Review: Sweet Protection Primer MIPS

Sweet Protection recently released the Primer MIPS, a solid looking but price conscious version of its Bushwhacker trail helmet. After a few months with this matte green (“woodland green”) helmet, we’re impressed. It’s comfortable, with a couple small drawbacks.

If you’re less familiar with the Sweet Protection name, it’s a Norwegian brand that started around the turn of the century. It initially launched with snow sports but, since 2011, makes helmets for all kinds of biking. From Tour de France lids for Uno-X to the Primer and Bushwhacker trail helmets.

Sweet Protection Primer MIPS

Sweet Protection builds the Primer around its 360 Occigrip Fit System. That uses an adjustable rear fit strap, which moves up and down in the helmet and uses a dial to tighten/loosen. Ventilation comes via a series of ports in the front and back of the helmet as well as raised areas on forehead area, to allow air over glasses. A breakaway visor is adjustable to four height settings, via a notched rack-style band on the helmet.

Inside the Primer is Mips’ Evolve system. Like all MIPS, this is designed to reduce impact of rotational forces when you crash. Sweet Protection integrates the MIPS evolve layer to work with its own eyewear, though that produces mixed results with other brands glasses. The Primer MIPS is also designed to work with a ponytail, though I didn’t get to test that feature.

Review: Sweet Protection Primer MIPS

Sweet Protection’s Primer MIPS is comfortable. Very comfortable. Even on hot days, it mostly disappeared on my head like a good helmet should. The small fit adjustments to the back closure do a good job of helping secure the Primer without pinching or causing pressure.  And the fit dial is easy to adjust on the fly, without being so easy it bumps loose. The strap system is also easy to adjust, easy to keep centred, and comfortable.

The Primer also looks good. While that’s not strictly a performance feature, it is important. There’s no garish colours. I like the minimalist design/branding and softer tones (plus black, always black).

The strap system on the Primer is very comfortable.

As is the rear fit strap

It's vertically adjustable and padded, so it doesn't pinch or create pressure points

The visor system is simple, but works best in the top and bottom settings.

Not so Sweet Protection: A couple quibbles

There are two issues with the Primer. The visor, and sunglasses. The it stays in the top and bottom setting well but the middle settings are trickier. It tends to be easily bumped into a different position. With the visor all the way up, there’s just enough room for small goggles, if that’s your jam.

There's sort of room for glasses in the back...

... but they poke out of the helmet, or into your head, while wearing the Primer

Some smaller glasses, like these Adidas, fit better.

All glasses fit comfortably while wearing them, though.

You can technically get some glasses in the front of the Primer MIPS

But it didn't exactly feel secure.

There’s less space, however, for sunglasses. With the way the EPS shell is shaped through the front vents, I couldn’t make any glasses fit in under the visor in a way that felt secure. Sweet Protection says the helmet’s designed to work with its own eyewear, but usually that doesn’t mean exclusively with its own eyewear. Some sets do fit in the vents at the back. But that will depend on brand, style and how comfortable you feel with having them sitting up there while riding. Some fit in well, others needed to poke into my head a bit to feel like they were securely in place. I don’t know how this is still something helmet brands are overlooking, but at least there is some sort of option, if only for some kinds of sunglasses.

Last word: Sweet Protection Primer MIPS oozes comfort

Overall, the Primer is a very solid helmet, outside of the sunglasses issues. It’s quiet on the trail, too. There’s no creaking from the MIPS Evolve layer. This isn’t true for all MIPS helmets. It’s also very comfortable, there’s no comfort for safety trade-off. The also isn’t always true of MIPS liners.

I’ve been wearing the Primer for a few months now, but it really stood out during a hot week of four-hour days on the bike. I didn’t feel pressure points or chafing. Even with the weight of a silly GoPro bobbling around on top of my helmet (for work, I am not doing anything video worthy on the bike), it stayed securely in place without having to be so tight my brains were squeezed out my ears. I’m usually somewhere between a medium and large for sizing. With a lot of brands, that leaves me stuck choosing between something too small and looking like Toad from Mario Kart trying mountain biking. The M/L Primer felt, and looked, like a proper-fitting helmet should.

At $190 (USD 150), it’s reasonably priced for a very well built helmet, too. Sweet Protection also offers a 40 per cent discount on crash replacements, which is a nice touch.

Sweet Protection Primer MIPS comes in six colours and three sizes: S/M, M/L and L/XL. The M/L is tested here.