Best time trial helmets: Super-fast helmets for TT and triathlon

CAEN, FRANCE - JULY 09: Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Team Soudal Quick-Step competes during the 112th Tour de France, Stage 5 a 33km individual time trial stage from Caen to Caen / #UCIWT / on July 09, 2025 in Caen, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Time trial helmets have undergone significant changes in recent years, thanks to new technology and advancements in the science behind achieving faster times. This means that helmets, once considered the gold standard, have quickly become obsolete, as modern rhetoric examines the way the helmet interacts with the shoulders, back, and front areas. Finding a modern time trial helmet that suits you is also an easy way to shave a significant amount of time off your personal best 10- and 25-mile time trial times, or improve your triathlon bike split.

Anytime you ride a bike, the speed at which you travel is a function of your ability to overcome the forces acting against you – the air. One of these functions is the ability to move through the air, meaning that as you increase your speed, the aerodynamic forces become an increasingly limiting factor. While the best triathlon and TT wheels are another significant way of improving your aerodynamics, time trial helmet is a smaller financial investment.

Recent updates

Last updated on 14th of July 2025

Updated intro., removed older helmets that are not available anymore (Smith, Specialized, Garneau, Giro, and Lazer) and added Met Drone II Wide, Rudy Project Wingdream, Specialized S-Works TT5, and Giro Aerohead II helmets.

Aaron Borrill

Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Aaron has spent almost two decades writing about bikes, cars, and anything else with wheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor.

Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022, 2023, 2024 UCI eSports World Championships.

Height: 175cm

Weight: 61.5kg