Giro Synthe MIPS Review

August 11, 2017
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GEAR INSTITUTE RATINGS
82
Comfort
6
Ventilation
5
Features
7
Fit
8
Weight
6

The Good

  • Good coverage
  • Lightweight
  • Fit

The Bad

  • Minimal padding
  • Ventilation
THE VERDICT

The Giro Synthe MIPS provides good rear and side coverage. Fit is outstanding with the Roc Loc Air Fit System. However, be prepared for minimalistic padding and moderate ventilation on warm days.

FULL REVIEW

COMFORT
The Giro Synthe MIPS strap webbing is mid-weight and lays comfortably flat against the cyclist’s face. 

With a thin band at the forehead and a small patch at the crown, padding is the most minimal of all the helmets in the test. Though our tester did not feel uncomfortable pressure points, the thin and sparse padding contributed to a warm head and excessive sweat running down her forehead.

VENTILATION
The Giro Synthe MIPS has eighteen air vents that range in size from small to medium (in comparison to the vent sizes of the other helmets in this test). They provided only moderate ventilation on high-exertion rides on hot and humid days. A thin, plastic mesh screen covers two medium-sized vents on the sides, reducing the Giro Synthe MIPS ventilation.

Placement of padding creates air flow channels that help push air through the helmet to cool. However the padding in the Giro Synthe MIPS is very sparse and thin. This reduced ventilation was most noticeable on hot and humid days while riding slower speeds. Even though ventilation was slightly improved with increased speed, the thin padding did not do an adequate job of absorbing sweat.

FEATURES
The Giro Synthe MIPS provides good coverage on the sides and back of the head. The size small that our tester reviewed measures 14.5 inches in length from front to back and fourteen inches wide from ear to ear.

What makes the Giro Synthe MIPS stand out is the Roc Loc Air fit system. It is designed to suspend the internal foam structure of the helmet slightly above the head to increase airflow. However our tester found that the Roc Loc Air Fit system worked better in attaining a secure fit than it did in enhancing ventilation.

Of all the helmets in the test, the Giro Synthe MIPS had the least amount of helmet wobble once synched down.

Additional head protection comes from MIPS, a thin liner that protects against rotational forces by separating the shell from the liner to allow the liner to slide relative to the skull in an angular crash.

FIT
Fit is outstanding with the Giro Synthe MIPS due to its multiple points of adjustability that allow for a dialed fit.

The Roc Loc Air fit system allows the cyclist to adjust the helmet both vertically and laterally via a glove-friendly clicker wheel that can be easily adjusted on-the-fly, even with sweaty fingers. Once adjusted, the helmet sat well centered on our tester’s head. Forehead coverage was not as generous as other helmets in the test however.

Strap adjustment generally stays put thanks to the heavier straps. Fore and aft straps are connected via sturdy flip-style clips that make for fast and easy adjustment. However the thicker webbing requires more finger strength to tighten. The upside to the thicker straps is the absence of “strap creep.” In nearly two weeks of testing, our tester never had to tighten or readjust the straps once.

Enhanced fit also comes from the depth of the helmet. The MIPS liner, which can shrink any helmet’s size a little bit, can make a helmet feel as if it’s sitting suspended on the cyclist’s head. This also happens to be a feature of the Roc Loc Air System too, although, our tester did not notice any feeling of suspension or compromised fit.

WEIGHT
With the good head coverage, medium-weight strap webbing, and minimal padding, the Giro Synthe MIPS is the second lightest helmet in the test at 270 grams.

The Giro Synthe MIPS provides good rear and side coverage. Fit is outstanding with the Roc Loc Air Fit System. However, be prepared for minimalistic padding and moderate ventilation on warm days.

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