BELL AVENUE

When Bell started in 1954, we developed an in-house test lab to make sure our helmets met the highest standards of safety and quality. In the decades to come, the test lab facility served many helmet categories (including tactical, military, hockey, football, baseball and equestrian) and supported many brands, including Giro, Easton, MIPS and Riddell. Officially named the Dome in 2011, it continues to serve as the in-house testing and R&D lab for Bell in powersports, bike, and snow.

Based where we are in Scotts Valley, California, the Dome’s unrivaled resources include more than 50 test fixtures as well as 3D printers, injection molding and thermal molding equipment, an in-house wind tunnel, CNC machines and other equipment required to design, develop and evaluate new ideas in head protection.

When a head rotates quickly and comes to a sudden stop, the rotational acceleration can cause the brain tissue to experience high levels of strain. The stretching of the tissue that can be caused by these motions can result in various types of brain injury. We believe that helmets equipped with Mips technology can provide an additional measure of protection in certain impacts.
Mips uses a slip-plane system that moves inside the helmet, mimicking the brain’s own protection system. This layer is designed to rotate inside the helmet with the intent to potentially slow or reduce the amount of energy transferred to or from the head. Science tells us that if we can reduce the strains associated with rotational acceleration, we might reduce the risk and severity of brain injury.