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Bontrager Ballista Review

A solid helmet proving that aerodynamics and good ventilation are not mutually exclusive
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bontrager ballista road bike helmet review
Credit: Bontrager
Price:  $210 List
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Manufacturer:   Bontrager
By Nick Bruckbauer ⋅   ⋅  May 7, 2020
75
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 20% 8.0
  • Adjustability - 15% 7.0
  • Weight - 15% 9.0
  • Style - 15% 7.0
  • Ventilation - 20% 7.0
  • Durability - 15% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Bontrager Ballista has reset our expectations of aerodynamic road biking helmets. It was the first aero helmet in Bontrager's lineup, and it does not disappoint. While aero road helmets do likely make you faster in the right conditions, we don't have a wind tunnel to verify any manufacturer performance claims. We recommend you take claims of improved performance with a grain of salt and look at other factors such as comfort, ventilation, and adjustability when selecting an aero helmet. The Ballista has respectable scores in each of the rating metrics and makes a great racing helmet for fast individual efforts or long days in the breakaway.
REASONS TO BUY
Sleek style
Lightweight and well-ventilated for aero helmet
REASONS TO AVOID
Finicky headband and strap system
No sunglass storage

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Bontrager Ballista is a high-end aerodynamic road helmet. The look of the helmet is unique, with a very elongated profile and minimal vents designed to decrease aerodynamic drag. It looks fast, but what sets it apart from other aero road helmets is its comparatively excellent ventilation and low weight.

Performance Comparison


bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - the ballista maintains a surprisingly light weight and a reasonable...
The Ballista maintains a surprisingly light weight and a reasonable amount of ventilation for an aerodynamic helmet.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

Comfort


The Ballista surprised us with its excellent padding that is slightly thicker at the forehead area, and thinner as the pads taper towards the rear of the helmet. The internal headband tensioning system is fixed at the temples, so the head is forced forward into the front of the helmet, which makes it a bit more prone to the creation of pressure points than helmets with a full circumference tensioning system. However, its padding is quite substantial, which helps to limit pressure points.

bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - the ballista's front padding is quite substantial.
The Ballista's front padding is quite substantial.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

Our testers noted a few features about the chinstrap system that can be a nuisance. While the webbing material is thin and soft and the adjustable Y-buckles are small and unobtrusive, the way the rear portion of the strap system is routed through the single central anchor point at the rear of the helmet leaves the strap material floating in the middle of the helmet. This makes it very easy for the straps to get twisted or bunched up against your head when trying to put on the helmet and creates awkward pressure against your head when you pull the straps tight.

bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - the rear strap system is not routed around the outside perimeter of...
The rear strap system is not routed around the outside perimeter of the helmet, which leaves the straps in an awkward location where they can easily get tangled and can put some additional pressure on the head.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

Overall, we were disappointed with the design of this strap system. Most other models route the rear straps through the headband system around the perimeter of the helmet, helping the straps fit lay more comfortably across your head and eliminating twisting or weird pressure points.

Adjustability


The Ballista offers a reasonable amount of adjustability with a BOA adjustment system with a rear adjustment dial that is easy to use and offers a wide range of adjustment. However, out testers strongly prefer the feel of a traditional headband system to the thin, wiry tension cables of the BOA system. During our testing, these cables got caught up on our ears and generally felt less comfortable against our head than other headband systems.

bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - the boa adjustment system includes small wiry conch cords around the...
The BOA adjustment system includes small wiry conch cords around the headband that can get caught up around your ears when you're putting on the helmet.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

The Ballista's headband system also provides 2 cm of fore and aft adjustment. The chinstrap and strap systems are adjustable at the Y-buckle, allowing the front and rear straps to be evenly tensioned. In addition to the adjustable Y-buckle, the rear strap is not fixed, allowing the webbing to be fed from side to side, offering greater adjustability than helmets with fixed webbing straps.

Weight


Aero helmets often tend to be a bit heavier than their non-aero counterparts, due to the increased amount of material needed to fill in areas that would be open for vents on a traditional helmet. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Ballista MIPS only tips the scale at 340 grams in a men's size Large, making it one of the lightest helmets aero helmets that we tested, and in line with several other standard road bike helmets.

bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - the ballista's elongated aerodynamic profile is immediately apparent.
The Ballista's elongated aerodynamic profile is immediately apparent.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

Weight is often a secondary consideration to the wind-cheating benefits on aero helmets, but this model's low weight enhances its versatility, making it a potential option for climbers with the right conditions. The impressive weight of this lid can be partially attributed to the extensive internal channeling that reduces the overall mass by removing EPS foam.

Style


The aesthetics of aero helmets is a hot topic amongst road cyclists. In our opinion, they just do not look as good as non-aero helmets. Despite aesthetic issues, more and more cyclists are turning to aero helmets for their performance capabilities. Many aero helmets have a very round, egg-like shape. The Ballista has a more elongated narrow profile, which we prefer. As its name suggests, it looks like some sort of projectile or missile, especially with the cool matte black color that we tested.

bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - the ballista has a sleek aerodynamic shape and looks classy in the...
The Ballista has a sleek aerodynamic shape and looks classy in the matte black color that we tested.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

This lid comes with a nice drawstring storage bag and an extra set of pads. As with most aero helmets, storing sunglasses on the helmet is not an option. While integrated eyewear on some aero helmets is a nice touch, we prefer our own sunglasses. Another perk of buying a Bontrager helmet is the Crash Replacement Guarantee. They will give you a free replacement if you are involved in a crash during the first year of ownership.

Ventilation


The Ballista is a surprisingly well-ventilated helmet considering its aerodynamic design and its limited number of overall vents. Most aero helmets can be downright hot, particularly at low speeds. Our first day of testing this contender was a cold rainy day. We often reach for the aero lids in cold, wet conditions since they tend to be warmer and more adept at keeping rain off the head. Even with a warm hat on, the feeling of air flowing over the head was pronounced! Further testing in warmer conditions proved our initial impressions were valid. The large strategically placed vents perform better than expected.

bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - although not as airy as traditional road biking helmets, the...
Although not as airy as traditional road biking helmets, the Ballista provides a decent amount of ventilation for its aerodynamic style.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

Durability


This competitor receives solid scores for or durability, placing it on a level footing with many other high-end helmets. The exterior of the helmet is nearly completely devoid of exposed EPS foam, which prevents dents and dings. The Ballista does however have exposed EPS foam on the base, making it more prone to damage in this area than helmets with a full wrap polycarbonate shell. The padding and tensioning dial proved to be durable during testing. The webbing straps showed no sign of abrasion, and the chin strap buckle was reliable. Overall, this contender scores well here but could do better by incorporating a full wrap polycarbonate shell.

bontrager ballista road bike helmet review - the ballista is well-built from high-quality materials but leaves...
The Ballista is well-built from high-quality materials but leaves some EPS foam material exposed in a few spots.
Credit: Nick Bruckbauer

Value


With a list price in line with other high-performing helmets, the Ballista is a solid value. It has very similar performance as helmets that are much more expensive, and its versatility could make it the only helmet you need for a variety of riding conditions.

Conclusion


The Ballista is an incredibly versatile product and one of the lightest aero bike helmets we've ever tested. If you are entertaining the idea of purchasing an aero helmet, you cannot go wrong with this model. Its competitive price and respectable ventilation make it more than just a race day piece of equipment.

Nick Bruckbauer