Cool Bike Helmets for Commuters: 8 Most Stylish Bike Helmets

We all know the importance of wearing a helmet while you cycle, but does that mean you have to look like a noggin like you protect your noggin?

I don’t think so.

That’s why this guide not only looks at secure and safe bike helmets, but also the coolest and most stylish bike helmets for commuting.

So let’s get straight into it. Here are the 8 coolest bike helmets in the world right now.

Cool Bike Helmets [Top 8]

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Top 8: Cool Commuter Bike Helmets

1. Unit 1 FARO Smart Helmet [REVIEW]
2. FEND Folding Helmet [REVIEW]
3. Thousand Heritage Helmet [REVIEW]
4. Lumos Ultra Helmet [REVIEW]
5. ABUS Hyban 2.0 LED Helmet [REVIEW]
6. Nutcase Helmets [REVIEW]
7. Closca Folding Helmet [REVIEW]
8. Giro Caden Urban Helmet [REVIEW]

Best Stylish Bike Helmets for Adults

1. Unit 1 FARO Smart Helmet

• £180
• $210
• €220

Prices are approximate

Weight (Medium Size): 580g
Safety Certificate: CE / CPSC

Front, rear, brake and indicator lights

SOS Function

This helmet is nothing short of stunning aesthetically. But it’s also packed with safety features for cyclists.

It has a bright front and rear lights which come on by pressing a button on the back of the helmet, while there are also indicator lights which can used with the handlebar indicator. There are also brake lights if you wish.

But Unit 1’s safety features dom’t end there. If you’re helmet recognises a significant impact, followed by no movement, a message will be sent to an emergency contact. But don’t worry, this helmet is smart enough to know if you’ve just thrown your helmet in your bag and you can cancel the emergency outreach if needed.

There is also a MIPS add-on for this helmet, although it should be noted that this is NOT a cheap helmet. This is a premium product, but it has justified it’s high price-tag with excellent features and design.

The only thing missing from this helmet compared to others on this list is the option to listen to music and make calls, but this can be easily remedied with an earphone!

⚡Get 15% off at Unit 1 when you use discount code DISCERNINGCYCLIST⚡

Buy Here Read Full Review

Most Stylish Folding Bike Helmet

2. Fend Folding Helmet

• £180
• $210
• €220

Prices are approximate

Weight (Medium Size): 445g
Safety Certificate: CE / CPSC

Folds down to 50% size

Lightweight and breathable

Hi-vis strips available

Another commuter led design, this time from the streets of the Big Apple.

This helmet comes in two sizes, to fit between 54cm and 61cm which should cater for most.

It is the recipient of two homegrown design awards and does a good job of closely resembling the helmets you might be used to.

You will benefit from a dial-fit system, adjustable straps and extra padding and a nice optional touch is additionally purchased 3M Scotchlite Hi-Vis reflective strips which fit along the length of the lid.

We particularly liked the simplicity of the folding mechanism which performed a half revolving-door movement as it bedded into and out of the central unit.

Three essential colours are available and the Bumblebee yellow is a strikingly visible safety feature too. It comes with a cool carry sack in a minimalist design. This looks like a cool brand.

Buy Here

3. Thousand Heritage Bike Helmet

• $69

Prices are approximate

Secret Poplock for securing your helmet to your bike lock

One-handed magnetic fastener

A built-in low-profile visor

If you love classic, no fuss urban style, then this minimalist bike helmet is a commuter’s dream.

Thousand Helmets don’t quite have thousands of designs (yet, at least) but they do have more that a dozen designs available, all of which look, simply great.

Most of their helmets offer complete overhead coverage, with breathable slots at the top (there are seven ventilation slots in total0, and each helmet comes in its own bold colour design. They even have a gold helmet, if you’re that way inclined.

This stylish bike helmet has vegan leather straps and an easy one-handed magnetic fastener. Thousand helmets also have a built-in low-profile visor, which can be useful for keeping the sun out of your eyes if it is low in the sky.

