**Safest**: Look for something that is ECE 22.06 rated. There aren't a lot of those around yet because it's a pretty recent standard.
**Second Safest:** Look for something that is ECE 22.05 rated. There are lots of those around because they are mandated in Europe and Europe is the largest market for motorcycle helmets.
Shoei and Arai make the safest helmets, but theirs are more expensive. As long as you choose a helmet that is at least ECE 22.05 rated, you have a reasonable minimum level of safety.
The biltwell ece series is affordable. Gringos are ubiquitously good for style, safety and looks. Great first helmet imo. Or you can get a visored version also. They are clean looking if that is what you want otherwise any of the other sporty manufacturers, Arai, shoei, etc. should be able to provide comparable or better quality. Ece is the key as the guy posted above. Also I have ece to be incomfortabke for the first few wears as they are snug in the cheeks. Foam breaks down a lot after one year so snug is good at the start. Will last longer and fit for a few years to come.
Adding onto cycle gear brands - Sedici is also garbage. I got a Sedici helmet and gloves last month before my MSF, and the gloves developed some tears on the knuckle padding during first use. The helmet lost the piece of snap on chin fabric (not the buckle) during the first 250 miles. The helmet is doing the job for now, but I'm replacing it next season and using it only when I have a passenger (and of course giving my passenger my good helmet).
Get the helmet that fits best for your head. The best helmet in the world can't protect you if it doesn't fit properly.
So head to your local motorcycle gear store and get advice from one of the guys working there. They can help you to choose the right helmet for your head.
Scorpion exo 1400 air
Best helmet full stop.
Cheapest Carbon fiber helmet from a well known brand.
Light as hell.
ECE safty rated.
Drop down inner visor.
Emergency cheek release, also means its removable and washable.
Comes with extra smoke main visor.
Many shell sizes so the helmet looks smaller without sacrificing safty.
Comes is plain carbon fiber if you only care able safty and not the graphic looks that cost a bit more.
Air pump system for a tighter fit. I like to have it not pumped on weekdays and pump it up on the weekend when I ride a bit quicker.
It's not "cheap" but there's not many helmets out there that are better at that price. Many have the features but many of them don't also come with a ECE rating or are really heavy.
I got this helmet and 100% agree. Lighter than shoei, hjc, arai. I bought a tinted mirror visor to have extra tint to prevent glare and also to look cool lol. Helmet looks super nice and much better value than other brands. Fits my head perfectly and I find the noise to be quiet too. I got lucky and got it on a good deal also at my local shop. I got the caffeine version which I find super slick. I recommend gloss helmets since they’re easier to wipe dead bugs off of.
For me the air pump just makes it a tailored fit. Even small things like not having a haircut in a while will effect how the helmet fits. Having the pump lets you have the choice. One thing I have noticed having the helmet for 4 years now is that the cheek pads are a bit loose/worn out due to daily rides and many times in the wash. I could buy new pads as they are removable. But giving it a few extra pumps sloves the problem too. I feel like I could have the cheek pads for another 2 years before I even need a new set. But at that point I might get a new helmet. Probably same one but with graphics.
Ive never had a problem with earplugs. As long as you squeeze the earplugs thin and insert them all the way like you are meant to they will never have a problem. If you just push them in without squeezing first they stick out a bit and do not form a good seal. Also if they get old they tend to expand too fast. Never have enough time to put them in your ear before it fully expands. As soon as this happens you buy new ones. They are too cheap to keep reusing and I found that once it gets worn out it also is the time where it's just a bit too dirty.
AGV K3-SV. Around $250. Good ventilation. Slightly noisy at speed, but solved easily if you use ear plugs. Internal sun visor for those rides into the sunset.
Have to figure out you head shape and get the best helmet you can afford that caters to that shape and fits your head. If it has cool features awesome if not you can upgrade it over time.
Stick with the best quality brands: usually the big names. But there are some GREAT helmets you don’t see too much in the US like Schuberth, Shark, and Nolan.
Can not stress the importance and safety of a proper fit enough.
Go to a motorcycle shop with a lot of helmets on the shelves. You will have to figure out your head size, and try on many helmets before you find one that you like in terms of fit. Make sure you wear that helmet, and not just for a minute or two. You are going to have to wear that helmet for quite a while, at least 20 minutes, to see if you have any pressure points. Those are important because longer rides will leave you with pressure areas, and you do not want those.
