Most helmet safety testing was built around one kind of fall: straight down, landing flat on the top of the head. Real falls rarely work that way. A skier catching an edge, or a snowboarder tumbling down a slope, almost always lands at an angle. MIPS exists because of that gap between how helmets were tested and how people actually fall.
What MIPS Actually Is
MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. It's a thin, low-friction layer, usually a distinct yellow liner, fitted between a helmet's outer shell and its inner padding. On a straight impact, it does very little. On an angled impact, which is what most real falls involve, that layer lets the shell rotate slightly against the head, roughly 10 to 15mm, instead of transferring the full twisting force straight through to the skull.
That twisting force matters because of what it does inside the head. A straight impact compresses the brain against the skull in one direction. An angled impact adds rotation, which shears and strains brain tissue in a way a straight impact doesn't, and that rotational force is a significant contributor to concussion and other brain injuries.
Where the Idea Came From
MIPS traces back to 1995, when Hans von Holst, a neurosurgeon at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, began looking into why people were still suffering serious brain injuries despite wearing helmets that met existing safety standards. He brought the question to Peter Halldin, an engineer at the KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyinStockholm, and the two spent years researching how rotational force behaves inside the skull during a fall.
Their work led to a patent in the early 2000s and, eventually, to MIPS becoming what's known as an ingredient brand: a technology other helmet manufacturers licence and build into their own products, rather than a helmet brand in its own right. That's why you'll find MIPS across dozens of manufacturers rather than under one name of its own.
How the Layer Actually Behaves in a Fall
Peter Halldin has described the effect as similar to landing on ice rather than digging into the ground. Without the layer, an angled impact grabs the helmet and twists the head with it. With the layer in place, the outer shell can slide slightly relative to the head, letting it continue moving in roughly the direction it was already travelling rather than snapping into a rotation.
The whole event happens in a handful of milliseconds. Independent testing has recorded meaningful reductions in the rotational force reaching the head during an angled impact, though the exact figure depends heavily on the angle, speed and surface involved in any individual fall, so a single number rarely tells the full story.
How MIPS Is Tested
Standard helmet certification tests, such as CE EN1077 for the European market, focus on straight, linear impacts: a helmet dropped flat onto a surface. That testing tells you a helmet can handle a direct hit, but it says nothing about what happens when the same helmet meets the ground at an angle.
MIPS testing adds an oblique impact method on top of that, striking a helmeted head from an angle rather than straight on, and measuring the rotational force that reaches the head during that impact. This is the test that standard certification doesn't include, and it's the one that MIPS was built to respond to.
Common MIPS Myths, Addressed
"MIPS helmets are less durable." A MIPS helmet goes through the same certification testing as any other helmet, plus the additional oblique impact testing on top. The low friction layer doesn't weaken the shell or liner underneath it.
"MIPS is only for racers or professionals." Most falls that cause concussion, on a bike, on foot or on snow, involve some angle rather than a perfectly straight drop. The benefit isn't limited to high speed or competitive use.
"A MIPS helmet fits differently." The layer is thin enough that it shouldn't change how a helmet sits on your head. If a MIPS helmet feels tight or awkward compared with a non-MIPS version in the same size, that's down to the specific helmet's shape rather than the technology itself.
"You can add MIPS to a helmet you already own." No. The layer is built into the helmet during manufacturing, positioned precisely between shell and liner. There's no retrofit version.
All You Need To Keep Safe On The Slopes
MIPS addresses a specific, well-documented gap in helmet protection: the rotational force that comes from an angled fall, which is how most real falls actually happen. It won't change how a helmet fits or feels day-to-day, and it's not a substitute for choosing the right size and type. It's one more layer of protection worth knowing about when you're comparing helmets side by side.
Browse ski and snowboard helmets, including MIPS-equipped options, at Snow+Rock.
FAQs
Look for a small yellow MIPS logo on the helmet, or check inside for the distinct yellow liner. The product listing or packaging will also state it directly.
No. The layer is thin and doesn't block the helmet's ventilation channels, so airflow works the same as it would without it.
Usually, by a modest amount compared with an equivalent non-MIPS model from the same range, reflecting the extra layer and testing rather than a large price jump.
No. MIPS only works as intended if the helmet itself fits well and stays in place during a fall, chin strap fastened, so fit still comes first.
A MIPS helmet still has to pass standard linear impact certification like any other helmet. MIPS testing adds the angled impact assessment on top of that, rather than replacing it.
Independent lab testing consistently shows a reduction in rotational force during angled impacts, which is the mechanism most closely linked to concussion. Real world injury data is harder to isolate to one factor, but the lab results are well established.
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