One of the coolest features of all Thousand helmets is the “secret Poplock” which enables you to easily (and very securely) attach your helmet to your bike lock so you don’t have to carry it around all day.

Thousand Helmets are based in the US (and all of their prices are in dollars), but they also offer international shipping (which takes between four and nine days) for just $5 – which is very reasonable.

These helmets come in a range of sizes that are suitable for both men and women.

Buy Here

4. Lumos Ultra Smart Helmet

• £100
• $120
• €110

Prices are approximate

Light Settings:

• Still Mode
• Flashing Mode
• Turn Signals

Front and rear lights

Smartphone connection

Wireless turning via remote

USB rechargeable

This helmet has won design awards given by companies for whom ergonomics and ease of use always feature highly in their list of requirements.

The helmet comes at two main price points as it is offered with or without the MIPS system.

The first thing that hits you is the simplicity of the structure and the set up.

This Lumos helmet provides both front and rear LED lights. This gives a wide field of visibility from more angles.

A wireless controller which you attach to the handlebars provides a simple left or right button. The turning rear light blinks and emits a buzz.

Smartphone connectivity offers a wealth of customisation. The pattern of the helmet LED can be changed, as can the brightness and rides can be tracked.

If you and your riding friends own the same helmet your turns can be synchronised by the Team Sync feature.

Buy Here

5. ABUS Hyban 2.0 LED Helmet

• £65
• $70
• €70

Prices are approximate

• ABS hard shell
• Built-in rear LED light with 180° visibility
• Excellent ventilation with 5 air inlets and 8 air outlets

The perfect helmet for everyday use

Always fully visible on the bike

Finely balanced ventilation system

Another stylish cycling helmet boasting minimal design (as well as some cool helmet features) is the ABUS Hyban 2.0 LED Bike Helmet. ABUS is a massive name in the cycling world and this particular helmet is available in three sizes and 12 different colours if you want to add a bit more life to your helmet.

It is a versatile helmet which would be great for commuters or cyclists in the city thanks to its large, in-built LED rear light with 180-degree visibility, its adjustable rim and that it is fitted with ABS technology.

Also if you have long hair, the good news is that the unisex Hyban 2.0 Helmet is “ponytail compatible” and has more than 10 colour options available.

Buy Here

6. Nutcase Helmets

• £70
• $70
• €70

Prices are approximate

360° reflective detailing around the helmet

10 internal vents keep the helmet breathable

Comfortable and stylish

This America-based company offer plenty of variety with their helmets, catering for adults, children and even babies with their designs.

Pledging to ‘make helmets fun again’ and to ‘make helmets for everyone’, Nutcase have worked with three international artists each year since 2014 to ensure they keep offering the freshest designs.

In terms of helmet designs, Nutcase cover a lot of ground. As well as some extremely colourful, quirky and funny helmet patterns, the Nutcase Tracer is also a sleek minimalist urban helmet for the more understated commuter.

Buy Here

7. Closca Loop Folding Helmet

• £53
• $65
• €55

Prices are approximate

It can be reduced down in size by 45% in just one second

Has double safety certification and the helmets stays locked in the even of a collision

Lightweight and breathable

Another company offering multiple designs, Closca’s main USP is that all of his helmets come with a special folding system.

This makes them safer (limits the impact of a collision through micro-movements over the entire surface), while they also take up 55 per cent less space within a second and are far more portable – they can easily be stored in most bags or backpacks.

Most of their helmets will cost around the £60 mark and though are often available in an ever growing number of colours.

Buy Here

8. Giro Caden Urban Helmet

• £65
• $85
• €80

Prices are approximate

12 Wind Tunnel vents with internal channeling

Universal front light attachment point

Available in black, grey, highlight yellow and navy blue

Whether in matte black, grey, ‘highlight yellow’ or ‘midnight blue’, you’ll no doubt look great in this Giro model, one of the best-looking urban cycling helmets around.

