Bell Lithium MIPS review | Polycarbonate full-face motorcycle helmet

Date reviewed: April 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: From £214.99 | uk.bellhelmets.com

The Bell Lithium MIPS helmet on review here is not to be confused with the Bell Lithium as that doesn’t feature the MIPS (more on that later) insert, but it does start at a very reasonable £169.99 for what is otherwise the same helmet.

I’ve been wearing it for several months on a BMW R1250GS, Zontes ZT350-T, Honda Hornet CB750 and Honda ADV350 to find out if it’s any good…

Outer Shell

Starting at £214.99 for plain colours, graphics like this ‘Black/Red’ (come on, why wasn’t it called the Baracus?) cost £244.99. That’s nudging into mid-range pricing, but this polycarbonate lid does have some great features that make it a solid performer.

There are three outer shell sizes across S, M, L, XL and 2XL, meaning nobody’s going to have to wear an overly-large helmet. It’s worth pointing out that the non-MIPS version of the Bell Lithium (which besides the lack of the MIPS slip layer is the same helmet) is also available in XS and 3XL. There are still three outer shell sizes, but the paint-schemes options are different across the two models. Plain colours are £169.99, with graphics at £199.99.

The Lithium comes with reflective stickers in case your country requires them (like France), and the overall finish of this review helmet is very good, with a great mix of matt, gloss red stripes and gloss black sections on the top of the two vents. My only disappointment in what is unavoidably an A-Team inspiring design is the skull on the back.

What is MIPS?

MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System, and is basically a thin plastic insert between the helmet’s liner and the expanded polystyrene shell. Hans von Holst, a Swedish neurosurgeon, and Peter Halldin, a researcher at the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology developed the technology to reduce the risk of rotational motion trauma to the brain.

MIPS inside the Bell Lithium

A quick look at the MIPS lining while I stripped the helmet for the photos

By adding a MIPS layer to a helmet, the lid itself can shift between 10 and 15mm around the head in any direction upon impact, which reduces the rotational forces transferred to the brain in those first 5-10 milliseconds of a crash.

ECE 22.06 does measure the rotational forces applied to the brain using an oblique impact test, so the non-MIPs version of the Lithium will have passed those requirements. What we don’t know is how much difference the MIPS lining makes, but I’ll update this review when I can get more insight.

Weight

Weighing 1,664g on my scales, the Bell Lithium MIPS is heavier than the composite fibre Arai Quantic (1,588g) and Shoei NXR2 (1,365g), but a fraction lighter than the Shoei GT-Air 3 (1,678g). This is about the norm now, and the aerodynamics seem very good, creating no undue neck strain in use at all.

Ventilation

The Bell Lithium has a small – and a little fiddly – open/closed vent that does a very good job of directing air up across the inside of the visor and to the brow. The ports are also fabric-lined, which should reduce noise and moisture to some extent. The air reaching this vent will of course depend on the size of your bike’s screen.

The top vent is also open or closed only (with no mid setting), and again a little fiddly to use, but certainly not bad. It’s not the strongest-feeling top vent, but it does a good job, with the always-open exhaust ports helping to draw air out the back.

With the removable chin skirt fitted, the Bell still lets a little bit of air in around my jaw, so some riders might find a neck-tube necessary for winter.

Visor

The Bell Lithium has a relatively shallow visor aperture at the sides (still within the certification requirements), but I haven’t noticed it an issue and it suits the aggressive styling. A Pinlock 70 mid-range anti-fog insert is supplied, extending almost all the way around.

The Lithium’s visor is incredibly easy to remove, with one of the best mechanisms I’ve used; open it fully, press the button on the side and slide it forward. Replacing it is just a matter of clicking it in. I love it when a plan comes together.

The Bell’s drop-down sun-shield is easy to operate with the slider on the lower left, and gives superb coverage, with barely any light leakage around the bottom edge or nose – of the helmets I’ve tested, only the recent Shoeis have done as good a job.

