Giro Chronicle MIPS review

Giro's Chronicle MIPS helmet sits in the middle of its range and takes design cues from the more expensive Montaro, and while it includes some of its key features for a premium feel it doesn't share its higher price.

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Giro Chronicle MIPS helmet details

Built around brain-saving MIPS technology, the Chronicle is designed with a deep-sitting shape to help offer as much protection as possible.

The cradle and helmet fit is adjusted using Giro’s Roc Loc 5 system – a Boa-style indexed circular dial with a tabbed vertical cradle adjuster. The chin strap is fastened using a standard clip and the strap splitters are vertically adjustable.

The visor adjusts far enough up to provide sufficient room for goggles to be ‘parked’ on the front of the lid, while the front rim of the helmet is flat and smooth, designed with goggle compatibility in mind.

The EPS liner is wrapped with a polycarbonate shell, but the shell doesn’t extend around the helmet’s rim. There are 14 vents in total with internal channelling to help cooling.

It has Giro’s extra-plush Coolmax padding that’s claimed to have good sweat-wicking properties while still being comfortable. It’s removable too, should you want to wash it.

The Chronicle MIPS was awarded five stars out of five in Virginia Tech’s helmet safety impact tests, scoring 13.7, where a lower score offers better protection.

Giro Chronicle MIPS helmet performance

The Chronicle felt comfortable, snug and deep on my head. After dialling in the vertical cradle adjustment and tightening up the tension with the thumbwheel, the helmet was reluctant to move around. The feeling was such that the chin straps – although crucial in a crash – felt like they were surplus to requirements when the helmet was sitting on my head.

On top of the lovely snug fit, there were no pressure points across my head and it had a pretty neutral shape in general. As a bonus, the indexed thumbwheel is easy to adjust on the move so that you can fine-tune fit as you ride.

The cradle, even when it was in its lowest position, didn’t interfere with my glasses. The arms sat over the top of the cradle and there was enough space between the liner and arms that they didn’t contact each other.

The rim at the front of the lid didn’t contact any of the glasses I tried, and there was just enough space to wear a pair of large goggles without them pushing the helmet up off the back of my head.

Depending on your preferences, and goggle shape, you might need to adjust the cradle so that the helmet sits slightly higher on your head for ultimate comfort.

The goggle park was big enough for all of the goggles I tried and, because the peak has a large amount of adjustment, it never entered my peripheral vision.

The Chronicle isn’t well ventilated, which is most apparent on slower climbs or very hot days. While there is internal air channelling, the vents at either end of the channel aren’t particularly large or numerous.

The padding is comfortable and soft, and because it’s abundant it wicks away sweat well. Once it becomes saturated, though, dripping did occur.

Unfortunately, the entire circumference of the helmet’s lower rim has exposed EPS. Careless placement on bumpy or sharp ground does damage the lower edge of the liner. For a lid at this price point, I would like to see its shell continued down over the rim to reduce the chances of any potential damage to the EPS liner.

Giro Chronicle MIPS helmet bottom line

The Chronicle’s a great helmet that's comfortable and builds on Giro’s in-house know-how of helmet-making by providing exceptional deep-fitting security.

With MIPS, an adjustable peak and subtle looks, you’ll be hard pressed to find reasons not to buy it as long as you can put up with a hot head on long climbs.