Bell 2007 Slant helmet

Pictures: White/silver , Caribbean blue/silver

The Slant is at the top of Bell’s “Sport” helmet line. It has all of Bell’s standard features to provide great protection, comfortable fit, and stylish good looks, all in an affordable package. It comes in one size and is adjustable enough to fit comfortably on almost all adult-sized heads.

The Slant uses Bell’s ErgoDial system, which makes adjusting the helmet’s fit around your head an easy, one hand operation. The chin strap is held in place with cam-lock levers, which pop open for easy adjustment, then snap back closed and don’t slip. The “Blade” visor on the Slant provides some additional shade from the sun, and easily snaps on and off.

All Bell helmets are CPSC certified, which means they pass the industry standard tests for safety. Bell uses “Fusion In-Mold” Microshell construction for almost all their helmets, a process that permanently bonds the EPS foam layer to the hard outer shell. This makes Bell helmets much stronger and more durable than other helmets where the outer shell and EPS are just taped together.

The Slant is one of Bell’s “Universal Fit” helmets, which means it is adjustable to fit a big range of head sizes, but doesn’t fit absolutely everyone. If your head is bigger than 24” (61cm) around, look at helmets that come in multiple sizes (such as the Bell Sweep or Giro Havoc) which fit heads up to 24.75” (63cm) in diameter, or look at helmets made specifically for large heads—the Giro Atlas II fits up to 25” (64cm), and the Bell Triton fits up to 25.5” (65cm). If your head is under 21.5” (55cm), consider the Giro Skyla or Giro Flume helmets, which fit heads down to 19.75” (50cm) around.

The Bell Sports company owns the Giro brand, and Bell Sports makes both Giro and Bell helmets. Bell and Giro helmets share many features, but one thing they don’t share is shape. Giro helmets use a slightly oval mold (longer front to back, narrower side to side), while Bell helmets use a more round mold. If your head is large and more oval shaped, a Giro helmet might fit better. If your head is large and more round, a Bell helmet will probably fit better. If your head is of average size, you probably won’t notice a difference and will get a good fit from either brand. In that case pick a helmet based on the features or design or colors you like and don’t worry about the brand—both Giro and Bell are excellent helmets.