Aside from its more striking colours, it’s also an exceptional helmet which, again, is perfect for a commuter.

It comes with advanced head protection technology, a light yet sturdy In-Mold shell which protects it from dents, while its Roc Loc City fit system allows for a smooth, seamless fit. There’s also a lock port for securing the helmet with your bike when you’re on the go, plus it comes with its own visor, too.

Buy Here

Alternative: Inflatable Bike Helmet

Hövding 3 – Airbag “Helmet”

If you don’t like wearing a helmet, technology has provided a solution: inflatable helmets (AKA “airbag helmets”).

The number one airbag helmet for cyclists is the Hövding “helmet”, which sells itself by telling you that ‘the world’s safest bicycle helmet isn’t a helmet’.

Indeed, you might be forgiven for wondering: ‘an airbag for bike use – what’s the point?’ But in actual fact, an airbag for cycling can prove extremely useful, as this model proves.

The Hövding airbag helmet is like an invisible bike helmet in a way; you wrap it round your neck, and then in the event of a crash, the airbag bike helmet activates to protect your head in an impressive, reliable yet unique manner. Definitely one to consider if you fancy something a little different.

Urban Cycling Helmet: Guide

If you do, here are our recommendations for cool bike helmets so you can be well-protected and look the part on your two wheels.

Read More:

• Best Packable Rain Jackets for Cycling
• Best Waterproof Cycling Overtrousers

Best Commuter Bike Helmets

Bicycle helmets have come a long way in recent years, with the best commuter bike helmets looking much better than they used to. You’ll also find Bluetooth bike helmets equipped with music and lights, as well as folding bike helmets for added convenience in your day-to-day life.

Find stylish urban cycling helmets for everyday life by reading our reviews and style guides below.

Best Urban Bike Helmets

For obvious reasons, it’s important that you always remember to wear a cycle helmet as you ride. The best bike helmets will always keep your head well-protected should you accidentally end up in any sort of collision. 

And if your reason for not sporting one is because they are too unfashionable, or too basic, then maybe you’re not looking hard enough. The best bicycle helmet for you could mean so much more: for example, it could mean it looks great, it’s foldable, it’s colourful, or that it’s fitted with Bluetooth, lights or cameras.

In this guide, we’ll look at a wide range of models to help you find the safest bike helmet or the ideal commuter bike helmet for you, including:

Stylish Cycling Helmets

If you’re looking for a fashionable bicycle helmet which is as trendy as it is protective, then check out our five recommended cool bike helmets here.

There’s great variety among these designer helmets, too. For example, if you’re interested in more of a low profile bike helmet, then maybe this urban model from Giro Caden might take your fancy, available from £27.88 in either matte black, grey, yellow or blue.

Best-Looking Bike Helmet

There’s also plenty to choose from in the way of a cool bicycle helmet, such as designs from Sawako, which are as enticing from a fashion point of view as they are from a safety perspective.

Smart Bike Helmets

Don’t be fooled into thinking helmets protect your head and can do absolutely nothing else. Enter the smart bicycle helmet.

This LIVALL smart helmet (read our full review here) boasts two fantastic main functions: firstly, it is a Bluetooth helmet, so music or other audio can be played through the bike helmet (with speaker attached) as you cycle. That it is a Bluetooth bike helmet also serves one other great purpose – it controls the indicator lights on the rear of the model, so it keeps you even safer, too.

This is not just one of the best smart bike helmets available currently; with in-built lights, bike-to-bike communication and great comfort offered to you, it may well be the best Bluetooth bicycle helmet, well worth the £149.

Best around!

LIVALL MT1 Smart Bike Helmet

A slick Bluetooth bike helmet with indicator lights and built-in speakers.

Also features LIVALL's SOS function which contacts your emergency contact if you have an accident.

Buy Here

Foldable Bike Helmets

Perhaps you’d prefer a collapsible bike helmet that you can fold away easily and smoothly into your bag after completing your commute. If that is the case, then be sure to read about the three variations of folding cycle helmet that we’d recommend here.

