Your next cycling helmet should be an aero helmet

If you’re thinking of buying a new cycling helmet in 2025, the best aero road helmets are a superior option to traditional vented helmets in almost every scenario.

Aero road helmets used to have a reputation for being heavy, stuffy and expensive. Now the first two criticisms are less relevant and the third isn’t always true: the 4.5-star Van Rysel Road Bike Helmet FCR costs less than £100. 

But the pricier and quicker aero helmets are a good investment if you’re aiming for a fast triathlon time. Out of the best value aero upgrades, aero road helmets rank highly, although not as well as the best aero bars or the best tri-suits. 

Aerodynamics beat weight 

As our wind tunnel testing has shown, aero helmets save you a lot of watts and therefore seconds over a vented helmet in a time-trial or triathlon bike leg. This is true at slower and faster speeds because we tested at 30km/h / 19mph and 40km/h / 25mph.

In fact, any aerodynamicist will tell you that drag matters more to slower cyclists. The longer you’re out on the course, the more time an aero set-up can save you.

You shouldn’t be worried about adding a few hundred grams or ounces to your system weight (bike plus rider and clothing). Unless you’re riding a pretty steep uphill TT, you’ll gain more from being aero than super-lightweight. 

Why not go all-in and wear an aero / TT helmet then? Well, aero road helmets are closing the gap in aerodynamics and are far better ventilated.

Ventilation

Designers of aero road helmets have learnt how to maximise cooling from fewer vents. If a central channel sends air over the top of your head and over the back, there’s less need for multiple side vents which harm aerodynamics. This airflow increases at the higher speeds aero helmets help you achieve. 

Let’s remember that in northern Europe or America, most of the year less ventilation is a good thing. The fewer vents your helmet has the warmer and drier your head stays in bad weather. I don’t like wearing anything under my helmet because it doesn’t feel comfortable or safe. Aero helmets often make a skull cap redundant. 

A feature I like in aero road helmets are removable aero / rain covers as seen on the Scott Cadence Plus. You can remove them before a long, hot ride or an off-road outing, where lower speeds can cause your head to get warmer. Helmets with these covers usually aren’t cheap, but you almost get two helmets in one. 

Safety

Fast and cool aero road helmets are also safe. Either equipped with MIPS anti-concussion technology or the brand’s proprietary safety system, aero helmets such as the Sweet Protection Falconer 2VI MIPS score highly in the independent Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings. 

That’s not to say lightweight helmets are unsafe – the featherweight Giro Aries secures a podium place among road helmets. Nor do you have to spend a lot of money to protect your head. Virginia Tech’s top 10 includes budget bike helmets. 

Have aero helmets killed off vented helmets?

Is the writing on the wall for vented cycling helmets? Not quite. I’d draw a parallel between them and climbing bikes like the Canyon Ultimate. Although they are barely ever raced at the top level of cycling anymore due to the rise of aero road bikes, there’s demand among consumers for lightweight bikes, so some brands continue to make them.

Appetite for weight savings, excellent ventilation and traditional aesthetics will keep vented helmets in business for now. For example, during a mountainous and hot bike leg or ride, a lightweight and cool helmet remains the better option. And perhaps on a scorching day, the risk of overheating in an aero helmet will cancel out watt savings on a flatter course. 

But there may come a point when aero helmets nearly match the weight and cooling of a vented helmet and call into question their viability.