Giro’s Register Mips II is straightforward, comfortable and broadly useful, the kind of helmet that belongs on a hook by the door rather than in a performance drawer. It adjusts easily, vents well and suits riders who need dependable protection for errands, paths and ordinary miles. The design is not trying to win the café stop. It is trying to make the ride happen, which is a more important assignment.

POC’s Omne Air Mips is the stylish choice, if a helmet can be allowed such a word. The shape is clean, the colors are restrained and the safety story is credible. It has enough road-cycling pedigree without requiring the full Lycra conversion. For riders who care how objects sit in the visual field of a city, the Omne is a good compromise: serious protection, less visual panic.