The visor locks closed but is easy to thumb open from the centre. It only has two positions beyond shut – about 2cm open, then fully open, with a pleasingly smooth action between. I initially thought this would be a bit limiting, but it works great, and it’s also possible to have it just cracked open off the lock for more airflow if needed.

Lining

The Bell Lithium has a fully removable lining that’s easy to take out and refit for cleaning, and is treated with an Aegis antimicrobial coating.

While not the most complex lining construction, it’s comfortable and well-finished, with reflective panels on the bottom rear of the cheek pads.

Fastening

The Bell Lithium has a double-D fastener with a good-sized fabric tab to release it, and a plastic popper to keep any spare strap from flapping.

While many helmets now use a micro-metric ratchet fastener, the double-D is favoured for track riders, and suits the sporty nature of the lid. My only criticism is that I find the strap to be about two centimetres too short, making it a little more fiddly than it should be to fasten (I don’t have a particularly fat neck).

Fit

Fit is of course entirely subjective, and you must try any helmet on for yourself before buying, even if you’ve got on well with the brand in the past. For me, my usual medium was much too tight all over, but a large was perfect, with only the rear neck skirt creating a little bit of pressure on my head, which soon disappeared. I now find the Lithium to be extremely comfortable.

As a spectacles wearer, I’m pleased to find that glasses fit great inside the Bell Lithium, tucking in with no problems.

Bell Lithium - Noise

Perhaps due to the shape of my head meaning some air gets in around the neck, I’d say the Lithium is fractionally noisier than some others when riding in clear air with no disruption from a fairing or screen. It’s not excessive though, and certainly hasn’t put me off using it.

The shape of your bike’s fairing and screen, your riding position and the fit of a helmet will all make a difference to the noise you hear, with most of it being down to buffeting from the bike. Overall, I had no problems with the Bell on all the bikes I tried it with.

For more information on why earplugs are vital with any helmet, and advice on which are the best, click here.

Can I fit my own intercom to the Bell Lithium?

Bell doesn’t offer its own intercom system, but there are 44mm diameter recesses for speakers (approximately 8mm deep). The only issue you might have is that the sunshield lever is where you might want to fit an intercom, but it could be placed in front of or above it on the smooth surface – just watch the routing of the cables, which could get in the way of the lever.

As with other brands, if you buy an intercom at the same time as the helmet from most stores, you’ll not pay VAT on the comms system, saving 16.66%.

Three alternatives to the Bell Lithium

The pricing of the MIPS version of the Bell Lithium sees it nudging towards the mid-price range, but here are some others to consider…

• Nexx X.WST3, from £329.99 | A more expensive lid, but it’s got a composite fibre shell and very good ventilation. It’s not perfect, but it’s well worth considering. Read the full review of the Nexx X.WST3 here.

• AGV K3, from £189 | We haven’t tested the K3 yet, but it’s perhaps the closest rival to the Bell for price. It’s also a polycarbonate helmet with a drop-down sunshield and sporty styling, but it has a micro-metric fastener and no MIPS option.

• Caberg Avalon X, from £149.99 | The Caberg does have an excellent visor mechanism, but sadly it’s let down by a poorly-shaped and positioned sunshield, and while the ventilation is okay, it could be better for this money. Read the full review of the Caberg Avalon X here.

• LS2 Storm II, from £129.99 | At the cost, it’d be hard to expect a ‘perfect’ helmet, so it’s not really a surprise that the venting could be a little better. Our review noted some issues with fit, but that’s subjective of course. Read the full review of the LS2 Storm II here.

These are just some of many alternatives – you can find all the helmets we’ve tested here  and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.

Bell Lithium - Verdict

The Bell Lithium MIPS falls into a slightly awkward price point that’s just out of what many would consider to be ‘budget’, but it still has a polycarbonate outer shell. However, what Bell seems to have achieved is creating a helmet that offers pretty much all the performance and features of lids costing at least £100 more.

Without MIPS, the starting price of £169.99 is outstanding for the quality, so thoroughly recommended. With MIPS, it’s still a very good value helmet in comparison to others I’ve reviewed, so well worth a look – just check your sizing.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page or at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.