Bontrager Quantum MIPS helmet review

The Quantum MIPS is a do-it-all trail lid from Trek's in-house accessories, apparel and component brand, Bontrager. It includes some must-have features and retails at a reasonable price for this style of helmet.

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Bontrager Quantum MIPS helmet details

At this price point it’s great to see MIPS integrated into its construction, between the padding and shell. It’s got 14 vents and the EPS liner has a hard rim to protect the otherwise vulnerable expanded polystyrene from sharp objects on the floor.

The cradle is vertically adjustable and has a Boa-indexed ratchet to fine-tune fit. Inside the helmet there are air channels cut away from the EPS liner to improve cooling. The moisture-wicking pads are removable and washable.

The fixed-angle visor is removable and the lid’s supplied with blanking plugs for the peak fitment holes, making it possible to run peak-less. The chin-strap fastens using a standard buckle and the strap has adjustable splitters to let it pass either side of its wearer’s ears.

It comes with Trek’s crash replacement guarantee, so if it’s involved in a crash during the first year of ownership, Trek will replace it providing there’s proof of original purchase and details of the incident.

The Quantum MIPS was awarded four stars out of five in Virginia Tech’s helmet safety impact tests, scoring 14.3 where a lower score offers better protection.

Bontrager Quantum MIPS helmet performance

The shape of the helmet is a little cone-like and the way it narrows left some space above the top of my head.

Although this narrowing didn’t cause me any pressure points or discomfort, it didn’t completely suit my head shape, and the space between the top of my head and the helmet’s shell was something I was aware of. Of course, this design might suit your head shape.

Consequently, the helmet felt fairly perched on my head rather than cocooning, and altering the vertical adjustment of the cradle to make it shallower or deeper didn’t appear to have any affect on how perched it felt – a problem, no doubt, created by the shape of the shell than anything else.

That said, it was pretty comfortable overall. The padding felt soft and voluptuous, despite it looking pretty thin, and absorbed sweat well for the most part.

I did find the cradle pinched and tugged at my rather short and fairly limited amount of hair, and I imagine this would be worse for those with longer hair. However, the retention system tensioned up evenly and comfortably without creating any hot spots.

The peak isn’t adjustable, but I didn’t notice it encroaching into my peripheral vision. Because it can’t be moved upwards, there’s no space to park goggles on the front of the lid. So, if you’re dead-set on wearing goggles with this helmet, you’ll need to place them on the back.

For comfort, I needed to put the arms of my glasses on the outside of the retention cradle. If they were on the interior, they squeezed against my head, causing some discomfort. The rim on the front of the lid didn’t contact any of the glasses’ frames I tried, though.

Goggles were comfortable to wear and the flat rim butted up nicely to the goggle’s frame. The rim was high enough to not get pushed upwards by goggles, either – a problem I've experienced on a lot of other lids out there.

On the climbs I found the helmet to be quite warm, with limited ventilation. Despite the vents being large, there are big gaps between them and there are only three forward-facing entry ports.

But the Quantum felt light to wear and the Boa dial was easy to adjust on the move. Likewise, the chin strap and strap splitters were also easy to adjust.

Bontrager Quantum MIPS helmet bottom line

The Quantum is a well-priced lid with all the right safety features. It lacks an adjustable peak and dedicated goggle parking and might not fit some head shapes.

If you like the classic looks and can live with getting a bit steamy on the climbs, there are few reasons to not buy this lid, especially considering its price.