Bell Super 3R MIPS

My background is motorcycles. I used to roadrace and some motocross. I used motorcycle helmets. One would assume with my old age (54), I would get wiser. Well, I didn’t. For some reason, I got in to riding Electric Unicycles (EUC). My assumption that my experiences in life would convey with learning these things but it did not and was the hardest thing for me to learn EVER! Once I figured it out, after many wrecks, it is the best thing ever and I have thousands of miles on several machines already. Oh yea, I still wreck! I bought the Bell helmet first thing. I was going to get a helmet without a face shield but I’m glad that I didn’t. When I bought it, I was unaware that the face portion was removable and that was a cool feature but made me wary in the event of an accident. I was worried that I would not be protected. My main interest was that it had so many holes and the ventilation looked really nice for these lower speeds. I get it, a fall is a fall and protection is paramount but I was a fat and sweaty fella at the time and just didn’t want to smell like a boar when arriving at work daily. I have had the helmet for almost three years now! I use it every ride. No, I mean that I USE it almost every ride on these dangerous EUCs! I have fallen forward, backward and sideways. I’ve slid on it and done stupid stuff. I can safely say that my head and face were the only things that I have not injured in any way. I have literally slid on my face and only had rashes on my knees as my knee pads slid down after the initial impact. You could say that I have been doing the Crash Dummy testing on this helmet! IT WORKS! Now, the other junk beyond the protection. It looks cool enough. It’s extremely light weight. It doesn’t have 3 years of stink emitting from it and the Texas heat with my sweat. I can put it on with my AirPods in my ears. If I need to adjust the AirPods, I jab my fingers through one of the many air holes in the helmet and move that little guy. Motorcycle people would understand the frustration of adjustments from the bottom with the padding. Minus the grass stains, scratches and a series of red paint lines I got from hitting a fire lane curb with my head, this thing looks fine. It’s easy to put on and take off for sure and the adjustment is simple. Does it help me pick up more chicks? Well, I’m 54 and I’m riding a silly EUC. I can’t say that I’m the right person to test that stuff out. I guess I can show up to dates versus not showing up. I pretty much kill the vibe rolling up like a teenager on a stinkin’ EUC… I have recked a lot. I have hurt everything on my body and broken ribs. I have not hurt my head or face. EVER! I like the helmet. After 3 years, I recommend the helmet. It’s cool looking and functional. That’s all I would need to know.

Bell Super 3R vs Giro Switchbade. First a bit about how I ride. I have to climb everything I go down, so trail riding, but I still hit the downhills as hard as I dare, and really need a FF for those times. I have a Sixsixone FF which is fine if I'm just going downhill the whole time, but as with most trail riding you also hit trails that go back up a ways then down again. The FF really doesn't work well for this, so I've been looking for a hybrid which I can adjust easier than taking the FF on and off constantly. I first bought the new Giro Switchblade without trying it first, as no one had it available locally. It looked great at first glance, but after trying it on I realized there were several things which weren't going to work for me and how I ride. The build and protection are excellent on the Switchblade, arguably better than even my Sixsixone, it is officially downhill rated after all. The locking mech is great as well. It also had good and very thick padding inside. However, this is where the bad came in, the MIPS dial sticks down a ways and when you bend your head back in aggressive riding stance the dial would dig into my back bone. Besides the discomfort it also seemed dangerous if you crashed head first... the dial would drive right through your backbone! I also found the Switchbade to be very hot, after just a few minutes of wearing it around the house only I was already breaking a sweat. The cheek pads were way too tight, even the thinner supplied ones. I think this helmet was probably as hot as my FF Sixsixone in fact. The MIPS also didn't fit my head well, I found there were pressure spots and loose spots insde. Lastly, I didn't like having my ear covered up as I use sound a lot for my balance. I returned the Switchbade right away as there was no way I could live with those issues. Next I took the only other hybrid choice and picked up the Bell 3R. After my Switchbade experience I was doubtful, but ended up pleasantly surprised! First off the 3R is noticeably lighter duty than the Switchbade. The 3R is not downhill rated, and it shows. The chin guard doesn't secure quite as solid as the Switchbade, and the chin guard is a lot more flexible and light duty. The padding in the 3R is also a lot thinner. On the good side, the 3R fits my head much better. The top of my ears rub a little on the helmet, but it's not too bad. The helmet seems a bit wide, and the straps come down from the outside of the helmet, allowing it to wobble a little side to side, but not bad enough I can't live with it. The MIPS dial does not dig into my spine at any angle which is what is most important for me. Being lighter the 3R also doesn't heat up nearly as bad as the Switchblade, it's actually amazingly cool. I was very surprised on the trail just how cool (temp) this helmet is, even with the chin guard on. It also felt a lot lighter on my head, which made me less distracted by it so I could concentrate on riding. I do think the 3R chin guard is a bit more difficult to install than the Grio, but after a few tries I've already gotten a lot better at it. Thumbs up on the 3R! it's not totally perfect, but close enough for me. I hope this is helpful for anyone looking at both of these. **Update** I had my first BIG crash with this helmet yesterday! These things are never something we're prepared for, it just happens. I am SOOOO glad I was wearing this helmet, and particularly in FF mode!! Had I not been I would definitely been in the hospital right now and missing some teeth/facial flesh! Long story short, I took a jump and then mistimed a second one shortly afterward, stuffing my front wheel in a 3ft hole at medium speed. I was tossed about 6ft into a rocky creek head first. I hit my face/head so hard that my eyes would not focus or stay straight for about 5minutes and my ears were ringing loudly. My riding glasses lenses broke out of the frame! When I got up and got my sight back I could not believe that there was no damage to my face/head. Today I have a good solid headache and messed up back/shoulder, but my head and face are untouched. This helmet saved my ass! That said, I had the small chin guards in.. or the inner pads removed, depending on how you look at it. While this was a lot more comfortable, it did allow my face to press more to the front of the helmet on impact and -just- slightly made cheek contact on the ground. I see the value in having those beefy cheek pads now...

