Available in four colourways, the Met Manta comes with the backing of Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates ProTour outfit, ensuring wind tunnel and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis went into its making.
While we’ve yet to assess the Manta’s merits in the Silverstone wind tunnel, it feels close to our own benchmarks on the open road: the S-Works Evade II with Angi (£250, 262g) and Limar’s Air Speed (£180, 259g with no MIPS).
It’s streamlined and shares the Limar’s tri-friendly magnetic buckle, handy for speedy transitions and ease of use with cold, post-swim fingers.
It also shares the Limar’s excess straps, which feels counterproductive given the effort that’s gone into the drag-saving gains at the top.
Safety is enhanced by MIPS (Multidirectional Impact System) that, although still not conclusive, should offer more protection than non-MIPS helmets during crashes.
We could feel the Venturi ventilation effect in operation in springtime sets but, with just 15 vents, this isn’t a mid-summer climbing lid. The single dial ratchet is simple but effective.
Meanwhile, there’s a smart eyewear port and the weight of 243g for a medium is impressive. Met tell us it’s four watts faster than the previous Manta but that means little to us.
This goes for all helmet (and wheel) brands. We want to see more evidence of the aerodynamic gains; show us the white papers and full comparative results, as £220 is a lot to spend on vague promises.
Verdict: A light, lean and fast-feeling helmet, but we want to see the data
Score: 85%
For MIPS, also consider...
Lazer Compact DLX MIPS helmet
For a sub-£70 helmet to have MIPS integrated is impressive. Adding to the safety features on offer, this compact lid from Lazer also has in integrated net and rear-mounted LED light.
Lazer says that the one-size helmet should fit most head circumferences, within the range of 54cm - 61cm. Coming in at a claimed 325g, the helmet boasts 21 cooling vents along its body.
Available in various colours, including black, white and fluro yellow, this helmet could be a good option for those looking for a more affordable alternative to the Met Manta MIPS.
