Bell Super DH Review: Best 2-in-1 Helmet for Mountain Bikers?

A good helmet is inarguably the most important piece of mountain bike gear, so it’s important to put a lot of thought and time into finding the right helmet for you. It’s also important to mention that there is no one best helmet. Heads come in all shapes and sizes and what works for me, might not work for you.

That being said, I’ve worn the Bell Super DH helmet for a number of years (and many, many miles), and even though I’ve moved on to the Smith Mainline, I still think that the Super DH is an excellent option. It’s a great versatile helmet for riders looking for both a ‘normal’ half lid and a full face, since the Super DH has a removable chin guard. Essentially, it’s a 2-in-1 helmet.

In this post, I dig into what I like about the Bell Super DH MIPS helmet and what I don’t plus a few other options to consider before buying.

Let’s dive in!

(FYI: I’m not being paid by Bell or anyone else to write this review nor did I receive a free helmet).

Super Bell DH pros

Super Bell DH Cons

Bell Super DH Performance

When shopping around for a new helmet, performance is the key factor to consider, right? If you crash, you want your helmet to excel at what it does – keeping your head intact.

Here’s how the Super Bell DH stacks up on safety and other performance features.

Safety

The Super Bell DH has one of the highest safety ratings for mountain bike helmets – an ASTM F1952 Downhill Standard approval rating, which means it’s designed to protect your noggin a high-speed crashes.

It also has MIPS Technology, which most mountain bike helmets these days should come with. MIPS stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. This means that MIPS helmets – including the Super DH – have a thin, plastic liner that is designed to protect your head against rotational forces during a crash.

You can learn more about how the technology works on the MIPS Protection website.

So why did I only give it 4 out of 5 stars? Because of the chinstrap. On true downhill helmets (like the Smith Mainline), the chinstrap is secured through a D-ring, so it’s virtually impossible to come undone during a crash.

However, on the Super DH, the chinstrap is secured by a magnetic clip. Now, for normal helmets, like the Giro Manifest, I typically like this magnetic clip, but for downhill helmets, it’s not quite as safe, especially if you’re riding at high speeds or doing crazy jumps or drops.

A crash at the wrong angle or hitting an obstacle a certain way could, theoretically, cause the magnetic clip to come undone.

The removable chin bar

The detachable chin guard is the main selling point for the Bell Super DH. It’s really two helmets in one – you can wear it as a ‘normal’ helmet for everyday pedaling, or strap on the chin bar when you head to the bike park or plan on doing some rowdier trails.

Some people question whether the removable chin bar design is as safe and secure as a one-piece full-face helmet. I would say that for the normal/average rider – yes, it’s definitely adequate, especially since it has passed tests to grant it an ASTM F1952 Downhill Standard approval rating.

However, if you’re a true downhiller and taking bigger risks on jumps, drops, and other features then you may want to consider a dedicated downhill full-face helmet like the Smith Mainline.

The visor

The Super Bell DH has a pretty long visor compared to other helmets, which may be a good or bad thing depending on your personal preference. I personally didn’t mind it and since it’s adjustable, it’s easy to flip up a few notches if you need full visability.

What I didn’t like, though, is that the screws that hold the visor in place come loose really easily. I actually lost one on both of my Super DH helmets, which was really annoying.

You can buy these little screws (as well as replacement visors) on the Bell website, but I’d rather not have them come loose in the first place.

Super Bell DH Comfort & fit

After safety and performance, a helmet should be comfortable, right? If you’re going to be spending hours pedaling and sweating in it, it shouldn’t leave you with dents in your forehead or clumps of hair missing.

Here’s how I rate the Super Bell DH on comfort and fit:

Comfort

Truthfully, the Bell Super DH is one of the most comfortable helmets I’ve owned. It’s comfortable with the chin bar and without it. I’ve never felt any pressure points or had the lid slip down over my brows like some other helmets I’ve tested.

It also has an adjustment dial at the back (like all mountain bike helmets should have) so you can get the perfect fit – not too snug and not too loose.

The Super DH also comes with two cheek pad sizes so you can choose whichever works for you when wearing it as a full face helmet.

Fit

The Super Bell DH comes in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. You can follow Bell’s helmet sizing chart to determine what size you need.

Additionally, this helmet also has a little boa dial at the back (which most mountain bike helmets have) that allows you to get a nice, snug fit.

And when you use it as a full face, it comes with two different cheek pad sizes so you can get a snug full face fit, too. (Although it is a little wasteful to have a set of pads that you won’t use).

Ventilation

Full face helmets aren’t known for having amazing ventilation, so this is where the Super Bell DH kind of struggles trying to straddle the full face and half lid line. Of course, it has holes for ventilation, but when you compare it to a lightweight regular helmet, the Super Bell DH isn’t going to stack up.

I sweat a lot and I definitely prefer having good airflow, so this was one of the main reasons I decided to switch to a standard helmet (the Giro Manifest) and a dedicated helmet (the Smith Mainline).

2024 Update: It looks like they’ve added an ‘over the brow ventilation cutout’ to help with a bit more airflow.

Additional Features

The Super Bell DH has a few other features that are worth mentioning. They include:

Is this helmet for you?

I wore the Bell Super DH mountain bike helmet for several seasons and I liked a lot of things about it: it’s comfortable, it’s downhill-rated, it’s two helmets in one, and it comes in some great color choices.

However, the weight and ventilation were two big issues for me and I ended up switching back to a ‘normal’ helmet and a dedicated full face.

But, if you only want one helmet that does it all and is rated for high-speed, high-stakes riding, the Super Bell DH is a great choice.

Not sure what to look for in a helmet? Check out my tips on how to choose a mountain bike helmet so you can get the ride one for your rides.

How it Compares to the Super Air R & Super 3R

In addition to the Super DH, Bell also has two other helmets with removable chin guards – the Super Air R and the Super 3R. Here’s how they stack up against each other:

Other MTB Helmets w/ removable chin guards

Not sold on the Bell Super DH or Bell’s other models but still want a removable chin guard? Here are a few other options to consider:

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Have you tried the Bell Super DH mountain bike helmet? What do you love or dislike about it? Would you add anything to this review? Leave a comment below!