Revealed: The most and least protective cycle helmets sold in the UK

Researchers from Imperial College London have revealed the most and least protective helmets available in the UK

• Researchers tested the safety of the 30 most popular helmets in the UK
• The safest helmet available is the £50 Specialized Tactic MIPS

It's a must-have item for cyclists in busy cities across the UK.

But with options ranging from budget brands to the highest-end racing gear, knowing where to start when it comes to buying a helmet can be overwhelming.

Thankfully, help is at hand as researchers from Imperial College London have revealed the most and least protective helmets available in the UK.

Best of all, their research shows you don't have to splash the cash for the best protection.

So, is your helmet up to scratch?

Fatalities from cycling have fallen over the last decade.

However, the UK saw a significant increase in serious injuries during the Covid-19 pandemic as more people started using their bikes.

With the number of injuries and deaths still 17 per cent higher than their pre-pandemic average, it is vital that cyclists get the best protection possible.

But with so many helmets on the market at a wide range of prices, it can be hard to know which one is best for you.

While helmets sold in the UK have to pass a minimum safety test, lead author Dr Claire Baker set out to determine whether some were safer than others.

'We developed a simple scoring system to rate helmets based on the risk of head injury during a collision,' says Dr Baker.

To see where your helmet fits on this scale, you can check using the Hiper (Helmet Impact Protection Effectiveness Rating) search tool.

Using the search tool, enter the brand or model of your helmet to see its protection rating from 0 to five - with 0 being the least protective and five being the most.

The helmets were tested in the lab by being dropped at 6.5 metres per second (14.5mph) onto an angled anvil covered with sandpaper to mimic the friction of tarmac.

After being dropped in various orientations, the acceleration in the model head was measured to calculate the risk of an injury taking place.

Dr Baker explains: 'The risk of injury took account of the likelihood of deep brain injuries from head rotation as well as more surface level injuries and potential skull fractures from direct impact.'

By selecting a helmet, you will also be able to bring up additional details including the price, weight, a detailed breakdown of the risk factor, and a video of the test impacts.

Coming out on top as the most protective helmet is the Specialized Tactic MIPS which was given a protection score of 4.84.

All of the top three spots were claimed by helmets from the Specialized brand, with the Specialized Align MIPS coming in second with 4.76 and the Specialized EchelonII MIPS in third with 4.68.

At the very bottom of the pile in joint-last were the Halfords Urban helmet and Lazer Compact, which were both given a safety score of just 1.34.

Third last was the Van Rysel Road R900 which scored just 1.7 out of five for safety.

However, it is important to note that all of these helmets are considered safe to use since they have passed regulatory standards which ensure a minimum level of protection.

Rather, this research shows that some helmets offer protection well above the minimum safety standards required.

While you might think that the extra safety of the top-scoring helmets would come at a premium, the researchers thankfully found that this was not the case.

Dr Baker says: 'Interestingly, we found no correlation between price and protection, with the highest-performing helmet being one of the less expensive, retailing at around £50.'

The Specialized Align MIPS which was the second most protective helmet retails at just £34 - significantly cheaper than many worse-performing helmets.

In fact, several of the most expensive helmets available offered some of the worst protection.

The researchers found that the most expensive helmet tested, the Kask Protone which retails at £135, was the fifth worst for protection, scoring just 1.94 out of five.

However, the researchers point out that the price can also reflect factors like comfort, ventilation, and weight - with the Kask Protone weighing just 230g.

While price did not make a difference to the safety, the researchers found that the inclusion of 'Mips' technology was very important.

Mips is a low-friction layer which allows a helmet to shift during an impact rather than yanking the head with it.

The researchers found that nine of the best-performing helmets were equipped with Mips technology.

Dr Baker says: 'Until now, there has been limited information about how well cyclists can expect their helmet to protect them during head impact.

'This is because current safety standards are simply pass/fail and only test direct impact sustained during straight-on head impact.'

In this study, the researchers also assessed the rotational impact which causes diffuse brain injuries that lead to loss of consciousness and bleeding of the brain.

The researchers worked out how dangerous an impact would be by looking at how much it shook the head front to back, and how much it twisted the head from side to side.

Helmets with Mips were found to prevent the head from twisting during impacts, and so the risk of injury is lower.

Senior author Dr Mazdak Ghajari told MailOnline: 'This information helps consumers to make an informed choice when purchasing a new helmet.

'Our ambition is to continue the rating and grow this to include more helmets.'

Currently, the Hiper search only includes data for the top 30 most popular adult helmets but the researchers say they plan to add ratings for children's helmets following further research.

Dr Ghajari says: 'As a parent or guardian, I need objective information to support me in purchasing a suitable helmet for my child, but such information does not exist.'