If the helmet is uncomfortable or doesn’t fit properly, it’s unlikely that a) you’ll wear it and b) that it will do it’s job properly. So especially when buying a helmet online, it’s important that you measure your head properly in order to get the right size helmet for you. To do this wrap a soft tape measure around your head above the ears, 1/4″-1/2″ above your eyebrows.
One feature which used to be only found on high-end helmets is the retainer/retention dial found at the back of helmets. These ensure a more precise adjustment of how snug the helmet is on your head. If you adjust it correctly, you should be able to hold your head upside down without the straps and the helmet should stay on your head. A lot of these helmets will also offer height adjustability at the back of the helmet.
What kind of rider are you and in what conditions are you riding?
If you tend to ride in cold and wet conditions, you might prefer a helmet that has less ventilation and doesn’t let the cold and rain in. On the other hand if you’re riding around in hot climates you might prefer a helmet with as many air vents as possible
Commuting on the road or riding at night
If you are commuting daily to work or college then ideally your helmet will be brightly colored, reflective and have built-in lighting systems in the helmet – basically anything to make you more visible to other road users.
What's the difference between a $20 bike helmet and a $300+ helmet
So why spend $300 and more on a bike helmet ?
- the reduced weight of the helmet – so the more money you spend the lighter the helmet (generally but not always)
- the better type or the greater number of air vents to keep cool (generally but not always)
- the aerodynamics of the helmet
- extra internal padding for comfort and sweat absorption
- newer technology like MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System,
- for a specific type of riding or type of bike eg mountain biking, speed pedelec, road racing
Other features that you’re unlikely to find on a $20 helmet include
- external lighting on the helmet on the front and/or back for greater visibility
- reflectors on the helmet
- magnetic locking straps
- retainer dials at the back of the helmet – although they are becoming more and more common in the lower end helmets.
Examples of specialist bike helmets
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A road racing helmet like the Giro Vanquish Aero helmet is extremely light and very aerodynamic. A good racing helmet tends to be expensive because of the amount of skill required to create a safe helmet with less material.
Non-specialist helmets range in price from around $20 to about $50. Beyond that you start getting into the lower-end specialist features like rear-retainer dials to keep the helmet snug on your head and even MIPS which used to be only available on expensive helmets.
[Read Why Buying a Cheap Big-Box Store eBike Might Be A Good Idea]
Current Best Selling Bike Helmets
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Ebike Helmet FAQ
A helmet that has been designed to protect your head while riding at speeds of 28mph /45km/h and is NTA 8776 approved
NTA 8776 is a Dutch eBike standard that ensures that bike helmets have been tested and designed specifically for the speed pedelec or Class 3 eBike market ie bikes that can hit speeds of 28mph/45km/h. Companies such as Abus, BBB Cycling, Met, Riese & Muller and several others all collaborated together to bring about this new standard. You can read more about the NTA 8776 standard here
No. MIPS which stands for multi-directional impact protection system was designed to reduce rotational motion trauma by using a specially designed layer inside the helmet which redirects rotational movement otherwise transferred to the brain in the event of a crash. A helmet with MIPS technology does not automatically make it an eBike specific helmet, although a few, but not all NTA 8776 approved helmets have MIPS. MIPS can be found in helmets for bikes, skateboards and snowboarding and was popularized by Giro. Other companies have come out with their own version of MIPS.
All bike helmets have to meet the minimum standards set by the country in which they are being sold so you will get some protection. However, if you are riding a Class 3 eBike also known as a speed pedelec then it would be even safer to wear an NTA 8776 approved speed eBike specific helmet.
Summary
Whatever type of helmet you go for, it always makes sense to wear one that meets the requirements for the type of riding you do.
While on the subject of protection, you might be interested in reading Bike Accessories You Didn’t Know You Wanted which covers tips and tools to keep your eBike and yourself safe on the roads.
Learn the 7 Must Do Actions Before Buying ANY eBike Conversion Kit
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Last update on 2024-10-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
