MIPs. Marketing or worth it?

**PeachesNCream** · 09-21-2020, 05:32 PM

Starting off by referencing this thread: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...e-Mags-Rocking where MIPs is discussed but the thread is 3 years old now and MIPs was pretty new then to my knowledge. Was curious to hear if there has been some updates on if people think its worth it and if there has been any 3rd party testers. I could only find tests done by MIPs themselves and companies that sell MIPs products.

You think MIPs is worth the extra price? Specifically skiing and mountain biking

**waxloaf** · 09-21-2020, 06:03 PM

Not sure if this answers your question but the Virginia Tech helmet ratings seem pretty well regarded, and all (or nearly all) of the top helmets have mips: https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html

As far as I am concerned, I’m happy to pay the extra $ if there’s a chance it will keep me from getting concussed. I certainly don’t think its hurting anything.

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**madriverfreeride** · 09-21-2020, 06:46 PM

At this point its pretty hard to find a high end helmet without mips, so really the upcharge is also for nicer other features as well as mips. Also even if the little unbiased evidence that mips helps, there almost no chance it makes the helmet worse so why not have it.

**poleplant** · 09-21-2020, 07:15 PM

For mountain biking mips is absolutely worth it, I won’t use a helmet without it.
For skiing I don’t consider it a must have, but it is a nice feature.

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**sruffian** · 09-21-2020, 07:24 PM

i can't remember

**volklpowdermaniac** · 09-21-2020, 07:32 PM

I don’t know. But I’d be curious if there is any well supported, well researched data and results that are for or against it.

Edit: quick google search “NIH + MIPS”

Has a bunch of stuff-

This is quite recent.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...8/#!po=1.04167

NOT without limitations and exceptions but pretty encouraging for MIPS and SPIN.

Which is all to say, it probably can’t hurt.

**SkiLyft** · 09-21-2020, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by poleplant

For mountain biking mips is absolutely worth it, I won’t use a helmet without it.
For skiing I don’t consider it a must have, but it is a nice feature.

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As both a mountain biker and skier, I find this comment odd. Why mandatory for biking and not skiing?

Cheap insurance, if it gives my noggin’ a better shot to survive a crash YUP!

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**fleaches** · 09-21-2020, 08:17 PM

This was posted by someone in comments on Wildsnow a little while ago:

https://www.folksam.se/media/S40056-...tcm5-41788.pdf

Probably main take away "Only two helmet did not give results that exceeded the threshold for a 50% risk of concussion in any of the three tests. Helmets equipped with MIPS performed, in general, better than the others."

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**stradissimo** · 09-21-2020, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by fleaches

This was posted by someone in comments on Wildsnow a little while ago:

https://www.folksam.se/media/S40056-...tcm5-41788.pdf

Probably main take away "Only two helmet did not give results that exceeded the threshold for a 50% risk of concussion in any of the three tests. Helmets equipped with MIPS performed, in general, better than the others."

“Friction similar to asphalt” - Good test condition for snow helmets!

**californiagrown** · 09-21-2020, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by SkiLyft

As both a mountain biker and skier, I find this comment odd. Why mandatory for biking and not skiing?

Cheap insurance, if it gives my noggin’ a better shot to survive a crash YUP!

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Mtb helmet hits dirt/rocks and sticks and undergoes larger friction forces than snow... And it's that kind of rotational force MIPS is meant for. Not as much rotational force from friction on snow.

But yeah, you're right. Cheap insurance. For me, 1hr pay is the cost difference between the MIPS version and non mips. And my brain is my livelihood. I spare no expense on my mtb and skiing brain buckets.

**Rideski** · 09-21-2020, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by sruffian

i can't remember

What were we talking about?

**old goat** · 09-21-2020, 10:05 PM

Not everything a head hits on a ski slope is snow. Rocks and trees are popular, non yielding surfaces.

**MegaStoke** · 09-21-2020, 10:08 PM

Last season, I dropped a ski going fast, tried to shut it down, and wound up taking a header into an icy bump going >30mph. I was wearing a Smith Quantum and genuinely think I felt the MIPS do it’s magic on that one. My head didn’t seem to get abruptly stopped nearly as harshly as the impact would have me expect, which I attribute to the MIPS, and maybe the Koroyd material, which wound up visibly compressed. I can’t say it with certainty, but I’m convinced I likely would have been concussed in a lesser helmet.

**Conundrum** · 09-21-2020, 10:10 PM

Gapers and jongs are also non yielding when they hit you.

**poleplant** · 09-21-2020, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by SkiLyft

As both a mountain biker and skier, I find this comment odd. Why mandatory for biking and not skiing?

Cheap insurance, if it gives my noggin’ a better shot to survive a crash YUP!

