July 10, 2025
The Smith Forefront MTB helmet has been reviewed my many gear reviewers over the years. It’s a helmet that many members of our test crew have worn, bought and trusted over the last two generations. In fact, one of our testers believes the Forefront 2 saved him from serious injury during his testing. When Smith announced their updated Forefront 3 helmet, hands went up to volunteer for this fresh new lid. With the growth of our new Member’s Platform, we figured, why not do a fun giveaway and let one of our supporters get a sweet new helmet while providing us with his real world perspective of the new Smith Forefront 3. Below you’ll find Rey Abelardo’s words after a few months of riding in his new helmet.
Our goal with our Member’s Reviews is to help create a more diverse and experiential review voice from consumers who have unique experiences compared to ours. Plus, we figured that it’s a really cool way to say thanks to the awesome people who are supporting what we do! If you’d like a chance to review products for our site, get exclusive access to bike industry giveaways and see early sneak peaks of unreleased products plus a whole lot more, we’d be honored to have you join here.
THE DIRT
First impressions of the Smith Forefront 3 helmet right out of the box are that it is a sleek, low-profile helmet with a ridiculous number of vents and a super-lightweight feel.
The styling of the Smith Forefront 3 in my Matte Chalk color gives it a compact aesthetic that feels more like wearing a vented trucker hat than a bulky brain bucket. The overall size is shorter than my previous generation Fox Speedframe Pro. The visor has 3 locking positions with plenty of room to stow my non-Smith riding glasses. From what I can tell, it looks like it’s designed to hold any straight-arm glasses under the visor or at the back of the helmet.
Eyewear storage is handy for keeping them within easy reach. The visor locked my stowed glasses in place and kept them from bouncing around while stashed. There’s also plenty of room for goggles under the raised visor if you go that route.
How does the Smith Forefront 3 fit? I reviewed the size Large and find it to be comfortable and in-line with my other helmets, namely the Fox Speedframe. Compared to that Speedframe, the Forefront 3 feels like it sits above my head rather than on it. The Mips® Air Node Safety System puts little “nubs” against your head to accentuate that above the head feeling.
At first, the light pressure points from the nubs were annoying during my first rides. But eventually that feeling went away as the removable liner softened after a couple rides.
Something I really liked about the Forefront 3 is how quiet it is, specifically the Mips liner. The Mips liner on the Forefront 3 has a soft surface rather than the usual shiny plastic strip. I’ve worn many Mips equipped helmets and it seems they all have a plastic taping sound while the helmet moves around and this is notably better.
The BOA Fit System locks the helmet in place with many clicks of adjustment, providing a snug fit without being too tight. The chin strap fits well, with a fairly basic clip style enclosure. For the price, it would be nice to have a Fidlock closure.
The 20 air vents let air flow freely while also showing off the KOROYD impact protection technology. It certainly commands attention and seems to back up Smith’s promise that this third generation of the Forefront improves airflow by 25% compared to the previous generation.
Although I haven’t tried any of the previous generations, I can attest that this helmet provides superior airflow. Wearing this helmet during early morning Spring rides, anyone with shorter hair will definitely enjoy a cool breeze over their head.
The light weight of Smith’s Forefront 3 is noticeable, or should I say not-noticeable. I found myself keeping the helmet on during ride breaks as a shade hat during sunny days. Other times I simply forgot to take off the helmet because I forget I was wearing it. A true testament to both its comfort and ability to fade into the background.
The Wolf’s Last Word
Bottom line, the Smith Forefront 3 fits the bill if you’re looking for a lightweight helmet that doesn’t feel like a bulky MTB bucket. Pricing at $270 is a bit high end for my taste. However, the fit, finish, and form of this helmet gives you a feeling that it’s money well spent. 
Price: $270
Website: Smithoptics.com
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