Bell Stratus MIPS helmet review

The Bell Stratus MIPS helmet has lots going on, at a fraction of the price of its competitors

(Image credit: Cycling Studio)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Bell Stratus MIPs is simply excellent: it's comfortable, cool and most importantly not a bank breaker!

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Value

  • +

    Comfortable

  • +

    Great fit

  • +

    Cool

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Straps and retention dial aren't as finessed as other helmets

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 cycle helmet market is full to the brim, bristling with spectacular lids that offer neat design features or aero benefits that'll save you however many watts, or weigh this many grams – so full that you might easily overlook a helmet like the Bell Stratus MIPS with its understated design and lower price point. But to do so would be an enormous mistake.

Vents on the Bell Stratus MIPS

Loads of vents... 18 in total
(Image credit: Cycling Studio)

Beneath that subtle surface is a helmet ready to perform. For starters it's jammed full of holes, featuring 18 vents for excellent airflow. Having been worn for a full British summer, there hasn't been a time where the Bell Stratus MIPS has been stifling or overwhelming.

No doubt it's because it takes its design cues from its pro-level sibling, the Bell Zephyr, and despite its lower status, Bell still claims it to be an aerodynamic helmet.

The back of the Bell Stratus MIPS

The back of the helmet is chunky but good looking
(Image credit: Cycling Studio)

While we can't judge this outside of the wind tunnel, we can say it's a great fit. It isn't too bulky but neither does it feel simply perched on top of your head, instead sitting snugly.

I opted for a size medium, which Bell says is suitable for people with a size 55-59cm head, and happily it fit like a glove.

Watch: Helmet buyer's guide

The fit can be dialled in with the retention dial on the back, which isn't as finessed as the Giro Roc-Loc system on the Giro Cinder MIPS or the Bontrager Velocis Boa Dial, but it gets the job done. Similarly, the straps are rougher than offerings on other helmets, but this is a minor gripe.

Retention dial on the Bell Stratus MIPs

The slightly agricultural retention dial
(Image credit: Cycling Studio)

You also get MIPS for added protection, but for a fraction of the price it costs on other helmets, offering great value.

At 279g it's no featherweight, but once again it holds its own against models that sit far above it in terms of price.

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