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Snow has much more give than dirt and rocks. Also With the nature of mtb crashes mips helps a ton. With skiing I don’t think I’ve had a crash in the last 20 years that mips would have helped more than a normal helmet (I.e. not much rotational force)
Idk just my thoughts. I think mips in ski helmets is more to advertise a feature than to solve a common problem.

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**SkiLyft** · 09-21-2020, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by californiagrown

Mtb helmet hits dirt/rocks and sticks and undergoes larger friction forces than snow... And it's that kind of rotational force MIPS is meant for. Not as much rotational force from friction on snow.

But yeah, you're right. Cheap insurance. For me, 1hr pay is the cost difference between the MIPS version and non mips. And my brain is my livelihood. I spare no expense on my mtb and skiing brain buckets.

Gotcha

Originally Posted by old goat

Not everything a head hits on a ski slope is snow. Rocks and trees are popular, non yielding surfaces.

But was thinking along this logic.

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**PeachesNCream** · 09-22-2020, 10:20 AM

Thanks everyone. For the argument that "it doesn't hurt and its only an extra $30", I don't like supporting marketing that isn't backed, just not a fan of that concept for various reasons. Doesn't seem to be the case here. MIPs it is!

**Dantheman** · 09-22-2020, 10:54 AM

Two years ago I had just bought my first MIPS helmet days before when I ate it riding. I had no idea I had even hit my head until I took my helmet off and saw that the foam was cracked, and not mildly. Not exactly a scientific study, but that convinced me. All helmets I buy will be MIPS or equivalent going forward. Also, I know a guy who used to work on helmet R&D at Fox. He's also told me to go MIPS 100%, and that you should use a helmet for 3 years max if you ride a lot. The EPS reacts with UV and gets stiffer over time so it absorbs less energy in a crash.

**XXX-er** · 09-22-2020, 11:20 AM

I noticed a big crack in the back of my bike helmet and i'm not sure how it got there but I'm glad I wear helemets so I picked up a bell sixxer with mips which is not easy for me cuz nothing fits my head but the XL did

never scrimp on life saving safety gear ... helmets, snow tires, condoms

**meepmoop24** · 09-22-2020, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by waxloaf

Not sure if this answers your question but the Virginia Tech helmet ratings seem pretty well regarded, and all (or nearly all) of the top helmets have mips: https://helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html

As far as I am concerned, I’m happy to pay the extra $ if there’s a chance it will keep me from getting concussed. I certainly don’t think its hurting anything.

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I recently bought a Fox Speedframe Pro and utilized those ratings a lot. MIPS is definitely important in the bike helmets, but I think dual density liners are pretty important too. The Dropframe, TLD A2 MIPS, and Speedframe Pro all scored really highly and have dual density liners.

**f=ma** · 09-22-2020, 01:45 PM

Does anyone know if MIPS is easily removable from a helmet?

**HAB** · 09-22-2020, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by f=ma

Does anyone know if MIPS is easily removable from a helmet?

You could probably trim it out if you really wanted to, but not easily/reversibly or without changing the fit of the helmet significantly.

**Core Shot** · 09-22-2020, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by poleplant

Snow has much more give than dirt and rocks. Also With the nature of mtb crashes mips helps a ton. With skiing I don’t think I’ve had a crash in the last 20 years that mips would have helped more than a normal helmet (I.e. not much rotational force)
Idk just my thoughts. I think mips in ski helmets is more to advertise a feature than to solve a common problem.

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Yes. Coefficient of friction of landing force plays a role.
Asphalt. Vs gravel. Vs snow. MIPS less helpful as you go.
But there’s always some help, even if it is only to prevent neck tweaks and not a full on concussion.

But I am still a fan of the occasional unprotected run. Went flat terrain biking last weekend with no helmet. Wind blowing in my hair. Freedom.

A couple times a year I enjoy skiing with no helmet. It’s liberating. And I ski slower and more zen.

Originally Posted by f=ma

Does anyone know if MIPS is easily removable from a helmet?

But why? Once you’ve paid for it, why defeat it?

**f=ma** · 09-22-2020, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by Core Shot

But why? Once you’ve paid for it, why defeat it?

I have a big head and if it came down to it, I'd rather have a helmet fit better than have MIPS.

**XXX-er** · 09-23-2020, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by f=ma

I have a big head and if it came down to it, I'd rather have a helmet fit better than have MIPS.

I have had to sand the foam out of an XL Boeri with a drill mounted rotary rasp which still didnt fit well so i feel your pain literaly

look for a bigger helmet, any time I see an XL helmet in a store I try it on, usually I can't find a helmet to fit but I just got the Bell sixxer with mips in an XL and it fits very well