Giro Ethos MIPS helmet review - indicator lights: great or gimmick?

A feature heavy helmet with some novel integrations. The functionality is flawless but whether it's worth the premium price tag is less obvious

Image shows the Giro Ethos MIPS helmet
(Image credit: Andy Turner)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

For city riding, this helmet is excellent. Even during the day time, the Giro Ethos MIPS helps you stand out to other road users in a safer way. The weight is a bit high but perfectly manageable for shorter rides. Similarly, the ventilation is sufficient for the intensity of riding you're likely to be doing with this helmet. Regarding the fit, what suits one rider won't necessarily suit the next, so always best to try it on in a shop before committing to the purchase.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Superb visibility

  • +

    Easy to use control

  • +

    Bright lights

  • +

    Up to date safety tech with MIPS

  • +

    Good overall head coverage

  • +

    Indicators are great with visual and audio cues

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Heavy

  • -

    Ventilation not great for warmer days

  • -

    A little tight on the sides of the head

  • -

    Expensive

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The Ethos MIPS is Giro's commuter helmet which benefits from both front and rear LED lights as well as 'remote handlebar-activated turn signals' (more on that later!). MIPS safety technology has also been incoorporated into the design to provide protection against rotational forces in the unfortunate event of a crash. 

Is this all-in-one helmet the ideal solution for commuters and one of the best commuter bike helmets? If you want the ability to indicate clearly and safely, then perhaps this will be a gamechanger that's worth paying that bit extra for...

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