GiroAether MIPS Cycling Helmet

In January 2022, I bought a Bell Stratus MIPS (med) on Amazon for $167, and was reasonably satisfied...until the pads basically fell apart and I couldn't find replacement pads ANYWHERE. So, I decided to go back to what I wore before my sabbatical from cycling: Giro.The Aether is by no means inexpensive, but the features were appealing and it hasn't disappointed. It came out of the box ride-ready. A size large fit my head with plenty of room for a skull cap underneath. The adjustment is in small degrees and uniformly tightens around my head. The chin straps were almost perfectly placed so I had no need for adjustments. The helmet also came with a sticker indicating it was made in January 2022.The interior pads are minimal: 3 tiny ones on the top and a thin brow pad. Unfortunately, no extra pads were included. I hope these pads last longer than the Bell pads.The helmet feels great on a ride; plenty of ventilation and the sweat is carried out of the way to the back. Its stays in place and is lightweight. Overall, I'm good with spending over $300 to protect my dome.

Some feel this is the best bike helmet on the market in 2022. It’s very good and I’m glad I got it. It is expensive. The spherical shape and MIPS design provide better protection than my outdated foam helmet. Ventilation is great. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was that the light plastic retainers for the chin strap dig into the back of my neck a bit. Not a big deal; I’ve bent them slightly outward to mitigate that. I consider this purchase this to be a required upgrade for moving to an e-bike due to increased speed..

Love this product. Biggest surprise is the helmet diverts sweat to the side so no need to wear head band or similar. Outstanding product. A little pricey but worth it.

My initial impressions are only "OK," though it should be noted that I only opened the box about 15 minutes ago. For such an expensive helmet, I expected my excitement level to be the same AFTER opening the box as it was BEFORE opening the box. First of all, according to Giro sizing instructions, I should've ordered a size "M," however I did not - I ordered a size L. I'm 6ft tall, 200lbs and nothing I own is size M - not gloves, shoes, pants, shirts, hats or other helmets. In fact, I know my head is quite large and many times is in the 2XL category. The size L fits great, with plenty of adjustment either way - if the M has such broad adjustment of the L, then perhaps an M could fit, too? As for the helmet itself, it's just hard to believe that this small bit of lightweight plastic and foam costs $300. In my hands and in front of my eyes, it's an underwhelming helmet. Next, the item I selected indicated this was a 2021 model, yet the internal sticker says 2020 - perhaps this isn't a big deal. However, a bigger deal is that the "Spherical" sticker, visible in online photos on the right-rear of the helmet, is absent. Anybody buying this helmet paid a lot of money for "MIPS Spherical," and I would like the sticker to be there. Indeed, the helmet has the MIPS Spherical technology - that's obvious, but it's kind of like buying a Mercedes-Benz AMG and not getting the AMG badge. Next, in certain "unboxing" videos, the unboxer removes the helmet from the box and the helmet is in a lightweight bag. It’s similar to the kind of bag that a nice pair of shoes comes in - a cotton or microfleece bag that helps protect the shoes if traveling in, for example, a suitcase. My helmet did not come with a bag. A $300 helmet ought to have a travel bag. Nor did the helmet did come with additional/spare pads – in the helmet, there are three small "regular" pads and one brow pad - extra pads would be nice. My $90 Giro Fathom helmet from five years ago came with additional pads. A $300 helmet ought to come with spare pads. Lastly, what looks like a nice paint job in online photos is, in reality, what appears to be a "cheap" sticker applique. I bought the gray-red-white version of the Aether and it appears, online, that there is a texture or a fade on the gloss white portion that gives the helmet a cool, almost custom look. In person, it looks like a clear sticker with lots of bubbles underneath. The feel is smooth, so there are no bubbles, but it looks cheap - almost like it's a clear, protective, hastily applied protective sticker over the white paint. It's not - it's the actual, intentional finish to the helmet and it's disappointing. The helmet is only 15 minutes old and I'm already worried that this “sticker finish” will chip and peel. I know the real cost of this helmet is on the development side, not on the materials side, but I wish Giro took a few extra steps (bag, extra pads, actual paint rather than a sticker) to make the customer feel like they were getting more bang for their buck. Other issues, like the 2020 vs. 2021 and the missing "Spherical" decal, are additional disappointments. I have no doubt the Giro Aether is a great helmet and will protect my head better than other, non-MIPS Spherical helmets (that's why I bought it), but I expected more from Giro at this price point.

Allot to like about this helmet, price aside. It's a luxury piece for sure, as I have helmets half the cost of the Giro Aether which feel as protective. But anyways, I digress. The Aethere is very well ventilated, very comfortable, not as low profile as I would have thought, but not as bloated as a POC helmet. Fit and finish are average, nothing special here, strap is standard. What gets me though, is for the price, no helmet bag was in the box. That's pretty insulting. Overall, nice helmet, great color, but if you are in the market for a top-shelf helmet, I believe you can do allot better than this and spend less.

This helmet feels great, is lightweight and very cool in the summer. Unfortunately, I cant recommend this for people with bald heads, as the bottom protruding "wings" on the back of the helmet dig into the skin and can irritate and cut, making it very uncomfortable once the issue occurs. This effect is lessened by wearing a cap or some cloth that goes underneath it, but the added fabric reduces the cooling effect intended by the helmet design. I think if there's hair underneath this part of the helmet though it would be a 5/5 star helmet for me, but the chaffed and irritated marks on my neck arent worth it. Maybe this will just be a winter helmet.

Very light and comfortable I would recommend this helmet to anyone

This helmet will keep you cool on those 100+ degree days on the Clermont Florida hills while all your buddies are complaining about the heat in their Walmart helmets!

Maravilloso casco de alta calidad con protección MIPS. Faltando reflejantes, cojines de repuesto y funda para guardar cómo un plus, derivado de ser un artículo de gama alta.

My son loves it

Great fit. Easy to adjust.