Safety technology
The Mips® Safety System
Most crashes don't hit the helmet square-on. Mips® is designed to help redirect the rotational motion that follows an angled impact, and it's built into every Kabuto helmet.
- 1996Research begins
- 10–15 mmMovement in all directions
- 100,000+Helmets tested
See the difference
How Mips® works
Most crashes don't hit the helmet square-on. They strike at an angle, which can set the head rotating.
Inside a Mips®-equipped helmet, a low-friction layer sits between the comfort padding and the impact-absorbing EPS liner.
Without a sliding layer, the shell and the head turn together, so the rotation of the impact reaches the head.
In an angled impact the low-friction layer allows 10–15 mm of movement in all directions, designed to help redirect rotational motion away from the head.
- ShellThe outer surface that meets the road
- EPS linerThe impact-absorbing foam
- Low-friction layerThe Mips® layer, only in Mips® helmets
- Comfort paddingSits against the head
- HeadThe rider
Simplified illustration, not to scale.
Born from brain research
Research that began in 1996
Mips® wasn't created by a helmet company. It started with two researchers in Stockholm who wanted to understand how helmets could better protect the brain in angled impacts.
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1996
Research begins
Swedish neurosurgeon Hans von Holst of the Karolinska Institute teams up with Peter Halldin, a researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, to study how helmets could better protect the brain in angled impacts.
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2007
The first Mips® helmet
Their work became the Multi-directional Impact Protection System (Mips®), and in 2007 the first helmet equipped with it.
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Today
100,000+ helmets tested
Mips® is used in helmets for cycling, snow sports, construction and motorsport, and has tested more than 100,000 helmets at its laboratory north of Stockholm, Sweden.
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Kabuto
First in MotoGP™
Shop the F-17 GP Mips®Kabuto took that research to the top of motorcycle racing: the F-17 was the first MotoGP™ helmet equipped with the Mips® safety system.
Figures from Mips® (mipsprotection.com).
Why it matters on the track
From track days to adventure touring, falls rarely happen square-on. Here's what Mips® adds to a Kabuto helmet.
Angled impacts
Real-world crashes usually strike at an angle, which can make the head rotate. That's the motion Mips® is designed to help manage.
Low-friction layer
A thin layer between the padding and the EPS liner lets the helmet move slightly relative to the head during an impact.
First in MotoGP™
The Kabuto F-17 was the first MotoGP™ helmet equipped with the Mips® safety system.
Backed by research
Mips® publishes the science, test methods and third-party studies behind its system.
Every Kabuto model
Kabuto is Mips® equipped
All models include the Mips® Safety System. Point at a livery to preview it.
- Full Face
- Adventure
- Full Face
Mips® FAQ
Questions about Mips® in Kabuto helmets? Email support@kabutoamericas.com.
What is Mips®?
Mips® (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) is a safety system built into the helmet. It's designed to help reduce rotational motion transferred to the head in angled impacts.
How does Mips® work?
A low-friction layer between the comfort padding and the EPS liner allows 10–15 mm of movement in all directions during an angled impact. That movement is designed to help redirect rotational motion away from the head.
What is rotational motion, and why does it matter?
When a helmet hits a surface at an angle, the head can be set rotating. Brain tissue is sensitive to rotational motion, which is why Mips® focuses on angled impacts.
Where is Mips® in my Kabuto helmet?
It's built into the inside of the helmet, between the comfort padding and the EPS liner. There's nothing to adjust or maintain.
Which Kabuto helmets have Mips®?
The F-17 GP Mips®, GEOSYS GT Mips® and Aeroblade-F Mips®. Look for the Mips® badge on each product page.
Was Mips® created by a helmet company?
No. It grew out of brain-injury research that began in 1996 at the Karolinska Institute and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.