For most helmet buyers, MIPS is worth the added cost. Lab testing consistently shows that helmets with MIPS reduce rotational forces on the brain during angled impacts, and the price premium is typically only $15 to $30. The technology isn’t magic, and it’s not the only option for rotational protection, but the evidence supporting it is stronger than for most competing systems.
What MIPS Actually Does
MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. It’s a thin plastic liner inside the helmet that sits between your head and the foam. During an angled impact (which is how most real-world crashes happen), this liner slides roughly 10 to 15 millimeters relative to the outer shell. That small movement redirects rotational energy away from your brain during the critical first milliseconds of impact, when the forces are highest.
The idea is simple: your brain is more vulnerable to twisting forces than to straight-on hits. A standard helmet does a good job absorbing linear impact (the direct hit), but when your head strikes pavement at an angle, it also rotates sharply. That rotational acceleration is what causes concussions and diffuse brain injuries. MIPS adds a dedicated layer to address that specific problem.
What the Lab Testing Shows
A peer-reviewed study published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering compared MIPS helmets against conventional helmets using oblique impact tests. The results were meaningful: MIPS helmets reduced peak rotational velocity by 26%, peak rotational acceleration by 22%, and overall brain strain by 20% compared to standard helmets. Most notably, the estimated probability of sustaining a moderate brain injury dropped by 42%.
Virginia Tech’s helmet lab, which rates bicycle helmets on a five-star scale based on 24 impact tests simulating real-world crashes, provides another useful lens. Their database of 293 helmets lets you compare identical models with and without MIPS. The differences range from modest to dramatic:
- Specialized Echelon II: The non-MIPS version scored 25.20 (zero stars). The MIPS version scored 12.21 (four stars). That’s more than a 50% improvement in estimated concussion risk.
- Giant Rev Comp: The non-MIPS version scored 11.87 (four stars). The MIPS version scored 9.13 (five stars). A meaningful but more modest improvement.
- Specialized Ambush: The non-MIPS version scored 15.66 (three stars). The MIPS version scored 13.96 (three stars). A small improvement that didn’t change the star rating.
The takeaway: MIPS consistently improves performance, but the size of the improvement varies by helmet. In some designs, the base helmet is already mediocre, and MIPS makes a large difference. In others, the underlying design is already solid, and MIPS adds a smaller incremental benefit. This is why the specific helmet you choose matters as much as whether it has MIPS.
How MIPS Compares to Other Systems
MIPS isn’t the only technology targeting rotational forces. WaveCel (used by Bontrager/Trek) uses a collapsible cellular structure inside the helmet. SPIN (from POC) uses silicone pads that allow the helmet to shift on your head. Koroyd uses a honeycomb-like structure that crushes on impact, though it primarily addresses linear forces and is often paired with MIPS rather than replacing it.
The same lab study that tested MIPS also tested SPIN helmets, which performed slightly better: 31% reduction in rotational velocity and 37% reduction in rotational acceleration, compared to MIPS’s 26% and 22%. WaveCel has made bold claims about reducing concussion risk by 98%, but those claims drew a lawsuit for being misleading. Independent testing places WaveCel helmets in a range similar to other advanced systems, not dramatically ahead of them.
When you look at Virginia Tech’s full ratings database, helmets with various rotational technologies are scattered across the star range. No single system guarantees a top score. The overall helmet design, foam density, shell construction, and fit all play a role. A well-designed MIPS helmet will outperform a poorly designed WaveCel helmet, and vice versa.
The Practical Tradeoffs
The MIPS liner adds a small amount of weight, typically around 25 to 45 grams depending on the helmet size. Most riders can’t feel the difference. Some early complaints centered on the liner trapping heat or feeling slightly different against the head, but modern MIPS designs have addressed most ventilation concerns. The liner is thin and perforated, so airflow reduction is minimal in well-ventilated helmets.
Fit is the one area where you should pay attention. The MIPS liner sits loosely inside the helmet by design (it needs to slide freely during a crash), which can occasionally make sizing feel slightly different from a non-MIPS version of the same helmet. Always try before you buy when possible, because a helmet that fits poorly protects you less regardless of what technology it contains.
Why Standards Haven’t Caught Up
Current helmet safety standards in the U.S. (CPSC) and Europe (EN 1078) still only test for linear impacts. They drop a helmet straight down onto an anvil and measure how much force reaches the head. They don’t test for rotational forces at all. ASTM recently adopted a test method similar to what MIPS uses internally, but it has no pass-fail threshold, meaning manufacturers aren’t required to meet any specific rotational protection benchmark. European regulators are working on it, but consensus on failure thresholds is still years away.
This means every helmet on the market has passed the same basic drop test, whether it costs $30 or $300, whether it has MIPS or not. The rotational protection technologies are all voluntary additions that go beyond what’s legally required. That’s part of why independent lab testing from places like Virginia Tech is so valuable: it fills the gap that outdated standards leave open.
The Bottom Line on Value
If you’re choosing between two helmets that fit equally well and one has MIPS for $20 more, the MIPS version is the better buy. The lab evidence is real, the cost premium is small, and the downside (negligible extra weight) is trivial. Where it gets more nuanced is when MIPS pushes you into a higher price bracket or when you’re comparing a MIPS helmet against a non-MIPS helmet that already scores well in independent testing.
The smartest approach is to check Virginia Tech’s publicly available ratings before you buy. A five-star helmet without MIPS will protect you better than a two-star helmet with it. MIPS is a genuinely useful technology, but it’s one factor among many, and fit still matters more than any of them.