Giro Ratio MIPS Review

The Giro Ratio stands out for incorporating "premium" features without the high dollar MSRP. This injection-molded helmet offers adjustable vents, MIPS, and Giro's In-Form dial adjustment system. It can hang with the high-priced models in our review fleet and is great for the budget-minded weekend skier.

Performance Comparison

Our tester is feeling good about the value of this helmet.

Photo: laredo

Comfort

The Giro Ratio is molded to fit a long oval head shape but can accommodate other shapes quite well. The helmet had no pressure points on any testers who have round and intermediate oval head shapes.

The Ratio can provide a comfortable full day out for most users. The soft ear pads and In-Form fit system enhance the user experience. The earpads have a nice next to skin feel and are snug but do not squeeze the ears. However, we found a slight breeze on our ears when traveling at speeds above 20. The In Form System provides plenty of adjustment to snug up to different head sizes. The dial is very accessible and easy to turn with a glove or mittens on. The harness is contoured nicely to cup the lower part of your head, making it more comfortable.

This dial is accessible and easy to use with gloves on.

Photo: laredo

Riders who typically ride without a helmet might find this helmet a little too bulky when riding. This helmet's weight and profile are more noticeable when riding than other models in our review. Overall, this is a comfortable helmet for most riders' needs.

The Ratio is molded to a long oval head shape.

Photo: laredo

Warmth

The Giro Ratio provides enough warmth that most people should be able to ski in slightly below freezing weather without a buff or beanie. On a 27-degree F morning, our tester was able to ride in this helmet comfortably. For reference, this tester is a self-proclaimed "cold weenie."

The helmet lining and adjustable vents help this helmet maintain heat, but it is not the warmest helmet that we have tested. The synthetic lining is about 1cm centimeter thick, which helped block some of the air from the front intake vents. Six of the helmet's ten vents can be open or closed to trap the heat in and block any cold air from getting to the top of your head when riding. On cold days, its warmth was hindered by the slight breeze we felt on our ears.

Closed vents on the Giro Ratio.

Photo: laredo

Ventalation

For a helmet of this price point and construction, it shines in ventilation. As discussed above, it has adjustable ventilation to dump or retain heat to your desire. It has ten medium-large sized vents that let this helmet dump heat rather efficiently.

The helmet liner is warm around the ears and temple area but begins to transition to more of a thick mesh near the top. This design seemed to help heat escape faster than those that maintained consistent thickness. The earpads are very easy to remove if the day is warmer than you were expecting. If you are having too much fun to go to the car, you can place them in a medium-sized pocket to keep riding.

This helmet did have a moderate amount of wind noise when riding at speeds above ten mph.

Vents open on the Giro Ratio.

Photo: laredo

Weight

For weight, we consult the scales and pay hyperattention to how each helmet feels on our head. The Ratio is on the heavier and more noticeable side of the spectrum, given its injection-molded construction. Its size and weight relegate it to primarily a resort helmet.

A size Medium in the Ratio came in at 21.7 oz on our scale. That is not outrageous given its construction style and feature set, especially compared to past models. However, we found its large profile and weight to be the primary cons associated with this helmet.

Our tester Isaac is pictured here. He is very sensitive to weight on his head and found the Ratio to be noticeable when riding.

Photo: laredo

Goggle Compatibility

Manufacturers continue to place increased emphasis on ensuring a smooth, seamless intersection between goggle and helmet. The Ratio always avoided the infamous "gaper gap" and aesthetically would be the most compatible with spherical lens googles.

We never had a gaper gap when wearing this helmet. That is the main priority of this metric. This helmet's large profile overhung the frame of our cylindrical (flat) goggles by a half-inch or so. While purely aesthetic, we feel the curved lens goggles will co-exist with this model better. It also has two front vents to direct fresh air into your goggles and minimizes the chances of fogging up.

This helmet has a pretty standard goggle retainer system. It's a medium density plastic hook to trap your goggle strap. This provides reasonable goggle security but could be prone to breaking in colder weather if handled aggressively.

The google retainer is quite standard and has medium resistance when pulled on.

Photo: laredo

Style

The Ratio finds a good balance between being skate and skier style. We polled friends and fellow riders to gauge the style of each helmet. The Ratio received middle road styles reviews by boarders and skiers.

The Ratio comes in several color options, helping to match your outerwear if that matters to you. Take your pick. Across between both skiers and snowboarders, the main drawback to its style was its larger size. Ultimately, style is subjective, and we appreciate the simple, sleek look of this helmet.

Compared to other models in the review this helmet is a bit bulky. However, it still looks sleek and modern.

Photo: laredo

Value

This product packs a lot of value into its approachable price tag. If we were shopping for a budget helmet, the Ratio is hard to pass up. When your friends see the yellow MIPS dot and adjustable vents, they will think you spent more money than you did. That is the pinnacle of a good value.

Conclusion

The Giro Ratio MIPS takes puts the icing on the value cake. Featured with MIPS, adjustable vents, a warm liner, and an adjustable dial system, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better value.

Happy turns in the Giro Ratio.

Photo: laredo