The Montaro has enjoyed a long run as one of the most popular mountain bike helmets in Giro’s lineup. The original launched in 2015 and the 2nd generation updates took place in 2021. While both of the previous iterations were essentially the quintessential do-it-all trail helmets, the Montaro was getting a little long in the tooth and had gotten a little lost in the middle of the brand’s mountain bike helmet lineup.

Over the summer, Giro introduced the Montaro Mips III, a completely redesigned version of its popular half-shell that resembles its predecessor in name only. While it is still a versatile half-shell, the new Montaro III is aimed more toward the aggressive side of the riding spectrum, with more coverage and a bold new look to match. 

I’ve been testing the new Montaro Mips III for the past couple of months on mountain bike rides throughout the greater Lake Tahoe and Reno, NV area. I’ve been using it for non-electric and eMTB rides, both with riding glasses and with the new Giro Dropline Goggles. While it’s a bit heavier and bulkier than its predecessor, I’ve found it to be super comfortable with a reassuring, protective feel. Let’s dig into the details.

Giro Montaro Mips III Review

For all the details on the Giro Montaro Mips III, check out our coverage of its launch back in August.

Actual Weight

Not the lightest half-shell helmet around.

One of the first things I did after receiving the Montaro III was throw it on my scale to see how its actual weight compares to its claimed weight. My size large helmet weighed in at 512 grams, just 12 grams heavier than the claimed 500-gram weight printed on the tag inside. For reference, the claimed weight of the size medium is 450 grams. 

This weight puts the Montaro III at the upper end of the weight spectrum compared to similar half-shell helmets. I happen to have two other NTA 8776 e-bike certified half-shell helmets on hand for comparison. My size large Smith Payroll Mips weighs 453 grams, and my size M/L Sweet Protection Bushwhacker 2Vi Mips weighs 426 grams. That puts the Montaro III around 60 – 80 grams heavier than some of its direct competitors.

Fit and Comfort

I found the Montaro’s comfort to be one of its strongest suits.

Giro has been making bike helmets for decades, and they definitely know a thing or two about designing them to fit well and be comfortable on the head. Going as far back as the Giro Xen and, more recently, the top-tier Manifest Spherical and Aries Spherical, I’ve always found Giro helmets to be among the most comfortable on the market. That trend continues with the Montaro III. 

The Montaro III comes in three shell sizes, S, M, and L, covering head circumferences between 51 and 63 cm. As with most helmets, my 59 cm head falls directly on the cusp between the medium and large sizes. Based on previous experiences with Giro helmets, I went with the large, which fits me well, even if the shell is a bit roomy for my head. Given the extended shell coverage and deep fit of the helmet, I think I could probably fit into the medium just as well, but I haven’t had the chance to try one on to confirm.

The Mips Evolve Core liner, padding, and adjustment system.

A Fidlock magnetic buckle and flat straps by the ears are always appreciated.

Regardless, the Montaro III covers significantly more of my head than its predecessor and fits my oval-shaped head very well. Like most modern helmets, the padding is relatively minimal but well placed, and I haven’t noticed any pressure points or discomfort whatsoever. Giro’s Roc Loc Trail Air Fit System is connected to the Mips Evolve Core liner and adds tension evenly all the way around the head. The large adjustment dial is easy to use, even with gloves on, and the whole cradle can be adjusted vertically at the back of the head to optimize its position on the occipital lobe.

A Fidlock buckle secures the chinstrap with its user-friendly, one-hand operable magnetic clasp. The strap splitter by the ears is nothing fancy, but it holds the straps nice and flat and avoids any unwanted ear contact. Overall, I’ve found it to be super comfortable on my head. Even that heavier weight mentioned above has gone almost completely unnoticed in use.

Protection

The Montaro III has loads of coverage and a thick shell with a robust, protective feel.

I’ve luckily avoided stuffing my head into the dirt on all of my test rides wearing the Montaro III, so I can’t comment on its effectiveness in a real-world crash situation, yet. As of now, I don’t see it on Virginia Tech’s list of tested helmets, so we don’t have that comparative impact testing info to go off of, either. 

That said, we are armed with the knowledge that the Montaro MIPS III is CPSC, CE EN 1078, and NTA 8776 certified, meaning it has passed all of the standard helmet testing plus higher-speed e-bike tests. In fact, the Montaro III is the first and only half-shell helmet in the Giro lineup to get the NTA 8776 certification. 

The extended coverage and deep fit drop low over the temples and occipital lobe.

In addition, the shell’s extended coverage and deep fit mean that it simply covers more of the head than any other Giro helmet I’ve tried. The in-mold shell is also quite thick and perhaps a little bulky, but that gives it a very robust feel — even if it adds to the heavier weight that I talked about previously. 

Inside the shell is a Mips Evolve Core liner for rotational impact protection. This is a fairly basic form of Mips, but it seems effective in creating a slip plane in my pseudo-scientific, wiggle-the-helmet-around-on-my-head tests. The one issue with this style of Mips is that it can be somewhat noisy. I’ve noticed a little squeaking from the liner when moving the helmet around on my head with my hands. On the trail, however, I haven’t noticed it making any noise at all.

