Smith Network MIPS Helmet Review

For any two-wheeled adventure

The Smith Network helmet features a MIPS liner and KOROYD technology to keep you safe on any of your two-wheeled adventures. From road to gravel, the Network is lightweight and breathable making it one of our favorite helmets of 2023.

When it comes to helmets, safety and comfort features are what make a good helmet great, but we all know that looks play a huge part in deciding which helmet to get.

Smith has always been great at offering plenty of color options for their gear and the Network isn’t any different. With 16 different colors to choose from in three different sizes, finding the right color to fit your personality, match your kit, or match your bike makes choosing a safe helmet easy.

The Lab

Protection

The Network helmet features Zonal KOROYD® coverage, seen as the honeycomb material within the frame. Along with being lightweight, it is energy-absorbing and ventilated for impact protection.

MIPS, MIPS, MIPS! We are believers, the Mips® Brain Protection System reduces rotational forces caused by angled impacts to the head. When securing the helmet to your head you can feel the float of the outer shell from the Mips® system this allows the helmet to rotate on your head in the event of a crash reducing the initial impact and decreasing the trauma to your brain.

Fit / Integration

The Network helmet like many other Smith helmets is designed to integrate Smith performance eyewear along the front side of the helmet. We find this to be an intelligent solution to storing your glasses when you’re not wearing them.

While wearing your glasses, as we tend to do while riding, the AirEvac ventilation system helps to keep your lenses fog-free while riding.

Features

15 fixed vents for consistent airflow
Optional fabric visor
Ionic+® antimicrobial lining offers sweat-activated odor control
Lightweight, low-bulk single layer webbing
Weight (Size M, Mips®): 11 oz / 300 g

Across the out shell there are 15 fixed vents for consistent airflow to help keep you cool. All Network helmets include a removable fabric visor to reduce the amount of sun blasting into your eyes on the long midday rides.

Weighing in at ~300g for our size Medium, the Network helmet is light and comfortable with anti-microbial fabric on the interior pads.

Smith does a great job with fitting the helmet and adapting to a broad range of head shapes. From the ratcheting VaporFit mechanism on the back can be secured in three different positions to secure front to back fitment. Additionally the chin strap can be lengthened or shortened for top to bottom fitment with adjustable clasps for perfect comfort below the ears.

Over the last few months of summer heat and long days in the saddle, the Smith Network has been along for the ride. Personally, their are two major factors in committing to a helmet. Is it comfortable and is it safe?

Helmets from Smith consistently meet the demands of my standards. This is the second Network I’ve acquired over the last few years. I keep finding myself coming back to the Network as a sporty helmet for road and gravel riding.

There are many polarizing opinions when it comes to helmet safety and the significance of paying for the special tech that brands inject into their products. We are firm believers in MIPS and have had our fare share of spills that have put MIPS to the test. KOROYD is an inhouse developed system that makes a fantastic partner to the MIPS liner. Rather than a single EPS foam layer, the KOROYD ads an extra layer that’s lightweight and breathable, in addition to being able to absorb impacts.

Overall, it’s the little details that make the Network and many other Smith helmets, like the Trace, easy to like. From the Vaporfit ratchet mechanism on the rear of the helmet to secure it to your head, to the eyewear holder integration. These may not sound like the type of features that would make a helmet better then another, but when you’re riding day after day or just going out for an afternoon ride, these comfort features and the peace of mind of premium safety make the Network a fantastic helmet.