Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS helmet review

Bluegrass is MET’s gravity-focused offspring. As such, the Rogue Core MIPS was designed for the brand's pro riders and is intended to provide protection for thrill-seekers wanting good protection from an open-face helmet.

It features a plastic shell over a single-density EPS foam, MIPS C2 liner, 360-degree height-adjustable cradle and Fidlock buckle to keep things secure.

A 5-star safety rating from Virginia Tech and a realistic price add to its appeal, but the style of this mountain bike helmet may prove divisive.

Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS helmet details

The single-density EPS foam Bluegrass has chosen to absorb energy from high-speed impacts is covered by a plastic shell that should protect the helmet from branches, sticks and anything else you might bump your head on.

This single-density EPS also helps keep costs down compared to more sophisticated dual-density designs.

The MIPS C2 liner is there to reduce rotational impact forces in case of a crash. It isn’t part of the adjustable cradle like the MIPS B32 liner on the Troy Lee Designs Flowline MIPS helmet, yet both meet the same safety standards.

Bluegrass has designed the Rogue Core MIPS to have plenty of ventilation, and it features 16 air inlet and exhaust vents. There are two vents placed at the front of the helmet to avoid misted glasses when riding.

The helmet's padding uses Velcro to keep it in place, so it’s removable and washable. The cradle has a 360-degree retention strap that's tightened with a ratchet at the rear.

The cradle can be placed in one of three height positions to optimise fit. It also benefits from soft rubber padding on the cradle to offer comfort against the back of your head.

The peak doesn’t break away, but Bluegrass claims it's flexible to conform to the shape of the helmet or ground in a crash, to help mitigate rotational forces. The peak can be pushed up to fit MTB goggles, but it isn’t indexed.

Furthermore, the peak features cut-outs that act as a glasses holder when not needed.

While the Rogue Core MIPS has decent safety features, it doesn’t have a specific feature for lights or an action camera

It scores an impressive 5-star rating from Virginia Tech and comes in at a competitive £130. There are three sizes available: S (52-56cm), M (56-58cm) and X (58-61cm), with a size small weighing 350g.

Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS helmet performance

I feel the curved contours of the Rogue Core MIPS will divide opinion on looks, especially the peak. However, it’s not an intrusive or overly large helmet considering its safety specs. Its 350g weight is decent too and didn’t cause me concern on the trails.

Bluegrass has placed its coverage in the right places, with useful details to the shell that extend over the temples and rear of the head.

In terms of comfort, the Rogue Core MIPS is good but doesn’t outshine the Bell Super Air Spherical I've also tested for plushness.

There were no serious pressure points when I tightened the cradle to make sure the helmet stayed in place over rough ground. However, the 360-degree cradle seemed to apply more pressure to the forehead than other areas.

I could wear it all day comfortably, but it was more noticeable than the TLD Flowline MIPS. I kept the cradle in its middle position, which was the most comfortable setting while keeping the helmet stable.

While many mountain bike glasses are compatible with the helmet, it takes a touch more fiddling to get them into a spot where they rest over the cradle. Once in place, though, they’re comfortable and stay in place when riding.

Also, while you can store the glasses on the peak, I don’t recommend riding aggressive trails with them in that position because they move around. It's a useful feature for climbing though, if you need to get some fresh air to your face.

You shouldn't get too hot in the Rogue Core MIPS though because its ventilation is good, and there’s plenty of airflow through the large vents in the front of the helmet even at moderate speeds.

Even the forehead padding uses holes in the same location as the vents for uninterrupted airflow directly to your skin.

The fact the peak is adjustable is useful because in its lowest positions it comes into vision when riding. I pushed it up, so it was just out of sight, and left it there for testing.

How does the Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS helmet compare to the Troy Lee Designs Flowline?

The ventilation of both helmets is impressive and it's tough to settle on an outright winner.

Both helmets also offer good comfort with plush padding, but the Bluegrass can’t trump the Troy Lee in this area.

MIPS protection is fitted to both lids, which is a positive.

For me, the Flowline scores more points for style and price, but the Bluegrass is still a good performer.

Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS helmet bottom line

Bluegrass has produced a solid performer in the open-face helmet category.

However, while it does plenty of things well, it doesn’t quite outperform the best helmets.

Safety is great, comfort is reasonable, ventilation is impressive and the price is sensible. Yet the peak, glasses-compatibility issues and odd styling prevent it from scoring higher.