Smith Ignite aero helmet review: Lots of safety features but lack of aerodynamic performance

Launched in February 2019, the Smith Ignite was the brand’s first fully aero-focused offering. It remains their top-of-the-line helmet for race day today and can be seen on the heads of the Human Powered Health women’s team.

Included with the initial release were aerodynamic test results that suggested this was one of the best aero helmets out there, showing that it outperformed the Specialized Evade II and Giro Vanquish. However, these competitors have since been updated and replaced by faster, better ventilated models. Our recent aerodynamic wind tunnel test placed it almost exactly in the middle of the table against 22 of the best competitors available this year.

Of course, there’s more to a helmet than aerodynamics, and safety is an area Smith has really focused on. Using both the now-common MIPS liner with additional impact protection in the form of Koroyd, a series of straw-like tubes glued together to form a honeycomb structure, the Smith Ignite aims to be an aerodynamic performance helmet that offers a safety improved

All of this is priced at £239.99 / $250.00, in line with most aero helmets today, but can often be found discounted online.

While I’ve been using the Smith Ignite here in the UK, the timing has varied between low singles and mid-teens. It gave me ample conditions to test ventilation and comfort, while our wind tunnel test put the helmet through its aerodynamic paces.

Design and specifications

The Smith Ignite MIPS helmet is the brand’s aerodynamic offering designed to compete and stay safe. The polycarbonate shell extends down and around the inside of the EPS foam to give a premium finish and prevents any dents in the foam when the helmet is placed on surfaces. It also features plenty of smooth surfaces with two large front vents with deeper internal channeling that guide airflow to the large central rear exhaust and two small rear side tailpipes. This is complemented by two NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) vents at the top, which are lower drag air intakes aimed at reducing turbulence at the rear of the hull. These NACA grilles are becoming a more common place to see on aero helmets and can also be seen on high performance road cars as well as in Formula 1. There are two additional front side grilles that feature the ‘honeycomb grid structure through them, which can also be found. they used to keep sunglasses and were styled with the Smith range itself.

This honeycomb grid structure is the Koroyd energy absorbing impact protection system. Koroyd is made up of a series of tubes that join together to create a structure. This is designed to add additional protection in the event of blunt impacts due to Koroyd structures being able to absorb shear and impact forces in multiple planes of motion. The Koroyd structure is placed around the temples of the helmet where blunt force and side impact often occur together. It is also found in helmets from other brands such as Endura, and is similar in design to Trek/Bontrager’s Wavecel structure.

This is combined with MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) protective coating internally to protect against rotational impact, with a full internal skeletal structure to create a round cage and additional structural support.

The rear cradle has three points of vertical adjustment, while the lightweight and grippy VaporFit dial adjustment offers 270 degrees of retention. A fairly standard three-point buckle is used, and a three-way splitter allows adjustment around the ears.

Iconic+ padding is used sparingly but effectively and features sweat-activated odor control with antimicrobial properties. This is the same padding material used by Giro in their Eclipse and Aries helmets. Claimed weight is 310g for a size medium, but it came out at 283g on our scales. Three sizes and four colors are currently available.

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