Bell Sixer MIPS Helmet Review

Intro

Bicycle helmets have come a long way over the past decade and Bell Helmets has been responsible for making some of the most badass helmets on the market. Their latest Sixer MIPS Helmet is no exception. The Sixer makes an excellent helmet for the weekend warrior or professional enduro racers.

They have knocked it out of the park with the Sixer, keeping it relatively lightweight, extremely well ventilated, and extremely stylish.

Performance

Having a helmet that “disappears” on your head is very important, meaning, if you are on a long ride, you don’t want to have a hot head from poor ventilation or a sore neck from a heavy helmet.

The Sixer has been a great helmet for me because of the over 25 vents that allow air to easily flow through the helmet and over your head, helping you stay cool on those hot days.

The chin straps/buckle as well as the easy to turn dial on the back of the helmet for adjusting the width of the inner-cradle are all easy to operate even with gloves on. The visor on the Sixer is tough and has several points of engagement so you can always protect your eyes from glaring sun.

Some more great features include the rubber grips on the back of the helmet to hold your goggles in place when riding in wet conditions and a break-away GoPro mount that easily clicks in and out of the top vent.

Room for Improvement

It is tough to have anything bad to say about the Sixer but if I could change anything about it, I would have to say the price. At $170, it is certainly hard on the wallet and puts it in the same price range as some full-face options.

I have previously owned the Specialized Ambush MIPS helmet weighing in at just 278g for the size medium. The Sixer is 410g for the size medium so the weight difference was definitely something I had to get used to. Weight wise, the Ambush is unmatched in the category but I always questioned it’s reliability in a major crash.

Additionally, on my first Sixer (I replace my helmets every 3 years), the rubber grip on the rear dial melted on a hot day and gunked up the inner-cradle adjustments so that the dial was very hard to use.

Lastly, it would be excellent to have the GoPro mount further integrated with the helmet, meaning, the provided mount (when the GoPro is mounted) makes it feel top-heavy and can strain your neck after about an hour or so of riding with the GoPro on. If the mount was lower-profile, I think that would solve the issue.

How it compares:

Bell has a long history of making performance oriented mountain bike helmets. The 4Forty is another mountain bike helmet in their lineup that packs great value if you are willing to compromise with slightly less protection and fewer vents.

However, the 4Forty weighs in at only 380 grams for the size medium and comes in at $110. On the other end of Bell’s performance half shell helmet lineup is their Super Air.

The Super Air is their only half shell that offers Bell’s “Spherical Technology” which is intended to redirect impact forces without sacrificing comfort. You will, however, pay $225 for that added protection and peace of mind.

Who is This For?

I give the Bell Sixer MIPS Helmet a 4.5 out of 5. If you want a helmet that breathes well, sits secure on your head and has limitless adjustments, this is the helmet for you.

The Bell Sixer MIPS is for riders that want a stylish and reliable helmet more geared for the enduro race crowd. The helmet is great for most disciplines of riding but may feel like overkill if you are someone who only rides a few miles a week.

Mitchell Harnett

My name is Mitchell Harnett and I am 29 years old. I have been racing mountain bikes at the expert (CAT1) level for the past 10 years with several podiums under my belt. Most of my riding is here in the Santa Cruz Mountains and I attend races throughout the season all across California as part of the California Enduro Series. I have a mountain bike coaching and services side business helping new riders get a proper introduction to the sport of mountain biking