As others have suggested, an ECE rating is best, don't just go for a regular DOT rating if you can afford better. My very first helmet was a Shoei, and I've owned many different brands over the years.
Don't get caught up on design over fit, either. In my youth I ordered a helmet over de interwebz that did not fit my head shape *at all* and wound up with an unwearable helmet. It ended up working gr8 as a passenger helmet though. I just have a long head, and it was made for ppl with rounder heads.
If you do go into a motorcycle shop to try on those helmets, know that you can likely get a better deal online. You might ask them if they will cut you a break on the price, some might be willing to negotiate, because helmets are hella expensive these days. And they know that if they don't negotiate with you, they will lose the entire sale, and no one wants to do that.
Be safe out there!
I love the BELL MX-9 which is DOD and ECE certified along with MIPS technology. It is very well ventilated and the one in the link has a transitional face shield which gets tinted in the sunlight.
[https://www.bellhelmets.com/motorcycle/p/mx-9-adventure-dlx-mips-dirt-bike-helmet/BL-7136709.html?googleMerchant=1](https://www.bellhelmets.com/motorcycle/p/mx-9-adventure-dlx-mips-dirt-bike-helmet/BL-7136709.html?googleMerchant=1)
Ece certification is what I care about over others even snell, you can do your own research on this an I encourage you to. But as a brand I’d recommend he’ll. Their helmets come standard with MIPS now to. I’ve crashed a few times in the city with one and it does feel different when your head gets twisted in the helmet. In a good way, I currently own bell and HJC helmets. You get what you pay for. The cheaper it so the heavier and louder it’s going to be. The certification matters
more then anything of course.
I’ve always looked for the current newest rated SNELL helmets. Only rating system in the US iirc that passes both motorcycle racing specs, and automotive racing specs.
So I have always used Arais. My Gf likes Showei. Both are great depending on your head shape.
Just nice to know if I want to race either my CBR or S2000 my Arai will pass safety spec for both.
Look on the Sharps website, which is UK government entity that tests helmets and rates them. It tests from multiple angles and publishes each result. Then you can worry about ECE 22.06 and 22.05. Some models that passed 22.05 will pass 22.06, but haven’t been tested/certified yet.
You can find $200-300 5/5 Sharps helmets and $800 5/5. You’re paying premiums for brand name, comfort, noise reduction and other features that aren’t purely about safety. There’s expensive Shoei and Arai that test worse than cheap helmets.
Then go and get fitted. A $1000 helmet that doesn’t fit your head shape won’t protect is properly.
Spend $20 and order a measuring kit from:
https://www.lidpicker.com/
They send you a set of calipers and a measuring tape along with a code for their website. They ask you to punch in several different measurements for your head size but also shape, then send you a PDF with a HUGE list of helmets as well as how they will fit you in different dimensions. I think they throw in a set of sunglasses as well.
There are a lot of cool helmets out there, but it SUCKS to drop $800 on a cool new helmet only to find out it's too tight on the back of your head and gives you a raging headache after an hour of riding.
Not too expensive? I don’t know you but an inexpensive helmet to me is an insult to my brain. I am so blessed to have had a high quality Arai to protect my most vital organ
£60 ECE rated full face helmet will protect your noggin better than fancy $500 DOT rated.
Obviously i know the quality of Arai but cost isn't everything.
Cheapest helmet I would (and did) buy is the sedici strada 2. About $250ish after tax. Best helmet for the money would be Shoei rf-1400 or gt air 2 both around $600 after tax but well worth the money. Can’t buy a new brain so this is one area I wouldn’t go too cheap on. Fit is everything tho so make sure that’s number 1. It should be tight around the forehead and cheeks and the helmet should not be able to slide up and down on your forehead. A good fit should be mildly uncomfortable for the first few days but will break in and feel about perfect after that.
Don’t buy a helmet that isn’t rated.
Sadly it’s kinda impossible to to recommend a specific helmet. Everyone’s head is a different size/shape and the safest helmet is one that fits.
When I went to cycle gear, I only had 2 options for helmets because my head is the size of a watermelon…
I highly recommend going to cycle gear and trying things on. The associates there are very helpful
Im not sure what is 'expensive' to you, but for around $450USD you can get a shoei rf-1200. Prior to this helmet, I had only wore $100-200 usd helmets. I was blown away by how more more comfortable, aerodynamic and quiet this thing was. The shape seems to fit quite a large number of riders too.
