Giro Vasona Mips Women’s Helmet

The Giro Vasona Mips helmet is a good looking, comfortable and affordable lid, aimed at women who cycle on road or trail. As the name suggests, it includes the integrated Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (Mips), and comes in a great choice of colours, but just the one size – 50-57cm; if you have a small head (not all women do, Giro!), you should be fine.

• Pros: Affordable, versatile, includes Mips
• Cons: Heavyweight straps

Helmet fit/comfort is subjective, but I found the Vasona very comfortable. It's one size but that goes down quite small, 50cm, making it a good choice for those with small heads.

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The fit is adjusted with a Roc Loc Sport system, which worked well – a dial at the back is easy to tighten and loosen. My only gripe is that the dial needs to be a little lower for better use with gloves.

The helmet has an in-mould construction, polycarbonate shell with EPS liner. It weighs in at 281g, which is a little heavier than some of the helmets I've reviewed recently, but comparable to the more expensive (£199) Oakley ARO5. The £64.99 Bell Tempo I reviewed is a little lighter at 256g, but it's hardly a huge difference, and once the Giro Vasona is on your head you really don't notice it.

Like the Oakley and Bell, the Giro has a Mips layer inside – a multi-directional impact protection system (read more about Mips here). This is a popular addition to many helmets to provide more protection in the event of an accident. It is described by Mips as 'slip-plane' technology and is designed to reduce rotational forces that can result from certain impacts.

The Vasona has 22 vents to keep the air flowing. They do quite a good job at cooling, and this combined with quick-drying padding meant I wasn't sweating much on hot days during long rides. Venting didn't feel as good as with the Oakley ARO5, but that's a 200-quid helmet.

The padding is comfortable, attached with Velcro so it can be removed and washed if needed. It did seem a plusher forehead pad than most, and my forehead did feel a bit warmer than normal. I could also feel the straps a little bit on long rides – they're a bit more heavyweight than some, though they sit around the ears and face neatly.

The buckle is one of those ratchet types which does the job well, but it's larger than your typical helmet buckle.

The Giro comes with a removable visor and in my opinion looks great with it on or off. It's an easy and neat quick clip design – no ugly holes like with Giro's Venus model. It's great for sunny days and trail riding, or you can take it off to look a bit more roadie.

Having reviewed a number of helmets recently, the Vasona compares very well to the Bell Tempo I mentioned earlier – both providing a comfortable fit for small heads at a similar price. The Bell pips it for me on fit, but I do really like the bright colour of the Vasona. I would possibly choose the Giro Vasona for mountain biking and the Bell Tempo for long road rides, but try out fit for yourself as everyone has different shaped heads.

> Cycling helmets: Everything you need to know

Overall, the Giro Vasona Mips is a great helmet for those with a smaller head. It's comfortable, easy to adjust, sporty looking for a £70 helmet, with a great choice of colours.

Verdict

An affordable helmet for road and trail with added Mips protection, especially suited to smaller-headed riders