Scott Centric Plus Helmet

The Scott Centric Plus is one of the most comfortable helmets I've worn in a long time. It's very light too, and the ventilation works brilliantly at transferring cool air over your head. While it's not cheap, it is very well finished.

This new version of Scott's Centric Plus has been developed for world-class road and mountain bikers, focusing on aerodynamics, airflow and weight. At 222g for this medium (55-59cm) size, it is certainly a very light helmet and feels that way when you are wearing it.

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With 18 vents it is also one of the most airy I have used. Catching the tail end of the warm weather of the summer during testing and then heading into autumn, it certainly keeps you cool when you're riding hard or the temperatures are high.

The vents are positioned to scoop in as much air as they can from the front before funnelling it out of the large ones at the rear. It's very effective – you can feel the air travelling over your head, especially when you are riding at speed.

Helmet shape is a personal thing, but the Scott suited me very well. It has a slightly oval shape to it rather than being rounded like some, such as the Kask Mojito3 recently reviewed.

The front half of the helmet sat snuggly, and by adjusting the HALO 270 fit system using the simple rubber dial I could get a really good fit without any pressure points.

The Centric Plus uses MIPS technology inside which, if you haven't come across it, is essentially a slip-plane that allows the head to rotate relative to the helmet in an angled impact. In a crash, the helmet slides on the MIPS tabs, reducing the shock transmitted to the brain. That's the theory anyway, I'm yet to crash wearing a MIPS-equipped helmet so I can't give you any personal feedback.

> All you need to know about MIPS

In its earlier guise, MIPS was indicated by a bright yellow cradle inside the helmet, but the system used in the Scott is much more subtle, with the MIPS layers being interlaced with the helmet's padding.

Available in seven colours, the Centric Plus should tie in with your kit or bike – if not, you could always go for this Vogue Silver option which has a reflective section around the rear vents as well as reflective logos at various points on the helmet. It's a neat touch, especially for now with the nights getting longer.

Quality is very good throughout, with all of the vent cutouts being neat and tidy, plus the lower half of the helmet is covered by a polycarbonate layer the same as the top, so there's no polystyrene layer exposed.

That quality comes at a price, though, £149.99 to be precise. Now, that is far from the most expensive helmet we have ever tested, but it still makes quite a dent in the wallet.

Saying that, the Kask I mentioned earlier is £130, doesn't come with MIPS (if that's important to you), and Steve wasn't that impressed with the finish of the outer shell.

> Buyer’s Guide: 22 of the best lightweight high-performance cycling helmets

The Scott is a similar price to the Lazer Genesis (okay, it's £169.99 but it comes with an aero cover that would normally cost £14.99), and while it is slightly lighter than the Scott at 210g, I'd say the overall finish is much better here.

> Buyer’s Guide: 9 of the best cheap helmets

Overall, this is one of my favourite helmets. That's largely down to the fact that it fits me so well, but also because of the lightweight construction and extra airflow. Yes, you can get quality helmets with MIPS for less than £100, but compared to the competition the Scott does well.

Verdict

Top quality lightweight and airy helmet with added MIPS technology and bonus reflective detailing