I flew all the way from Seattle, Washington, to Stockholm, Sweden, to watch bike helmets get smashed into heavy metal anvils over and over again, all for science.
I was invited on behalf of MIPS, which stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. MIPS isn’t a helmet manufacturer, but there’s a good chance your bike, ski, snowboard, motorcycle, or equine helmet contains MIPS technology.
MIPS-equipped helmets — which all carry a small yellow circular logo near the rear — are widely regarded as the safest and the best helmets in the biz. As an avid outdoor enthusiast and gear tester, nearly all of the helmets I own carry the yellow dot. But what exactly makes MIPS helmets so superior to the competition? I had to find out. So, I packed my bags and split for Scandinavia.
There, I got a behind-the-scenes tour of the MIPS helmet test lab, where I saw helmet testing firsthand (it’s more violent than I expected!). I also got to ask tons of questions and document the whole process.
With no shortage of cranium-defending insights to share with you, below are the three biggest things I learned from my time with MIPS.
1. MIPS helmet tech mimics how your skull protects your brain
MIPS helmets reduce the risk of brain injury by minimizing rotational force when you hit your noggin. Researchers have known that rotational force is bad for the brain since the 1940s, but it wasn’t until MIPS debuted over a decade ago that the helmet industry seriously attempted to reduce it.
Similar to how your skull protects your brain upon impact, MIPS creates relative motion between the inside of the helmet and your head by 10 to 15mm on average. The result is a notable reduction in the severity of brain-related injuries compared to non-MIPS helmets. More simply put, MIPS lets your helmet slide slightly when you fall, and that absorbs quite a lot of energy.
It’s worth noting that MIPS is an “ingredient” brand with 12 versions of the system for all sorts of different helmet styles and types. MIPS also works with over 150 different helmet brands, licensing its technology and performing testing to ensure the addition of MIPS measurably improves the performance of every single helmet by a repeatable and notable margin.
2. They smash a whole lot of helmets into anvils at the MIPS test lab
A lot of helmets get smashed in the MIPS test lab on a daily basis. Every single helmet that carries the MIPS yellow dot is extensively tested in the lab against an identical model without MIPS. Not only that, MIPS tests every size variation as well.
To test a helmet, it gets attached to a size- and weight-accurate dummy head with nine accelerometers inside. That head then gets lifted in the air on a rig to a predetermined height before it’s dropped onto an angled 45-degree metal anvil, simulating a fall.
Each helmet receives four impact tests, including the front and rear, as well as a lateral and pitched impact. Between the accelerometers and several super-high-speed video cameras recording the commotion, the MIPS team learns a lot about how a helmet performs from these tests.
According to Marcus Seyffarth, the head of MIPS testing, the lab assesses roughly 1,000 helmets a month for performance. In my time there, I saw no fewer than three helmets get smashed. They even have a giant numeric tally board to keep track of the total helmets tested since MIPS' founding.
3. Helmet testing also involves advanced digital models and even cadavers
Lab testing isn’t the only way MIPS assesses helmet performance. The MIPS Virtual Test Lab seeks to bring computerized helmet testing up to speed with the car industry, which has largely moved on from traditional crash tests.
Using the Finite Element Method, the virtual lab breaks down the different parts of a helmet into a matrix of components based on their material-specific properties. They then test and record how each component performs under stress.
Results get added to a database, which is referenced during virtual testing. This lets researchers simulate how a MIPS-equipped helmet will perform, without ever smashing a thing, with impressive accuracy.
I’d never given much thought to all the hard work and technology involved in designing and testing a reliable helmet. But seeing the testing process first-hand, I'll never look at the humble brain bucket the same.
Of course, it's always good to check your work. So, to validate the accuracy of the virtual test models, MIPS turns to dropping cadavers. Yup, you read that right.
Mind you, this portion of the helmet test process isn't handled by MIPS, but rather by researchers at the nearby Technical University of Stockholm. The process involves inserting a series of small markers into different areas of the brain tissue to monitor the severity of trauma upon impact with and without MIPS.
Other forms of helmet testing involve reviewing real-world crashes where a MIPS helmet was involved. This includes analyzing camera footage of the crash from different angles, if available, as well as medical images of any resulting injuries, and of course, the helmet itself. Once all the data is collected, MIPS generates a computer model to mirror the accident.
All this testing and modeling may seem exhaustive, but according to everyone I spoke with at MIPS, it's worth it, which makes sense when your company's official "vision" is to "reduce head injuries and save more lives."
MIPS is notably one of only a handful of organizations worldwide conducting repeatable lab and virtual testing on a wide range of consumer helmets. However, the company isn't keeping its test protocols secret, as is clearly evident by the very nature of this article.
MIPS works, often closely with its manufacturing partners, not just during testing, but also during the helmet design process to ensure the safest, best-performing product possible, even before it enters the lab.
Ultimately, I’d never given much thought to all the hard work and technology involved in designing and testing a reliable helmet. But seeing the testing process first-hand, I'll never look at the humble brain bucket the same. Moreover, now I know the little yellow dot on the back of all my helmets actually stands for something: peace of mind.
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