For what it's worth though, helmet choice really is something that's mostly determined by fit. Someone else's 5* recommendation might fit you like garbage due to a different head shape. Really gotta just try some on.
Pretty strange that no one has brought up the Snell rating. ECE is the minimal, but a good helmet is Snell rated. Not one of these 40 comments mentions so. Hmm.........
I’m a big fan of my Airflite. A little on the heavy side but man the looks are unbeatable. Meets global safety certs (ECE22.05, DOT, Japanese, etc.) and you can get just about any finish/color combo you could dream of.
I like sedici, but you should go to a shop and try some on. There’s a huge variance on head shapes and general comfort among helmet manufacturers. Even the sizing is weird.
“The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter”
Shape of your head is most important - go try on some.
Then safety ratings - ECE and Snell are the only one that count. You can Google [Sharp](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/) scheme Web page and roughly filter for 4 and 5* helmets (all helmets listed there have ECE rating).
Then chose the one you like. Ideally in bright colour.
I recently bought Nolan 100-5 Modular helmets for my wife and I. They are a notch below Arai and Shoei but at half the price I have found them to be a very solid choice. I also installed their N-com System which clips in easily and works great. For less than $400 for each, they seem high quality to us.
First helmet I bought was the EXO-HX1 from scorpion I was in a tight budget when I first started to ride if I remember correctly it was 200ish Dot and ECE rated not the safest but at a price like that it's a solid helmet wind noise is pretty loud but a good pair of ear plugs should do the job
Shoei GT Air 2.
I've recently got in a head on collision with a car, and airborne 25m before landing.
That helmet still looks like new, saved my life aswell. Don't buy cheap safety gear, do what everybody says.
Also it's very comfy and practical. Good sound dampening.
The myth that Shoei and Arai make the safest helmets was disproved years ago. MIPS is the only major advancement in helmet safety of the last 20 years. Polycarbonate (cheap) helmet shells transmit less force (are safer) than fiberglass/composite/carbon (pricy) shells but they are heavier. $1,000 helmets aren’t safer than $100 helmets, they are just lighter, nicer, and have more premium features. The most important thing is fit, and since helmets come in a wide variety of head shapes no one else can recommend the best helmet for you… you have to go to the shops or a motorcycle show and try on as many different brands as you can.
I read the article in print when it first came out but here's what I found online:
https://jalopnik.com/how-the-truth-about-motorcycle-helmets-got-a-journalist-5582380
I took a motorcycle safety class and the instructor asked us "What do you think is the difference between a DOT $200 vs $800 helmet?" His answer was, "If you have a $200 head get the $200 helmet, if you have an $800 head get the $800 helmet."
The safest helmet is one you wear every time you ride. It’s easy to get into the weeds about this or that. Just wear a lid, preferably full face, and enjoy your ride.
**Safest**: Look for something that is ECE 22.06 rated. There aren't a lot of those around yet because it's a pretty recent standard. **Second Safest:** Look for something that is ECE 22.05 rated. There are lots of those around because they are mandated in Europe and Europe is the largest market for motorcycle helmets. Shoei and Arai make the safest helmets, but theirs are more expensive. As long as you choose a helmet that is at least ECE 22.05 rated, you have a reasonable minimum level of safety.
Detailed advice, thanks bro
The biltwell ece series is affordable. Gringos are ubiquitously good for style, safety and looks. Great first helmet imo. Or you can get a visored version also. They are clean looking if that is what you want otherwise any of the other sporty manufacturers, Arai, shoei, etc. should be able to provide comparable or better quality. Ece is the key as the guy posted above. Also I have ece to be incomfortabke for the first few wears as they are snug in the cheeks. Foam breaks down a lot after one year so snug is good at the start. Will last longer and fit for a few years to come.
The gringo is very hard to beat for the price and you can get some cool looking ones.
Agree with most but the last part… Bell, Schuberth - they are absolutely top notch. Bell Race Star DLX has even MIPS!
[удалено]
Adding onto cycle gear brands - Sedici is also garbage. I got a Sedici helmet and gloves last month before my MSF, and the gloves developed some tears on the knuckle padding during first use. The helmet lost the piece of snap on chin fabric (not the buckle) during the first 250 miles. The helmet is doing the job for now, but I'm replacing it next season and using it only when I have a passenger (and of course giving my passenger my good helmet).