Thankfully, I haven’t noticed the Mips liner making any noise while riding that might distract me from the sights and sounds of nature.

Stability

Given the Montaro III’s comparatively heavier weight, I was initially a bit concerned that it might feel heavy on my head and result in instability over rough terrain. Fortunately, neither of those concerns has proven to be an issue. The helmet’s deep fit and secure Roc Loc adjustment system have kept it very secure, even when hitting ill-advised drops or smashing over rock gardens with varying levels of control.

Ventilation

I’ve ridden with the Montaro III in a range of weather and temperatures, including some warm, sunny days in the 80s. During those warmer rides, I found it to ventilate relatively well, and it was by no means oppressively stuffy on the head. While I wouldn’t call it a class-leader in the ventilation department, the 17 vent layout and shallow internal channels do a commendable job of moving air over the top of the head.

Visor and Eyewear Compatibility

Front or back, the sunglasses storage is super secure.

The Montaro III has a two-position adjustable visor. The lower position sits just out of my field of view and does a decent job of blocking the sun at all but the lowest sun angles. The visor also flips up higher and leaves plenty of room to stash goggles or sunglasses when not in use. In most situations, I’ve left the visor down, and that works pretty well for me. But for the low sun angles of fall and/or riding near sunset, I wouldn’t be sad if it had one lower position to block the sun more effectively. 

I wear contacts, and I tend to keep my cycling sunglasses on my face when I’m riding to keep the wind out of my eyes, so I don’t stash my sunglasses on my helmet very often. When I’m testing a helmet, however, I’ll examine the sunglass storage feature to see how well it works. The Montaro III offers a spot to stash your glasses on both the front and the back of the helmet. The arms fit into the outermost vents on the front or rear, and in either location, the hold is impressively stable and secure with all of the glasses I’ve tried.

For those who like to go full-enduro, the Montaro III is also designed for compatibility with goggles. A small rubber traction pad at the back of the shell adds grip for goggle straps and, as mentioned above, the visor flips up high enough to stash goggles on the front of the helmet. I did several rides with the new Giro Dropline Goggles, and they interfaced well together. Plus, I looked super cool, right?

The visor flips up high enough to stash the Dropline Goggles between laps.

Giro Montaro MIPS III: My Takeaway

The latest iteration of the Giro Montaro is a fairly major departure from its predecessor’s more traditional design. With more coverage and updated aesthetics compared to the previous version, the Montaro Mips III is aimed squarely at modern, aggressive riders. For me, it scored high marks for its impressive comfort and perceived level of head protection. After riding in it for a couple of months, I trust this helmet to protect my head as well as any other in my collection. 

My primary complaints are its comparatively heavier weight and slightly bulkier profile, but neither of those concerns really presented themselves as problematic where it really matters — out on the trail. There are plenty of great mountain bike helmets to choose from these days, and I’ve got no problem recommending the Montaro Mips III to any aggressive rider who isn’t overly concerned with weight.

Giro Dropline Goggles Flash Review

Along with the Montaro Mips III, I’ve been testing the new Dropline Goggles. The Dropline is Giro’s latest addition to its MTB goggle lineup, and the most premium option at $140. These goggles come in four frame colors — matching the colors of the Montaro III — all of which come with the Vivid Trail lens as well as a spare clear lens. 

The Dropline Goggles come with a spare clear lens and a soft storage/cleaning bag.

I only ride with goggles occasionally, but the Giro Dropline might change that. They fit well with the Montaro III helmet and every other helmet that’s in my current rotation. They are very comfortable on my face and impressively stable, too. Seriously, these things don’t budge. The wide strap with grippy silicone clings to the helmet while the outrigger strap connection helps promote airflow to the temples.

The large lenses measure right around 190 mm across and 100 mm tall, and the field of view is massive. I can’t see the frame at all unless I’m looking for it. I’ve also been impressed with the Vivid Trail lens, which has optical clarity on par with the big names in eyewear. The trail-tuned lens has served me well on overcast and sunny days alike, with a great tint and a bit of a contrast boost. The lens is versatile enough that I haven’t even considered riding with the included spare clear lens, but I appreciate that it comes with one, plus they are pretty easy to swap when needed. 

The field of view is massive, and the Vivid Trail lens is excellent.

The past few weeks have been pretty chilly where I live, and my eyes are relatively sensitive to the cold. Wearing the Dropline Goggles, I haven’t had any issues with the cold or the wind causing my eyes to water. It has been a notable improvement compared to my usual riding glasses in the same temperatures, but that’s also to be expected. I haven’t experienced any fogging, but with the cooler temperatures, I haven’t been sweating in them too much, either. Regardless, they seem pretty breathable, and there’s even a silicone strip integrated into the face foam to help divert sweat away from the eyes.

So far, I have zero complaints, and you can bet I’ll keep putting them through their paces this fall, winter, and spring and report back if any issues arise. You can learn more about the Montaro Mips III and the Dropline MTB Goggles on the Giro website.

giro.com

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