Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS Helmet Review

The Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS is the top end open face helmet from Italian protection specialist Bluegrass. Aimed at enduro, trail and e-bike riders alike, the Rogue Core Mips was designed to meet the needs of Bluegrass’ pro riders and offer top end protection in a comfortable and well vented package.

Brand: Bluegrass
Product: Rogue Core MIPS Helmet
From: Raleigh
Price: £130.00
Tested: by Ross

Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS

Construction is in the form of an in-mould polycarbonate shell with an EPS liner. The finish of the helmet is properly top end, with no rough or sharp edges and the hard shell completely wraps round the bottom of the EPS leaving no exposed areas that could get damaged in transit or by small knocks.

The coverage at the back and at the temples – the most sensitive areas – has been extended to provide additional protection and inside you’ll find a MIPS-C2 brain protection system which can move 10mm – 15mm in any direction. This, combined with the shell and EPS liner means the Rogue Core MIPS “exceeds all worldwide certifications and performs best at both linear and rotational impact” and then helmet has been awarded a 5 star rating from Virginia Tech.

The helmet features a total of 16 large vents (inlet and exhaust combined) to funnel air into the internal air channelling system to keep things cool in warm weather and when working hard. The front two vents under the visor also work to keep goggles and glasses fog free and help keep the front pad dry and free from sweat.

Rather than being a properly stiff peak, the visor on the Rogue is made from flexible material that is designed to flex and bend in the event of a crash so as to help reduce rotational forces. The visor is also designed to accommodate your glasses when they’re not in use. The arms thread in through the vents and close underneath, locking them in place. It’s also designed to push up for goggle storage if that’s more your thing, with a small edge on the back to aid strap retention.

Inside, the Rogue Core MIPS uses Bluegrass’ Safe-T Heta retention system. The system uses a 360° cradle with dial to adjust things as well as three vertical positions. The straps are embedded into the EPS and fastened with an easy to use Fidlock buckle.

All this adds up to a weight of 364g on my trusty kitchen scales. For reference, this makes it 25g lighter than the Fox Speedframe Pro and just 2g lighter than the Giro Merit Spherical (all measured on the same scales. The Giro obviously uses a different MIPS system but the Bluegrass’ temple coverage extends a bit lower than the other two. The Rogue Core MIPS retails at £130.00.

Fit and Performance

My head measures around 58cm and we were sent a medium helmet for review. This measurement puts me at the upper end of the recommended sizing for their size M (56cm – 58cm) but the helmet fits well with plenty of adjustment either way on the cradle. I’ve run the cradle in the middle vertical position (which is how it arrived) and not felt the need to change this. The shape of the shell adds plenty of coverage where needed and extends well down over the temples for added protection.

The dial on the rear lets you get a really nice snug fit in small increments and so far I’ve not had any issues with hotspots, soreness etc. and is easy to use even in gloves in wet weather. The straps offer plenty of adjustment to get them sitting right and the fidlock buckle works well and makes fastening the straps really simple and easy to do, again even with gloves on.

I’d say I’ve got a more oval head as opposed to round, and for me, the Rogue Core MIPS has proved to be really comfortable. In fact it’s properly comfortable. Potentially more so than my current benchmark – the Giro Merit Spherical. The shape works well with my head and so far the pads have remained comfortable and, well, padded.

As with pretty much all helmets I’ve got, I’ve run the rogue Core MIPS with the visor slightly up to get it out of my vision and it’s stayed where I put it, with no moving or wobbling about. Storing glasses on the visor isn’t simple as some storage systems but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward. The glasses have also stayed put while climbing and contouring although they can be a little rattley if you want to keep them there for descending.

When you’re actually wearing your glasses, I’ve found that the straps, shell and retention system all work well with them. There’s room behind the extended temple coverage so that it doesn’t cause any pressure points on the arms and so far I’ve had no issues with frames clashing with the shell etc.

The vents do a good job of keeping things cool and now the temperatures are starting to creep into the mid-teens the Rogue Core MIPS has remained cool and comfortable to wear, with good airflow. The front two vents also seem to work well with glasses remaining fog free even on cooler drizzly days as long as I kept moving.

I’ve had a couple of small ‘unplanned dismounts’ while using the Rogue and it’s stayed in place and done what it needs to do. Thankfully though I’ve not yet tested it to destruction or challenged Bluegrass’s claims on protection levels, but given the coverage, shell and inclusion of a MIPS liner I’m happy that it would perform when needed.

Overall

Helmets are like saddles in that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another and fit is key. But if you’re in the market for a new helmet then the Bluegrass Rogue Core MIPS is well worth trying. I can’t really find anything to fault it on. It looks good, is properly comfortable to wear, offers plenty of protection and is well vented.

You may also want to check out our latest buyer’s guide to the best mountain bike helmets.