Giro Montaro MIPS Helmet, Unisex

Product Information

The original Giro Montaro MIPS helmet developed a following and established itself as one of Giro’s best selling trail helmets of all time. When I reviewed it earlier this year, I noted a handful of its excellent traits, but it wasn’t perfect. With the launch of the Giro Montaro MIPS II, nearly all the features that made the original great are retained. And the flaws? Well… some of those are retained too. While the Montaro MIPS II may be a sequel, the plot is very much the same, in good ways and bad. Several of the Montaro's features have already been mentioned in our protection and comfort sections above. These include the MIPS liner, adjustable straps, anti-microbial and hydrophilic padding, and the Roc Loc 5 Air fit system. The Montaro also has features intended to make the helmet-compatible with goggles which include an adjustable visor and goggle strap grippers integrated into the design of the helmet.

Both helmets have 16 vents in total. However, the ventilation on the Montaro is ever so slightly better. This is due to the smaller shape of the helmet and the fitting system, which holds the shell slightly away from the rider’s head, allowing more air to flow. If you are after a top tier trail helmet that is not only safe and durable but also comfortable to wear, both the Giro Montaro and Giro Source will exceed your expectations. With so much going on you could almost forgive the Tyrant's slightly awkward fit as is the case with many deep-dish helmets. Apart from the extended shell twanging off your ears on the way in though the fit is fantastic straight away. The big padded cradle holds it super secure with even light tension so the chin strap is almost a formality. Every tester who tried it said the same too, which is super rare given the variety of head shapes we have on the team. There’s no obvious extra wobble, creak or rattle from the twin shell design either. There’s enough space between the over-ear sections and your actual lugs to cut down wind noise enough for a calming ‘zen’ effect but shouted warnings or sharings of stoke from other riders still come through loud and clear. We were surprised to find that it felt as well ventilated as the Bell 4Forty MIPS which has larger vents. That said, it still didn't hold a candle to our most well-ventilated models like the 100% Altec or Giro Manifest, our most airy models. We were also more impressed by the ventilation on the Troy Lee A2 MIPS and the Smith Session. Features What is unbelievable about this helmet is that it is very reasonably priced. Found in the price range between Giro’s top two selling helmets, the Chronicle and the Montaro. This puts the Source in contention for the best value helmet on the market!I found that the Montaro sits a bit higher on my head than the Source. As you can see in these photos, the Source sat deeper on my head while the Montaro sits quite high. Giro helmets are developed utilizing our proprietary Wind Tunnel™ ventilation system. This elaborate design combines active vents in the helmet’s shell with exhaust channels inside the helmet that thrust fresh, cool air over and around the rider’s head while forcing heat and stale air out. It’s the most effective cooling system available, and a difference you can feel every time you ride. Helmets in the same price range as the Giro Source include the Fox Speedframe MIPS or the Bell 4Forty MIPS. All three helmets have MIPS rotational protection, have adjustable visors and fit retention systems. The Montaro MIPS helmet has 16 vents which are all generously sized and strategically placed. There are 3 vents placed below the visor, and the shape of the visor directs the air into these vents. Another 7 angled vents cover the top of the helmet, and 6 exhaust vents at the rear of the helmet.

While the color schemes of the Source are nice (I particularly like the Grey color pictured here), the Montaro does have a greater range of color choices. There are so many options for the Montaro that you are bound to find one that you like or one to match your bike. There are also women’s specific coloring for both (the female version of the Montaro is called the Montara), and if you want to read more on women’s specific helmets, see here. Safety Comparison The Montaro has integrated goggle grippers to prevent the goggles from slipping down. The goggle grippers are tiny rubberized pads on the rear of the helmet, which you dont notice until you can feel them. The MIPS slip plane can be seen here as the plastic liner with the yellow dots between the EPS foam and the padding. Both helmets feature the slip-plane technology MIPS. MIPS stands for Multi directional Impact Protection System, which reduces the possibility of brain damage occurring to the rider following an angled impact. Both visors are adjustable, but there is a difference. The Montaro visor moves in incremented steps. So, there are 3 set positions, while the Source doesn’t have incremented steps but has infinite positions. I prefer the Source visor as it allows you complete freedom around where the visor is placed, and it is much easier to adjust using one hand. I found adjusting the visor while riding with the Montaro not all that easy (although I suppose it could become easier as the incremented notches wear down a little).The Chronicle was designed as a mid-tier helmet that has all the basic features you need. The design is simple and doesn’t have anything fancy like a camera mount or goggle grippers on the rear of the helmet. However, it does have MIPS, an adjustable visor and very comfortable padding. Our review determined that the Giro Montaro is a popular helmet for a reason. It is well equipped as a trail helmet in terms of safety features but also performs well with good ventilation and comfort. It also isn’t as expensive as other similar helmets, such as the POC Tectal Race SPIN or the Specialized Ambush Comp.

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Cons: I cannot come up with a con for this helmet. It fits great, is lightweight, and very breathable. I had read somewhere that in cold conditions perhaps there is too much venting, but I have not found myself yet in this position. All Giro helmets are designed to reduce as much energy as possible while meeting and exceeding stringent safety standards. The goal of Giro’s MIPS ®-equipped helmets is to reduce rotational forces. Giro believes that helmets equipped with this technology can reduce the amount of rotational force that may be transferred to rider’s brain in certain impacts. In all, you can tell this is a high-quality helmet. From the extensive protection technologies to the durable design, everything on the helmet is well finished. Where we hit differences is the adjustment system. Where the original Montaro used the Roc Loc Air 5 system with dial and ladder adjustments, the Montaro MIPS II uses the new Roc Loc Air 5 MIPS fit system (which also utilizes dial and ladder adjustments). What’s the difference? The new fit system is actually integrated into the MIPS liner, reducing the number of components and the amount of plastic inside the helmet. You might think this would translate to weight savings, but confoundingly, the Montaro MIPS II is 370 grams — identical to the original Montaro MIPS.