Given two otherwise identical good-quality helmets, one with MIPS and one without, is there a reason to steer away from the MIPS? Maybe too hot? Maybe the MIPS system is too fragile? Those are just wild guesses of what may be the down side. Any real-life “Cons” to share? Thx
No downsides that I can report so far with my TraumaVoid EQ3. It’s wonderful.
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None with my TV Lynx.
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I rode all summer in MIPS. In FL. Soo, I’d say being too hot isn’t a problem.
I don’t have any cons to report other than forgetting to take it off. I’ve got a trauma void as well.
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I’ve got the Tipperary Windsor Wide brim. No downsides that I know of.
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It’s a technology that’s been on the market for quite some time in other disciplines - it’s gonna be everywhere soon.
I really enjoy my TV too and my bike helmet.
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The only ‘downside’ I can imagine is that they tend to be priced higher than same versions just without MIPS (e.g. OneK defender is $239, with MIPS it’s $299). I have the CO MS1 Pro for XC + SJ that has MIPS and it’s $200, so MIPS doesn’t necessitate a higher price, I think it’s just that people are more willing to pay. I’d say if you’re deciding, unless it’s out of your budget considerably, go with the MIPS one, even if all you do is trail riding. There’s no reason not to, and it’s never bad to protect your noggin 
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The only downside for me is that I cannot find one that fits me! They’re all too round and/or too shallow. So, I’ve stuck with my Uvex.
If I had two helmets side by side, that both fit, and one was a MIPS helmet, I’d choose the MIPS all day long.
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The OneK MIPS comes in a long oval. We still quite a bit at my tack shop.
@CanteringCarrot …we must have the same shaped noggins! I’ve tried every brand I can think of (including the OneK long oval). Only Uvex fits – and it doesn’t even fit all that well. I think my head is shaped like a football.
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I can’t find one that fits me either! I’ve tried every model on. The Tipperary came the closest but still wasn’t right. I look forward to it being standardized in all our helmets, the horse world is way behind here.
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Price is the only downside I can think of. But there are inexpensive MIPS helmets too. Depends what shape your head is. Different brands fit differently.
I did find that my Charles Owen wide brim with MIPS was much heavier than my Samshield.
Please come join our MIPS Helmets information group on Facebook. We have brand reps from every MIPS brand, except Trauma Void. So lots of folks who can give you lots of info. Plus literally hundreds of people who have bought a MIPS helmet. And we’ve got a great group.
www. facebook .com/ groups / MipsHelmets (Without the spaces) Or you can search for it by searching “MIPS Helmets”
Em
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And you will find this. Samshield is bound and determined to be the lightest helmets, NOT the safest. I have emails from them that show this in plain English. That’s the hill that they’re wanting to die on. They will be lighter than all the others. And they were disliking the MIPS system because it weighs 25 grams, or the same as 10 pennies. And to them that was a horrible idea to weigh that much, when their clients love their light helmets.
Em
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I don’t really mind a little extra weight, but the difference from 2.5 lb to 4 lb (the specs I found on the web) was striking! It felt like my head was a bowling ball on my neck all of a sudden. I have not been able to get used to it, and it has been a significant barrier to me wearing the helmet. I wanted a very safe helmet, but this is an issue people should be aware of–it’s not a 25 gram difference, its a pound and a half.
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I suggest that if you have your head balanced well over your spine, the weight is not noticeable in action…at least it makes a difference for me.
This is PURELY ANECDOTAL, but I was in my local tack shop recently and asked her when she was going to carry the OneK MIPS and she said she doesn’t plan to, as discussions with her neuro-surgeon friend have convinced her that the MIPS tech doesn’t really do much for the kinds of accidents horse people tend to have. I still plan to get one because I think you can’t be too safe, but I thought it was interesting that the surgeon said research on equestrians indicates that MIPS is overkill most of the time.
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So to also comment in a similar type of exchange.
When I was doing my evaluation exam at Bryn Mawr Rehab last year after the Devon Fall accident, the neurologists on site, all 3 of them, commented how glad they were that MIPS had “FINALLY” come to the equestrian helmets. That they had seen it make a dramatic difference in Bicycling, motor sports, snow sports and construction helmets and they were so pleased to hear that equestrian sports, with their serious impact rates, finally had the MIPS system to help.
Anecdotal comments can and will range all over the place. That’s why we need to ALL help donate to the forthcoming study with the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab on ALL equestrian helmets.
THAT will be the first broad scale study on US based helmets and their actual safety levels.
You can donate and read all about the study on www.ehsi.net
Em
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Which MIPS helmet does this apply to? Genuinely curious as I’m on the lookout for one, and the only one I’ve tried on so far (Tipperary Windsor) was not noticeably heavy.