This includes the Closca Helmet Loop, a more stylish folding helmet for about £60, the extremely comfortable Park & Diamond foldable helmet available to pre-order here, or the Overade folding bike helmet, which offers great value as well as safety in a well-designed collapsible helmet.

You can also have a look at our review of the Closca Fuga foldable cycle helmet here; this is another sturdy, stylish folding bicycle helmet from Closca which looks the part and offers a brilliant alternative if you’re tired or carrying your helmet around with you everywhere when not on your commute.

Closca Loop Folding Helmet

• ✅ PROTECTION AND RESISTANCE TO IMPACT: The Closca Helmet Loop unisex helmet covers the most sensitive part of the head, and protects it against any impact produced by an accident. In the event of a...
• ✅ FOLDABLE: This bike helmet for women and men has a Closca patented folding system that reduces its volume by 45% in less than a second. This allows you to put the bike and electric scooter helmet...
• ✅ AERODYNAMIC, ADJUSTABLE AND COMFORTABLE DESIGN: Its innovative Air Flow air intake system offers constant ventilation during the bike or scooter ride, which makes it suitable for any time of the...

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Bicycle Helmets with Built-in Lights

As we mentioned earlier, the LIVALL Bluetooth helmet is a definite recommendation if you’re looking for helmets with indicators, or cycle helmets with built-in lights.

But also worth mentioning is the Lumos bike helmet; in particular, the Matrix,. This helmet light actively tries to prevent collisions by lighting you up on your head with a new red-green-blue dot matrix design to help you stand out even more on the road.

Its lights add up to a cumulative brightness of about 1000 lumens, making it more than twice as bright as the previous Lumos cycle helmet light, and depending on which settings you wish to use, it has an impressive battery life for a bike helmet light of up to ten hours.

The more traditional Lumos LED helmet will also do a good enough job. It’s certainly no ordinary LED bike helmet, either, with ten bright white lights on the front, 38 red lights on the rear and 11 ambers for each indicator signal. You’ll be sure to be visible with this, too.

LUMOS LED Helmet

• Fall on the road: with 10 white LEDs at the front, 16 red LEDs at the back and 11 LEDs in orange for each turn signal – you will be seen better by motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists.
• Tap to blink: When you turn on, simply tap the appropriate button on the remote control on the handlebar.
• FULL Braking: When the function to display a full brake (currently beta) is turned on, 16 LEDs on the back light as a brake light in bright red.

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Bike Helmets with Built-in Camera

If you’re keen on a more state-of-the-art helmet with built-in camera for good measure, then have a look at the Cyclevision EDGE.

This piece of cycling kit, which not only looks as great as it feels, is the world’s first smart bike helmet that beautifully integrates two high definition cameras, and combines front and rear-facing simultaneous video and audio recording with WiFi streaming in a single helmet. If your budget can stretch to it, it’s a genius product.

EXSHOW Camera Motorcycle Mount, Handlebar Mount Clip for Bike Bicycle Moto Motorcycle Handlebar, Compatible with Gopro Hero 9 8 7 6 5 4 Session Fusion 3+ 3, Canon, Nikon and other Action Cameras

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Colourful Bike Helmets

A black bike helmet is all well and good, but if you feel like adding a bit more colour to cycling headgear, there’s plenty to pick from in that regard, too.

Perhaps the most popular ‘other’ colour among cyclists is the orange cycling helmet – check out Wiggle‘s extensive list of orange models if this appeals to you. If not, then don’t rule out the individual helmets entirely, as most are also available to buy in a wide range of other colours, such as pink, white, red, yellow, blue, green, purple and more.

Cool Cycle Helmet

And remember, a more striking colour may not only look more stylish, but could help make you more visible, which could come in handy when commuting in dark early mornings or late nights.

