Mavic Comete Ultimate Mips White Helmet

The Mavic Comete Ultimate helmet is designed to strike a balance between aerodynamic efficiency, comfort and safety features, and incorporates Mips and EPS-4D technology. Although it offers only limited adjustment, I found the Comete comfortable, with reasonable ventilation. The level of movement in the chin strap when off the bike did raise some concerns, but it's remained in place while riding.

For more options, check out our guide to the best cycling helmets and the best aero helmets.

The most striking feature of the Comete Ultimate is its retention system, which Mavic dubs Autofit. This features lightweight, rounded webbing under the ears that requires no adjustment and transitions into a standard fabric chin strap with a more standard tension adjustment mechanism.

Initially, I was concerned about the lack of friction in the chin strap; even when using the rubber strap tidy, before I put the helmet on the tension seemed to release due to a significant gap in the buckle where the fabric threads through. However, those concerns eased during the ride. I tightened the strap slightly more than usual out of caution, which allowed me to appreciate how well the Autofit system works: the curved fabric behaves almost elastically, without ever digging in or feeling uncomfortable.

At the rear, the ponytail-compatible dial, combined with the Autofit system, makes adjusting the Comete Ultimate straightforward. The cradle has three possible height positions, and offers 5cm or 6cm of circumference adjustment depending on the size of the helmet.

The shell has an elliptical shape, which suited my head well, and is comparable to Abus and Met helmets.

It's constructed from EPS-4D material, which Mavic says provides 30% better shock absorption than standard EPS, though it doesn't go into any detail, and inside, the helmet features the Mips safety system: a low-friction layer designed to move slightly in the event of an impact and offer multi-directional rotational protection. (Read more about it in our feature, All you need to know about Mips.)

The padding combines traditional sweat-absorbing foam around the front with Live Fit adaptive memory foam on the top, attached to the Mips layer, and while both elements are thin and minimal in size I found the helmet comfortable for long rides – the longest was almost 20 hours non-stop.

Airflow is reasonable for a helmet with aerodynamic claims, matching rivals that I've used in that regard. It features 15 vents, including two large rear ones reinforced with a strip of carbon fibre.

I used the Comete Ultimate in a range of temperatures, from early autumn's single digits to the low 20s, and it was comfortable most of the time, although in warmer weather when I was working hard the thin foam area at the front struggled a little to absorb sweat.

Mavic doesn't provide specific aerodynamic figures, stating only that "wind tunnel tests show that it offers a proven advantage in sprints while remaining fully ventilated for the climbs".

> Should you buy an aero road helmet? How much faster could you be?

At the front, two vents are designed to hold glasses securely, with added grip material to keep frames in place. I didn't have any Mavic-branded glasses to try, but I had a go with several eyewear brands, and those with shorter, straighter arms were the easiest to fit and most comfortable. A pair of Smith Attack Max sunglasses fitted very well, with the grippers holding them securely – no bouncing or creeping, even on longer rides.

Aesthetics are subjective, but I think the styling is sleek, with a reasonable height and profile on my head, although I'm not so keen on the small fin on the top and have no idea whether it adds to the aerodynamic performance.

The lack of reflective elements is a missed opportunity, though – Mavic could have made the logo reflective to enhance visibility.

The medium-sized helmet has a claimed weight of 265g but ours – unusually – was lighter, tipping the scales at 256g.

The Comete Ultimate is available in four colours: black, yellow, grey, and the white version we have here. The black and white options are available in all three sizes, small (51-56cm), medium (54-59cm) and large (57-61cm), while the yellow and grey are only available in medium and large.

Value

There's an increasing number of road helmets that claim to offer a mix of aero benefits while also being cool enough for general use, and although the Mavic Comete Ultimate isn't cheap, some are both slightly heavier and more expensive. The Kask Elemento, for example, is £335 and 270g in a medium and the Specialized S-Works Evade 3 is £250 and 271g.

The Met Trenta 3K Carbon MIPS is a personal favourite that is very light (223g, small), but that now costs £290.

The Trek Ballista is a similar price to the Mavic – £229.99 – but although it has a claimed weight of 255g in medium, it was 272g on our scales.

Conclusion

Despite my initial concerns, the Comete Ultimate has proven to be a comfortable helmet that I'd gladly reach for year-round because of its excellent balance of comfort and performance. The safety features are solid, and the Mips layer doesn't seem to hinder airflow or cooling, though the combination of vent size and helmet shape means that only certain eyewear fits comfortably when stored off your face. And while the chin strap has stayed secure during rides, I'd still rather it stayed in place when not being worn so I didn't have to adjust it every time I put it on.

Verdict

Comfortable aero-style helmet with solid safety features and a competitive weight and price