Smith Optics Pilot Mips helmet: Wallet-friendly, stylish and with all the right features

Budget lids don’t always hit the mark in terms of styling or safety, often snubbed by serious riders and relegated to commuting duties and casual riding. Smith has addressed this with the release of its Pilot MIPS, a wallet-friendly trail lid that doesn’t skimp on style, comfort or safety. Featuring a MIPS liner and decent rear coverage, I’ve been super impressed with the level of comfort and protection. It’s a seriously good trail helmet for serious trail riding.

Smith Optics Pilot – Technical details

Smith states ‘simple sold trail protection’, and that’s what you get with Pilot. The lightweight in-mould construction doesn’t fully wrap the EPS foam, which is to be expected at this price point, instead finishing at the Pilot’s lower edge, as well as leaving some naked sections across the side. Not as well protected as some, but it does add a nice look to this helmet, which is CE EN 1078 rated.

Whilst not a fan of fixed peaks, it does save on cost, and the Pilot’s is fixed by two push-pins and feels stable and solid.

It’s a dedicated trail helmet, so Smith has made sure glasses storage is paramount. You get two glasses docks, one at the front vents under the peak and another at the rear. One of the internal channels of the EPS liner, designed to aid airflow across the head, aligns perfectly with the rear vents, creating a glasses dock where your glasses arms slip between the Mips layer and EPS liner. The Pilot is designed to integrate seamlessly with Smith’s glasses, but as they will set you back double the cost of the helmet, it will be interesting to see how other brands fit.

There are 13 vents. Nine front-facing, with four small slit vents at the rear. These rear vents are worryingly small, so we’ll see how well they perform in hot weather.

The Mips Evolve Core low-friction layer is a very welcome addition for added safety, and fixed to this via Velcro tabs is a lightweight comfort padding layer which feels comfortable and thick enough to provide a good depth of comfort. Hopefully.

An adjustable click wheel dial at the rear is designed to dial in a secure and stable fit; there is plenty of room to get your fingers in to activate it, which will be good when wearing gloves. Finally, a standard plastic buckle helps keep it in place.

Sizing ranges from S to XL, and there are five colour options, including the Matte Flint tested.

Smith Optics Pilot – Performance

With one hell of a soft spot for the Smith Forefront 3 helmet I tested a few months back, it’s been interesting to get out in another budget offering from Smith. Indeed, this is the kinda helmet I wish I could have got my hands on back in the days when I started riding. It doesn’t boast a bunch of fancy acronyms claiming the fanciest tech, but at almost a third of the asking price of the Forefront 3, it is a bargain considering you get a Mips Evolve Core liner, and Smith has managed that thing that most budget helmets fail at. It looks cool.

And here’s the thing. It’s a perfectly good helmet. And I mean that in the most positive way. It’s instantly comfortable, the Mips is quiet, and it doesn’t move around when the trails get rowdy.

The retention system provides nice, loud clicks of adjustment as it’s cinched in. At this price point, you don’t get the micro-adjustments of more expensive helmets, but it works. The same goes for the buckle. Nice and simple, it does the job.

It’s a fit-and-forget helmet, and although I’m not a fan of fixed peaks, I get it on this model, and its position worked fine for me. The Mips liner gives me the reassurance that in the event of a crash, my brain won’t pulverise, and the construction looks substantial enough to take a hard slam. The all-important glasses dock at the rear of the helmet is a very secure and well-thought-out feature.

The vents have proven large enough to provide ample airflow, even in the hottest weather, with sweat build-up and run-off a negligible issue; indeed, I was quite surprised how dry the padding was post-ride.

Smith Optics Pilot – Verdict

With an asking price of £95, Smith seems to have achieved an awful lot with a small budget. But that’s not to say that there aren’t a few competitors around that could give it a bit of a run for its money. If you’re keen for a bit of peakless XC action, Rockrider’s XC Mountain Bike Helmet Race Mips is well worth a look. Although its well vented, it could do with a larger range of sizes and more colours.

Endura’s Hummvee Plus is worth considering too. At £90, it’s slightly less expensive than the Pilot; it’s comfortable, gets Mips and an adjustable visor, the latter of which the Pilot does not.

I don’t have anything negative to say about this helmet. For those getting into the sport or anybody looking for a more affordable helmet, it’s a great option. Smith has managed to create an entry-level lid that balances looks and performance.