Why Dashel helmets don't use MIPS (and how they're safety tested)

Short answer: no, Dashel helmets don't use MIPS. Dashel is an urban cycle helmet with a smooth, rounded shell designed to glide to a halt in a fall. When MIPS tested Dashel helmets with their insert, it did not improve our crash results by more than 5%, which is within the normal tolerance of a crash test. Below we explain what MIPS is, why we left it out, and exactly how every Dashel helmet is safety tested.

What is MIPS?

MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) is a low-friction layer fitted inside a helmet. In an angled impact it lets the helmet move slightly relative to the head, helping to reduce the rotational forces that can twist the head and neck. It's a great invention, and it's especially popular in road racing and mountain biking helmets.

Why don't Dashel helmets have MIPS?

Rotational forces are greatest when a helmet catches on the ground rather than sliding. Angular, sharply vented racing helmets can catch in a fall, and so can fabric or matt-covered shells. MIPS helps offset this.

Dashel was designed differently. Its smooth, rounded shape and light weight mean there is little resistance when you fall, so it is designed to glide to a halt rather than grip the road. A heavier helmet can keep your head twisting for longer as it slows down (the flywheel effect); a light helmet reduces this.

MIPS took our helmets and tested them. Their insert did not improve our crash results by more than 5%, which is the normal tolerance you get in a crash test conducted on a guided freefall. That is why we have not incorporated MIPS into our construction.

MIPS also once ran a campaign asking the cycle helmet industry to commit to 185g or less in safety tests. Dashel helmets come in well under that benchmark, with an average result of 155g.

How is a bike helmet safety tested?

Every Dashel helmet is certified to EN 1078, the European safety standard for cycle helmets. The standard itself isn't freely available (it's copyright protected and costs around £200 to access), so here is what passing it involves.

The helmet is secured by its harness onto a metal headform with sensors inside. The headform measures the g-force (gravitational force) the head receives in a crash, where 1g equals the force of gravity. It is dropped in a guided freefall from different heights to replicate crashes at different speeds.

Helmets are dropped onto two metal anvils: a flat anvil to mimic hitting the road, and a kerbed anvil to mimic hitting a kerb or step.

Which parts of the helmet are crash tested?

A bike helmet needs to protect the forehead, rear, sides, temples and crown, so it is crashed on the front, back, sides and top. Because you'll ride in all weathers, helmets are also tested at temperature extremes: frozen for hours below -20°C and heated for hours above 50°C. Further tests crash helmets after artificial ageing from UV light and water.

The harness is tested too, to make sure the helmet doesn't easily slide off the head and that the strap and buckle won't fail under load.

What result does a helmet need to pass?

If the headform records 250g or more at any point in testing, the helmet fails. The medical world still doesn't know the exact impact level that causes concussion, because there is no safe way to test it, so every impact must stay below that limit.

The UK test houses we use apply a stricter margin: even 245g would be a fail, to allow for tolerances and anomalies in testing. You may hear brands say their helmets "exceed the safety regulations", but every certified helmet has to come in well below 250g to pass.

Dashel's average is 155g.

Why doesn't Dashel cover more of the back of the head?

We designed Dashel for urban commuting, using data on how commuter cyclists typically fall. Try tilting your head right back: you'll feel the base of your skull move towards your shoulders. We didn't want a helmet that could then strike the top of the spine in a backwards fall.

Different sports need different levels of head and neck coverage. Our urban cycle helmets are designed for commuting and everyday riding, not for road racing, mountain biking, snowboarding or motorbiking.

How should a Dashel helmet fit?

No helmet can protect you if it fits poorly or the straps aren't fastened properly, because it will move about in a crash.

• Place the helmet level on your head, 1–2 cm above your eyebrows, so it doesn't tilt too far forwards or backwards.
• Turn the adjuster dial at the back until the helmet feels snug but not too tight. Every Dashel helmet, adult and kids, now has an adjuster dial.
• Adjust the straps so the 'Y' sits just below your ears.
• The clasp should sit underneath your chin, not on your jawbone. You should fit no more than one finger between your chin and the strap.

If you're between sizes and want to size down, our thicker 10mm black pads give a closer fit.

Overall: cycling is safe

Inactivity is a leading cause of cancer and heart disease, so the health benefits of regular cycling vastly outweigh the risks.

If helmet hair is putting you off, try our washable silver or black Coolmax pads. You might be pleasantly surprised.