Giro Eclipse Spherical helmet layers head protection tech

The Giro Eclipse is the latest entry into the aero helmet area, for road and gravel riders. Five years after Giro launched the Vanquish aero road helmet, the new lid offers the latest technologies to prevent TBI in the event of a crash. The Eclipse features 14 vents with internal cooling channels and several technologies to protect the wearer should they crash and strike their head while wearing the helmet.

“In our many years of testing hundreds of helmets, the new Eclipse is the fastest road helmet we’ve tested, yet we refused to compromise protection, heat management, or comfort,” says Giro’s Director of Product Development Ben Penner.

VeloNews has not verified the fastest claims made by Penner, and has not yet scheduled any independent testing to verify the safety features promised in the Eclipse helmet. But, the helmet offers ample ventilation and has a rather neutral style that should work for most head shapes.

‘Ball and socket’ design

Giro’s Spherical Technology can be conceptualized as a ball and socket design. The outer shell of the helmet floats on an inner shell and the two parts are permanently connected by MIPs elastomers. I can feel the outer shell move while handling the helmet as I’m putting it on my head. Giro indicates this protection system should greatly diminish the chances of traumatic brain injury.

A progressive layering design that allows the different parts of the helmet with different foam densities to move, and is meant to dissipate impact forces one may experience while striking one’s head in a collision. Mechanically dissipating forces may lessen them and decrease the chance of a TBI. The inner shell of the helmet includes Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) technology to further dissipate rotational forces — especially angled, offset, or oblique helmet strikes, as a result of an impact.

“Progressive Layering is about the different densities of foam in each layer, the inner having a softer, less dense EPS layer to address low-impact forces while the outer having a denser, firmer EPS layer to deal with higher speed impacts,” said a Giro public relations representative.

While testing this helmet, I did not intentionally try to crash while wearing it, nor did I subject it to laboratory testing, so I’m trusting Giro that merging of MIPS and Spherical safety measures will greatly reduce the likelihood of injury compared to helmets which do not feature either or both of these technologies.

First impressions

The helmet sits a little lower on my head than the Rudy Project Spectrum, or the Bontrager Ballista which also has excellent ventilation, and this feels more secure. While I did not have the opportunity to wear this helmet in extreme temperatures at the far ends of the thermometer, it was quite comfortable for extended periods in moderate to cool weather. And I could definitely feel air circulation and this is promising for summer and hot-weather riding.

The Roc Loc adjuster and strap are easy to use, and even more comfortable, as is the padding. The Eclipse size medium fits like other size medium helmets from Giro, and similarly to helmets from Rudy Project, Specialized, Bell, Bontrager, and other popular brands.

Another appreciated feature is the sunglass port made possible by the placement of the vents in the helmet just above my temples. Sure, I can cram my glasses into a jersey pocket, or hook them to the back of my jersey collar, but parking them in the ports on in the Giro Eclipse makes getting to them quickly, without fumbling them, easy.

While not a primary safety concern, hearing traffic approaching from behind is pretty important. And so is being able to hear other riders call out road hazards. With the Giro Eclipse, wind noise is not as loud as with other helmets I’ve worn, and this is due, in part, to the shape of the helmet and the venting, both of which affect airflow near and around one’s ears.

Specifications and details

The Giro Eclipse helmet in size medium registered 268g. The Roc Loc 5 retention system has a dial that makes adjusting the fit easy, even while wearing winter gloves. This is a nice feature when wearing a hat or ear band beneath the helmet, requiring fit adjustment to accommodate a greater volume. The straps are comfortable and stay put, so I was not fiddling with them too close to my neck, or feeling them cant the lid to one side or the other of my pointy head. The Giro Ionic+ antimicrobial padding is ample and comfortable enough that I did not give it much thought. From experience, I know this padding is easy to clean. The reflective decals on the Eclipse are a nice finishing touch, too.

The CPSC-approved Giro Eclipse, in sizes small, medium, and large is available from the Giro website, with color options that include matte black/ gloss black, matte white/silver, matte black/white/bright red, matte ano blue, and matte charcoal mica. The test sample provided to VeloNews features the 2021 Canyon-SRAM team colors.