Thousand’s Heritage helmet has been one of the most recommended helmets on electric bike Facebook groups. For good reason too. The helmet comes in 14 different colorways and it’s hard to imagine someone not finding something they like. But it lacked one important feature that many cyclists (including ebike owners) are looking for: MIPS. Enter the Thousand Chapter Helmet. As soon as I learned of the new helmet I reached out to Thousand and they agreed to send me one for this Thousand Chapter Helmet review.
What is MIPS Anyway?
MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. You can learn more about MIPS here, but basically it is an additional layer of protection between the padding of the helmet and the foam of the bike helmet. It allows for your head to move inside of the helmet, reducing rotational motion in the event of a crash, thus reducing the chance of a brain injury. Often, brain injuries and concussions are caused by this rotational motion. Simply put, if you want some of the best protection on your ebike, you should purchase a MIPS helmet.
Thousand Chapter Helmet Review
The additional protection of MIPS also correlates with a higher cost helmet. The Thousand Chapter comes in at $135, but you can get an even better deal ($20 off) by referring your friends. This makes the Chapter helmet a strong contender compared to other MIPS helmets. But if you’re looking at a Thousand helmet, you’re probably buying it for the styling. These types of helmets, while becoming more prevalent, still look much different from the ones you’ll often find out on your local bike path.
The Thousand Chapter comes in three different colors: Racer Black, Club Navy and Supermoon White.
My personal favorite is the Racer Black for its ‘stealthy’ look compared to the other options (and compared to many of the Heritage helmets for that matter). The visor is removable and interchangeable, though I much prefer the Chapter helmet with the visor attached. Where this helmet really shines (ha!) is the included magnetic rear light. The light has two modes, solid and flashing and snaps to the rear of your helmet. It even turns on automatically when attaching to your helmet which is a handy feature. The light is rechargeable with an included USB to micro-USB cable.
Even more, Thousand includes a multi-use adapter in case you want to use the taillight elsewhere. The adapter is adjustable to different sizes and is magnetic, just like on the back of the Chapter helmet. I was able to place it several places on our electric bikes as shown below. However, I already have rear lights on both of our electric bikes so I will be using this for additional lighting on the back of my helmet. One of the great things about the light is that it is bright enough (50 lumens) to provide visibility during the day. It’s also far brighter than the light on the ABUS Pedelec 2.0. Check out the video below for the side by side comparison.
Thousand Chapter vs Heritage
We have already talked about the two main differentiators of the Chapter helmet with the MIPS protection and the rear light. Both helmets have the same sizing, though I found the Chapter helmet to be slightly more comfortable (I wear a size small). The Heritage and Chapter both have a magnetic clasp as opposed to a buckle (no more pinched chins!) as well as a similar click-wheel adjustment on the rear. Unique to Thousand is the PopLock feature, which comes on both helmets. This is a removable magnetic logo towards the rear of the helmet. If your helmet is ever stolen while locked to your bike, Thousand will replace your helmet – for free.
The Chapter helmet offers more ventilation though I’ve personally never had an issue of running hot with either of these helmets. As I mentioned earlier, the visor is removable on the Chapter helmet whereas the Heritage helmets have a built-in visor – a look that I actually prefer. Another difference is the Heritage includes vegan straps which are a nice touch both aesthetically and being just a more comfortable material. The Chapter helmet has nylon straps that are commonplace on bike helmets. The other benefit to the Heritage is all of the color options. My wife continues to wear her GT Stripe Heritage helmet whenever we go out riding.
Thousand Heritage Navy 
PopLock Feature found on both helmets
And of course, then you have the price. The Heritage comes in at $89 and the Chapter is priced at $135. I highly recommend leveraging the $20 off that is available by referring a friend. For me, the Chapter helmet is now my go-to helmet. The light coupled with the additional MIPS protection outweighs the better look (in my opinion) of the Heritage. Since I ride often, testing out electric bikes it’s important to me to have improved protection. You can check out both of these options on the Thousand website. (affiliate link which supports Ebike Escape).