Where to Buy Bike Helmets in the UK

There are plenty of places online to find good bike helmets, too. As mentioned in the previous segment, Wiggle is a great place to find an adult cycle helmet for you, as well as, of course, Amazon, and the obvious big brands for adult bike helmets like Evans Cycles and Decathlon.

In the following few sections, we’ll look at the best of different types of push bike helmets, which will hopefully help you decide on which adult bicycle helmet would be right for you.

Best Cycling Helmet Brands

There are also lots of great brands to choose from when finding your perfect helmet, all of them offering a wide array of choice in this department.

For example, Arai helmets are constantly evolving into bigger and better products and are renowned for their extreme comfort, while Bell cycle helmets offer affordable headgear in many different colours and sizes. Not only that, but plenty of Bell bike helmets are suitable for both men and women.

Elsewhere, Giro bike helmets are as handy for more adventurous cycling, for instance mountain biking, as they are for urban commuters, and also worth mentioning are Lazer bike helmets, which offer a great deal of striking designs also great for both adults and children.

Cheap Bike Helmets

If you’re after bargain bike helmets, Amazon again should be your first port of call. They offer an enormous amount in the way of cheap bike cycle helmets, and what’s more, they make it even easier to find the perfect bike for you thanks to the ability to refine your searches on their site.

Indeed, with Amazon, you can pick from own preferred brand, from average customer review, from how new the product is, from how cheap or expensive it is, among others. It couldn’t be easier to tailor your search precisely according to what you are looking for.

Coolest Bike Helmets for Adults

Men’s Bike Helmets

Although most are unisex these days, there are still some fantastic models specific for each gender; starting with men’s cycle helmets, the Giro Men’s Synthe design, available in either matte black, or matte white and silver is worth recommending. Available for £167.90, this men’s bike helmet boasts a whole host of impressive features, including a wind tunnel-aided design for aero efficiency on the road, eyewear docking ports, and featherweight webbing with a slimline buckle.

Or, if you can’t justify spending that much on men’s bicycle helmets, the Sport Direct 18 Vent Men’s Bicycle Helmet offers a much cheaper alternative at a mere £14.99, and comes with an adjustable headlock system, a padded chin strap buckle protector to ensure a more comfortable fit, and a mesh liner over the front ventilation holes to prevent wasp and bee stings.

Women’s Bike Helmets

As for ladies’ bicycle helmets, let’s start with this Bern Brighton Eps Satin women’s bike helmet.  Available in extra-small, small or large for prices between £36.68 and £37.42, this small bike helmet is strong yet lightweight, and also covers the back of the head, providing greater protection than ‘normal’ helmets. A great recommendation for women’s cycle helmets, it also includes a premium moisture control liner, keeping you cool and minimising sweat.

Ladies’ Bicycle Helmet

A cheaper option for female bike helmets is the Kingston Boho model, costing just £19.99 and available in cream, teal, pink. Not only does its design make it one of the more cute bike helmets on the market, it’s also highly resistant to knocks and bumps, and extremely flexible and comfortable, thanks mainly to its adjustable strap and adjustable fitting system with inner pads.

Bike Helmet Size Chart

Though many bike helmets come with adjustable straps, it’s obviously always best to try and buy one that you think will fit you perfectly in the first place. If you’re in the dark as to what size helmet you would need, here’s a guide taken from Amazon to help you:

Adult Bike Helmet Sizes

Children Bike Helmet Sizes         

What is the Best Commuter Bike Helmet? 

Simple Style

Giro Caden Urban Helmet

Read Review

Simple Style

Giro Caden Urban Helmet

Read Review

Cycling Helmet Reviews

Here’s a list of all of the reviews we’ve done at Discerning Cyclist of cycling helmets for you to get your teeth into:

• LIVALL BH51M Cycling Helmet – Review
• Closca Fuga Review Collapsible Bike Helmet – Review
• Closca Folding Bike Helmet – Review
• The 3 Best Folding Bike Helmets for Commuters in 2019
• 5 Stylish Bike Helmets – Stay Cool When You Ride