Giro Vanquish vs Aerohead is going to be a very close battle. Two helmets are priced at exactly the same and have only a few differences. Deciding on which one of these helmets is better is going to be tricky, it will all come down to tiny details in specifications, design, comfort, and real-world performance.
Let’s get on with the reviews
Giro Vanquish
Giro Vanquish is a perfect balance of typical ventilated road helmet and a specific and aerodynamic TT style helmet. Giro really did a good job at ensuring you will stay at top speed while wearing this helmet. This small helmet comes with a few great features. See also: Giro Vanquish vs Giro Air Attack.
Giro Vanquish’s outer shell is split in two, the front part is mostly featureless and designed to look like it overlaps the smaller and narrower rear half. This design is what Giro call TransformAir, it’s step down design acts to trick air into behaving as if the helmet has a traditional teardrop TT shape built-in but allows for a more practical shell design.
There are four forward facing vents that can pull cooler air over your head and enhanced further by six more vents at the rear. They are designed to dispel warm air and regulate head temperature, keeping it down.
Giro Vanquish might not be able to compete with other pure road helmets but the vents are doing their job by releasing warm air and sweat. Also, there are two lower front vents with a high amount of silicon coating to keep your eyewear safe when not wearing them.
With the latest MIPS technology, the helmet will protect you by having a sliding inner surface that enables any rotational forces that are caused in a crash to be dissipated quickly to an extent that should reduce the risk of a serious skull and brain injuries.
Giro Vanquish has a much more breathable material than its predecessors and has no noticeable negative impacts on your comfort. With the neat Roc Loc retention system and anti-microbial pads to create a wonderful feeling of pleasure when being put to your head.
Another wonderful thing that makes Giro Vanquish stands out the most is the magnetic visor included with the helmet. The visor snaps into place perfectly, thanks to three strong magnets. It’s always surprising to see the magnets work properly.
The tint and the optics are spot on. The tint works on a wide range of light conditions but wont work well on very overcast days or when riding under large and dense trees. If you want to wear other eyewear, you can do so comfortably.
Performance wise, there shouldn’t be room for complains. Giro Vanquish does a good job of keeping on your top speed. There won’t be a time when you wish you want to replace your helmet while on the road. If you’re planning on biking on hot days, Giro Vanquish will keep your head cool enough to keep going.
Giro Aerohead
One of the most famous products from Giro, Giro Aerohead has been regarded as one of the best helmets for time trialists thanks to its performance.
Giro Aerohead was worn by Rohan Dennis, while riding the fastest eve tour de France time trial and again by Marcin Bialoblocki, setting a staggering 16-35 national 10-mile TT record. You don’t need more proof of quality than this.
Giro Aerohead also has been tested by many enthusiasts, during one of the most recent tests here is the result:
· It’s very comfortable
· Well-made and very solid, and the retention system works well.
· It doesn’t do well at mitigating hot air and decreasing the temperature inside the helmet. That’s why it’s not suitable for something like Ironman triathlons.
· It is no doubt aero.
Giro Aerohead works best if you position your head low. In this position the back of the helmet fits much better with the rider’s back, but it’s not going to suit everyone.
Giro Aerohead is no doubt aerodynamic, the time trial records broken by riders wearing this helmet are no coincidence. If you’re looking for the fastest helmet, then Giro Aerohead is what you’re really looking for.
Giro Aerohead is very compact. The helmet starts with a polycarbonate shell with built-in MIPS technology and has four integrated wind tunnel vents and over brow ventilation to help with cooling down.
There is also a vented eye shield from ZEISS Optics with a magnetic lens attachment. There two magnets in two different positions, one in front of your eyes that keeps the visor in place and another attaches the visor to the top of the helmet. Giro uses Roc Loc Air system for this one.
Overall, putting on Giro Aerohead for the first time feels fantastic. The view is very wide, you won’t see the edges. You will get a completely unobstructed view.
It definitely feels comfortable the moment we put it on to the moment we took it off. But the overheating problem is quite serious. If you live in a warm area, Giro Aerohead might be a poor choice of helmet for you. The ventilations are limited and may force you to stop when it gets too hot.
Giro Vanquish vs Aerohead
Conclusion
Like we said, Giro Vanquish vs Aerohead is a really close battle. While the helmets are very close in terms of quality, there are some key differences. Giro Vanquish is better to be used during hot days. This helmet does a better at regulating the warm air and letting more cool air in. This way you keep on going even during high temperature.
Giro Aerohead, on the other hand, is all about speed. If you want to achieve high speed and maintain it for much longer, this helmet is great. Many record holders wore this helmet when they break the record, there is no better advertisement than that. But, sadly that’s pretty much the only thing Aerohead has over the Vanquish. Vanquish is still more suitable for most people who are looking for comfort, safety and other nice features.