I am a mid-30s gal that wants to keep up with boyfriend riding e-bikes on trails. I had a crash with an open faced normal helmet and was way too close to knocking my front teeth out! I tried several full face helmets from other competitors this Bell was the best fit, quality, style, comfort and value for the money spent (way cheaper than new teeth). The detachment is easy and the helmet looks stylish. It’s lightweight on your head and doesn’t affect visibility or disable your ride in any way. I was worried it would feel heavy but it’s perfect. It dial tightens in the back, the cheek pads are perfect, I feel much safer and more confident when riding. It’s sleek and doesn’t look dorky. I’m a medium size gal 130 lbs 5’8” ordered a size small. Highly recommend.

Fantastic helmet, the cost of this helmet for protecting the most important thing you have (your brain) should not even be a consideration. On downhills I feel much more secure using this helmet over an open-face helmet. Fastening and removing the chin bar can be done with the helmet on, but definitely requires practice. Using long finger gloves makes this even more tedious. Practice, practice, practice. Riding style: I track my times with Strava, and am more interested in my uphill times than downhill. Given than, I place a premium on lightweight equipment that is durable and effective. However, being in my mid-40's, my very INfrequent encounters with terra firma over the years are adding up and a little extra protection will help ensure that if I do crack it up, I can get back on the bike tomorrow. Ad-ons: GoPro mount: very easy to remove as I don't use this. Could have bought an adapter to mount my light, see next line. Helmet mount for light (using Exposure lights mount and "diablo" light): Initially this was a no-go, as the mount would immobilize the MIPS layer by cIamping it to the outer helmet. I was able to fish the inner portion of the exposure lights helmet mount between the outer shell and the MIPS shell and complete the install in approximately 1 minute. Pros of helmet: Very solid feeling, excellent fit, easy to stow chin bar on the back of my pack. The extra weight vs. extra protection level is fantastic. Visor is easily adjustable, but does not have any defined clicks to hold it in place. MIPS adds an extra level of security with protecting the most important thing you have. Replacing a Smith Optics "forefront' helmet, also very solid, but no chin bar. Cons: Hard to drink with the chin bar on without tilting the helmet first. For some reason, when I am eating something, the way that the chin bar padding presses against my jaw causes my jaw to cramp up (likely not typical).

We got this because of our current helmet - a MET Parachute - was damaged in a crash. We initially purchased a Fox Racing Rampage Helmet to try to save some money; it is about half the price of this helmet and the MET. However the less expensive Fox was noticeably heavier, warmer, and tighter on the cheeks and, overall, felt claustrophobic. This helmet, the Bell Super 3R seems well reviewed, as far as I could tell, on the internet and I took the plunge (the MET is no longer sold in the US). As soon as we opened it, it was clear it was a much nicer helmet. Light weight, nice ventilation, and a nice fit. The size adjustment with the back wheel and the removable face guard are big plusses and I like the fact that there is slip between what is on your head and the helmet itself to reduce head twist during a crash. Although expensive, the additional cost is match by very nice features and I am happy to pay the difference.

I wound up ordering two of these helmets in July of 2024. Both arrive with Manufacture dates in 2021. I'm not expecting these to be sent direct from the factory out to the consumer or anything, but three years on the shelf is a bit much. Other than that issue the helmet is fantastic, it's light weight with great ventilation and doesn't give you that same boxed in feeling that a motorcycle helmet does. Removable chin bar is great and allows for more versatile use. Padding it sufficient with the cheek pads being extra fluffy.

was really excited to get my new helmet to use this weekend. However, when I opened the box, I found that they’d forgotten to remove the anti-theft tag. I called Amazon, but that was a waste of time. When I reached out to the seller directly, the person I spoke with chuckled lightly and suggested that I could remove it with a magnet. He was apologetic when he hung up, but I wasn’t too thrilled with the response. After a quick Google search, I managed to remove the anti-theft tag myself. I used the helmet tonight on a Onewheel ride, and I’m very impressed so far. First impressions: the visibility is excellent, it fits really well, and the airflow is good (though it was around 50°F tonight). I especially like that the front face guard is easy to remove. Overall, it’s a great helmet—I just wish it had arrived ready to use right out of the box."

I bought one of these back in November for my son. They didn't have this color and the amazing thing is the mips is able to accommodate my big head as well as his semi big head. He is a 53 and I am a 57 to 58cm. The price was amazing. Love the fit and the ability to use or not use as a full face helmet. He rides full face now all the time. Too many face plants with his bottom lip getting messed up. We have not had any serious wrecks yet, but I have owned many Bell helmets and have and some pretty scary wrecks on my mountain bike that I would not be here now if it wasn't for my helmet. There are so many great options out there and we chose this model and brand and are super satisfied.

This "dual" use helmet is exactly what i have been looking for! Heading up hill on a mountain trail or the steep slopes of Dartmoor you can remove the chin guard for a more pleasant climb up! But when wanting to drop down those nice fast slopes you just bung on the extra protection and get cracking. Its expensive maybe, but head protection is key!