I finally found the perfect bike helmet for riding at night — and I don’t look like a total dork wearing it

I love to bike, particularly at night. Sure, there's nothing like soaking up the sun while pumping the pedals, but the peacefulness of an evening ride is hard to beat. With fewer cars and pedestrians to contend with, I find it easier to focus on my workout.

Of course, proper illumination is the name of the game when it comes to night rides. My mantra is "see and be seen," which means that owning a pair of the best bike lights is an absolute must for me. Similarly, the lack of traffic doesn't mean I let my guard down: one of the best bike helmets graces my head no matter the time of my ride.

Up until recently, my go-to bike helmet for evening rides has been the Lumos Ultra MIPS, a comfortable, commuter-style cranium can with built-in lights that recharge via USB. Gifted to me by my partners, it's served me well over the past few years but the helmet is not without its faults.

Compared to my favorite helmet for daytime rides, the Abus GameChanger 2.0 , the Lumos is much heavier and bulkier. I also frequently forget to charge it up. So, when Lumos launched an updated version of the Ultra earlier this year boasting a significantly lighter design with modular/removable lights, I was intrigued.

I've now been biking with the new Lumos Ultra Fly for just over a week, and it's quickly climbed the ranks as one of my favorite bike helmets, replacing the original Lumos Ultra as my go-to for night rides. Best of all, I don't like a total nerd wearing it.

Lumos Ultra Fly: design and comfort

Lumos Ultra Fly MIPS + Firefly Light: $149
The Lumos Ultra Fly bike helmet with MIPS safety technology is my new favorite option for riding at night thanks to its compatibility with the brand's modular, magnetic Firefly lights, one of which mounts on the back. The Ultra Fly is also ultra-light, comfortable and well-ventilated. View Deal

The Lumos Ultra Fly weighs in at just 250 grams, 35 grams less than the Abus GameChanger 2.0, one of the lightest helmets I've ever worn. With a Lumos Firefly modular taillight attached, that weight increases to a still manageable 280 grams.

Ventilation is outstanding. I wore the helmet during a daytime ride in 80-degree weather and remained cool-headed, even after biking up 300+ feet of elevation. There are a total of 12 vents, two along each side and eight on top.

The only size option is medium/large, but a dial on the back lets you adjust the helmet's fit to your liking in small increments. As you tighten it up, the interior adjusts both vertically and horizontally for maximum comfort.

Speaking of comfort, the Lumos Ultra Fly has five skinny strips of sweat-wicking padding lining the interior. They're effective at keeping sweat at bay but I do wish Lumos had included some additional strips for when these ones eventually get nasty and need replacing.

Lumos Ultra Fly: modular Firefly lights

My favorite feature of the Lumos Ultra Fly is its compatibility with the brand's Firefly modular smart bike lights . These small yet powerful illuminators pair with a companion app that lets you sync the lights and/or customize the output, blinking pattern and even the color. This means you no longer need to worry about carrying a dedicated headlight and taillight, as any Lumos Firefly can function as either.

The lights charge up wirelessly via USB-C dock and contain high-power magnets for attachment. The rear of the helmet is just one spot where you can connect a Firefly light. Lumos was kind enough to send me three lights to test, so I mounted one to the front of my bike, one to the rear, and one on my helmet.

Removing the lights from their mounts takes no more than a firm pull to disengage the magnetic attachment points. However, even on the bumpiest terrain, they stayed put. Another advantage of the magnetic design is that you can easily take your lights with you when locking up your bike in public. I can't tell you how many bike headlights I've had stolen over the years...

You can also use the Firefly lights to signal turns, which is pretty cool. This requires mounting two on the back of your bike — they sell a slick mounting kit to do this — and an accessory remote for your handlebars.

Lumos Ultra Fly: Safety tech

The Lumos Ultra Fly comes in several varieties including MIPS safety technology. MIPS is an acronym for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. A protective layer located inside the helmet, it works by allowing the exterior to rotate or slide in the instance of an impact, while cradling the head, to lessen the chance of brain injury.

MIPS is considered the gold standard when it comes to crash safety and I personally only recommend helmets that offer it or something similar.

Lumos Ultra Fly: Other features

Sometimes, it's the tiniest features that make the biggest impact, and the Lumos Ultra Fly has no shortage of little bells and whistles. Similar to the Abus GameChanger 2.0, it sports a nifty magnetic sliding buckle on the chin strap that can easily be secured or undone with one hand. It also doesn't catch on my beard like a standard snapping buckle.

There's additionally a glasses port to secure your shades when not in use, strategically placed reflectors along the side and rear of the helmet, and an oversized rear opening for folks with ponytails.

Should you buy the Lumos Ultra Fly bike helmet?

As noted, the Lumos Ultra Fly bike helmet comes in several varieties and kits, including both with and without MIPS. I'd recommend springing for the MIPS version, which will set you back $109 on its own or $149 when kitted with a Lumos Firefly light and charging cable; the lights on their own are $49 a pop .

Comfortable, reasonably stylish and packed with the latest safety tech, the Lumos Ultra Fly is a helmet I'd comfortably recommend to any cycling enthusiast who frequently finds themselves spinning the wheels after the sun goes down.

I'm especially a fan of the companion Firefly lights, which are very bright, long-lasting (up to 35 hours in battery-saver mode) and fairly reasonably priced given how multifunctional and customizable they are. Plus, each ships with a variety of straps and padding for affixing to your ride.

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