Giro Agilis MIPS helmet

Your tester's new favourite helmet: the Giro Agilis MIPS is a great fit for narrow craniums. It's also high quality, well vented and decent value.

It's a rare and happy day for a hard-working product tester when he can plonk on a new arrival and everything feels just right from the off. I didn't even need to adjust the straps; though our charming model must have done this at the office before it came to me so I can hardly thank Giro for that. What I can applaud is a helmet that fits my narrow head so well. (I always maintain the midwife delivered me by trapping my head between a couple of house bricks.)

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As a size 58, I can sometimes find myself between helmet sizes, as 'medium' often means 52-58cm and 'large' 59+, so I'd have to choose between a helmet that only fits properly if I don't wear anything under it or one that's too big. Giro's size guide shows this medium as 55-59cm and it's perfect for me, with or without a helmet. This is all a matter of individual fit and head shape; if you find rounder helmets fit you well, it may not feel right.

The helmet looks good too, with the whole of the expanded polystyrene 'cage' encased in a tough outer shell. The lower shell is separately wrapped in a shiny finish and this wraps round to the inside of the brim. The boundary between the glossy and matt shells is very neatly done.

I also like the way the lower is sculpted to swoop down behind the ears. This is a helmet that covers the back of the head well. It also gives it a slightly more rugged look that will appeal to gravel-types as well as dyed-in-the-wool road riders.

The helmet comes in seven (mostly reasonably subdued) colour schemes and in three sizes, so it covers a good range of heads and tastes.

The strap system is Giro's Roc Loc 5 which worked well for me, adjustment being by a single wheel at the back of the head. There's also some scope for reducing the volume of the helmet with the three-position adjuster inside the rear. That's a bit fiddly but you only need to do it once.

I found the helmet sat well enough above my ears to allow my eyewear to rest without interference. I could wear a cap underneath and tilt the peak up without having to tip the helmet too far back. The front rim never intruded into my line of vision.

There's lots of ventilation here, too. It's been warm enough lately to ride without any headwear under the helmet and there's a definite cooling breeze blowing through. The MIPS insert is custom-cut so that it doesn't cover any of the vents.

> Read more: All you need to know about MIPS

We've tested a whole crop of rather good helmets lately, and at £90, the Giro Agilis compares well when matching pounds to features. For £10 more, we liked the Sweet Protection Outrider, and Stu liked the Met Vinci, also at £100. For another £20, the Kask Mojito-X has similar styling but no MIPS.

> Buyer’s Guide: 21 of the best high-performance helmets

I'd say a penny under £90 is pretty good going for what you're getting here, and if you shop around you may well find it for rather less. If you do, snap one up.

Verdict

Well made, good looking, light and comfortable – if you have a less rounded head shape this may be the helmet for you