While we just began carrying them in our shop, Fox Racing has long set the standard for high-quality mountain bike helmets, protection, apparel, and accessories at a great price. In particular, their expansive helmet collection has quickly become a favorite here in the shop and is an easy recommendation to customers looking for feature-packed helmets.

    Fox Racing recently received a series of accolades for their high levels of protection and safety features from the Virginia Tech helmet test lab with their ProFrame and DropFrame helmets being rated as two of the best helmets available on the market today. This in combination with a truly exceptional fit and finish present at a great price present an exceptional value to any customer looking for a top-shelf helmet that won't break the bank. Read on for our first impressions of the Fox ProFrame, DropFrame, and SpeedFrame...

     Sitting at the top of Fox's helmet range is the ProFrame helmet, and the price reflects that. Offering the highest level of protection in the entire Fox trail/enduro helmet lineup, the ProFrame is Fox's genre-defining pedal-friendly full-face option.

    With a downhill helmet style of protection designed to handle the demands of all-mountain and enduro riding, the ProFrame packs MIPS^TM technology and a dual-density EPS liner into a superlight shell along with their patented integrated chinbar. All of this makes the ProFrame one of the most technology-packed breathable full-face helmets on the market (passing ASTM F1952 (including chin bar rigidity test), N 1078, AS/NZ 2063, CPSC, certification tests if (unlike me) you know what those mean 😄). Throwing all of that marketing safety feature speak aside, when you pick up the DropFrame, the first few things you notice are how light it is, the exceptional build quality, and just how well thought out every feature on the helmet is.

     Weighing in 480g lighter than Fox's flagship Rampage Pro Carbon Downhill helmet, the ProFrame is astonishingly lightweight for how much protection it offers. I would feel comfortable shuttling all day in this helmet or swing lap after lap at the bike park without any second-guessing. Additionally, the build quality of this helmet is exceptional. All of the materials, seems, and rivets utilized in the construction of this lid feel sturdy, purposeful, and built to last multiple seasons of abuse. This helmet is very well thought out, featuring a soft rubber on the inside of the chinbar, an extremely comfortable fit, and a second set of slightly thicker pads that allow for fine-tuning of your helmet's fit. All in all, the ProFrame is an exceptional helmet and our top recommendation for a pedal-friendly full-face helmet.

    Over the past few years, we've seen a massive boom in the market for open face half shell helmets. With its striking good looks and solid build quality, the Fox DropFrame is one of the most popular options. While not quite as protective as a full-on full-face helmet like the ProFrame, the DropFrame promises more protection than the traditional trail helmet. Receiving the highest score of any helmet ever tested (5-stars) in the Virginia Tech helmet tests, the DropFrame is sure to keep you safe. As soon as you slide this helmet onto your head and snap its Fidlock^® buckle into place, you can feel its confidence-inspiring snug fit and added protection to the ears, jaw, and back of the head.

    Just like all other Fox mountain bike Helmets, the fit and finish of the DropFrame are superb with the only small nitpick being the lack of an adjustable visor. While the DropFrame does not have ratchet adjustment like some other options on the market, it does include additional pads for a custom fit. It's also worth mentioning that, unlike the Giro Switchblade and Tyrant, the DropFrame comes in an XL size for bobble-headed folks like myself. Overall, this helmet is light, breathable, features a sturdy build, and promises a solid fit for a wide range of heads, making it our #1 choice for an open face half shell lid.

    At the most lightweight/breathable end of Fox's helmet lineup lies the SpeedFrame half-shell helmet. The SpeedFrame is available in two trim levels: Pro and MIPS, the latter being the more basic of the two. The SpeedFrame MIPS features a goggle-compatible 3-position visor, 360-degree fit, and MIPS liner for a great fit, finish, and top-notch protection. If that sounds like a top-of-the-line helmet to you, you'd be correct. The SpeedFrame MIPS offers an incredible value at just over $100 and matches the performance of many other brands' flagship lids. Fox, however, has even more up their sleeve.

    Enter the SpeedFrame Pro.

    As its name suggests, the SpeedFrame Pro was developed with input from Fox's professional mountain bike athletes. In addition to the already great features packed into the lower end SpeedFrame MIPS, the SpeedFrame Pro tacks on a Varizorb^TM dual-density EPS liner, Fidlock^® SNAP helmet buckle, and an XT2^® antimicrobial comfort liner. This wide array of bells and whistles not only makes the SpeedFrame Pro one of the most fully-featured mountain bike helmets available today but earned it the highest possible score in Virginia Tech's Bicycle Helmet rating program.

    While the SpeedFrame Pro is $50 more expensive than the lower-tier SpeedFrame MIPS, it comes in at a substantially lower price-point than other companies' flagship helmets. For example, the SpeedFrame Pro is about $60 cheaper than Troy Lee's A3 and about $90 less than POC's Kortal Helmet. If you're looking for a flagship-level helmet at a remarkably affordable price, look no further than the SpeedFrame Pro!

Current Bikes: Revel Rascal Custom Build, Surly Straggler Custom Build

Bike Size: Medium or Large usually!

Favorite Trails: HiLine Trail in Sedona and anything with fun rocks and good dirt here in Bellingham!

About Me: Transplanted from New Mexico and Michigan before that, I'm a huge fan of spicy food, chunky trails, and shuttle laps. I dig road trips, finding and riding cool rocks, and spending time outside. I'm a recent convert to the world of mid-travel 29in bikes and love nerding out on bikes and cool bike tech. Want to know where to get the best green chili up here in Bellingham? Hit me up!