There's no question that some people hardly notice it and others can't stand it. For me it varies between helmet designs: some work well on my head and others don't, although my head fits most helmet forms well whereas Mike has described how most helmets don't work for his head. There are also now several different versions of MiPS - the one that some people find bulky and uncomfortable (and can tug at long hair if you have it) is the original version. A newer, less bulky and more comfortable version is MiPS integrated, found in helmets like the excellent Specialized Ambush; it's really quite different and barely noticeable compares to gen1. Lastly, MiPS Spherical which is exclusive to Bell/Giro, which I wrote about here: [https://nsmb.com/articles/evolved-protection-mips-spherical/](https://nsmb.com/articles/evolved-protection-mips-spherical/)
In theory, MiPS Spherical sounds like it has the most added protection to me due to the dual density foam but, again, it's really hard to prove.
I'll let Mike chime in about why he's not a MiPS fan. My personal feeling is that despite all the conflicting information and studies out there, an added degree of (probable) protection is preferable to me as long as it's still comfortable. But the world of head safety and concussion prevention is full of half truths and lack of consensus among researchers so it's really difficult to pronounce one helmet as safer than another, despite what the manufacturers like to tell you.
Jan. 3, 2022, 10:30 a.m. - Pete Roggeman
There's no question that some people hardly notice it and others can't stand it. For me it varies between helmet designs: some work well on my head and others don't, although my head fits most helmet forms well whereas Mike has described how most helmets don't work for his head. There are also now several different versions of MiPS - the one that some people find bulky and uncomfortable (and can tug at long hair if you have it) is the original version. A newer, less bulky and more comfortable version is MiPS integrated, found in helmets like the excellent Specialized Ambush; it's really quite different and barely noticeable compares to gen1. Lastly, MiPS Spherical which is exclusive to Bell/Giro, which I wrote about here: [https://nsmb.com/articles/evolved-protection-mips-spherical/](https://nsmb.com/articles/evolved-protection-mips-spherical/) In theory, MiPS Spherical sounds like it has the most added protection to me due to the dual density foam but, again, it's really hard to prove. I'll let Mike chime in about why he's not a MiPS fan. My personal feeling is that despite all the conflicting information and studies out there, an added degree of (probable) protection is preferable to me as long as it's still comfortable. But the world of head safety and concussion prevention is full of half truths and lack of consensus among researchers so it's really difficult to pronounce one helmet as safer than another, despite what the manufacturers like to tell you.