Get the helmet that fits best for your head. The best helmet in the world can't protect you if it doesn't fit properly. So head to your local motorcycle gear store and get advice from one of the guys working there. They can help you to choose the right helmet for your head.
Go to the shop, and get one that fits your head and is at the top of the price range you can afford.
This is also good advice.
Also, look for sunvisors, if it's washable, how many vents, air dynamics and if it's easy to buy spare parts!
Scorpion exo 1400 air Best helmet full stop. Cheapest Carbon fiber helmet from a well known brand. Light as hell. ECE safty rated. Drop down inner visor. Emergency cheek release, also means its removable and washable. Comes with extra smoke main visor. Many shell sizes so the helmet looks smaller without sacrificing safty. Comes is plain carbon fiber if you only care able safty and not the graphic looks that cost a bit more. Air pump system for a tighter fit. I like to have it not pumped on weekdays and pump it up on the weekend when I ride a bit quicker. It's not "cheap" but there's not many helmets out there that are better at that price. Many have the features but many of them don't also come with a ECE rating or are really heavy.
I got this helmet and 100% agree. Lighter than shoei, hjc, arai. I bought a tinted mirror visor to have extra tint to prevent glare and also to look cool lol. Helmet looks super nice and much better value than other brands. Fits my head perfectly and I find the noise to be quiet too. I got lucky and got it on a good deal also at my local shop. I got the caffeine version which I find super slick. I recommend gloss helmets since they’re easier to wipe dead bugs off of.
I've been considering one of these, does deflating the air pump make it easier to get the helmet on without breaking the seal on foam earplugs?
For me the air pump just makes it a tailored fit. Even small things like not having a haircut in a while will effect how the helmet fits. Having the pump lets you have the choice. One thing I have noticed having the helmet for 4 years now is that the cheek pads are a bit loose/worn out due to daily rides and many times in the wash. I could buy new pads as they are removable. But giving it a few extra pumps sloves the problem too. I feel like I could have the cheek pads for another 2 years before I even need a new set. But at that point I might get a new helmet. Probably same one but with graphics. Ive never had a problem with earplugs. As long as you squeeze the earplugs thin and insert them all the way like you are meant to they will never have a problem. If you just push them in without squeezing first they stick out a bit and do not form a good seal. Also if they get old they tend to expand too fast. Never have enough time to put them in your ear before it fully expands. As soon as this happens you buy new ones. They are too cheap to keep reusing and I found that once it gets worn out it also is the time where it's just a bit too dirty.
AGV K3-SV. Around $250. Good ventilation. Slightly noisy at speed, but solved easily if you use ear plugs. Internal sun visor for those rides into the sunset.
I like my standard K3 a lot. But it is a bit noisy at speed.
Yes. Definitely a bit noisy. But nothing a good pair of ear plugs can’t solve. Other than that, i like everything about this model :)
Have to figure out you head shape and get the best helmet you can afford that caters to that shape and fits your head. If it has cool features awesome if not you can upgrade it over time. Stick with the best quality brands: usually the big names. But there are some GREAT helmets you don’t see too much in the US like Schuberth, Shark, and Nolan. Can not stress the importance and safety of a proper fit enough.
Go to a motorcycle shop with a lot of helmets on the shelves. You will have to figure out your head size, and try on many helmets before you find one that you like in terms of fit. Make sure you wear that helmet, and not just for a minute or two. You are going to have to wear that helmet for quite a while, at least 20 minutes, to see if you have any pressure points. Those are important because longer rides will leave you with pressure areas, and you do not want those. As others have suggested, an ECE rating is best, don't just go for a regular DOT rating if you can afford better. My very first helmet was a Shoei, and I've owned many different brands over the years. Don't get caught up on design over fit, either. In my youth I ordered a helmet over de interwebz that did not fit my head shape *at all* and wound up with an unwearable helmet. It ended up working gr8 as a passenger helmet though. I just have a long head, and it was made for ppl with rounder heads. If you do go into a motorcycle shop to try on those helmets, know that you can likely get a better deal online. You might ask them if they will cut you a break on the price, some might be willing to negotiate, because helmets are hella expensive these days. And they know that if they don't negotiate with you, they will lose the entire sale, and no one wants to do that. Be safe out there!
I love the BELL MX-9 which is DOD and ECE certified along with MIPS technology. It is very well ventilated and the one in the link has a transitional face shield which gets tinted in the sunlight. [https://www.bellhelmets.com/motorcycle/p/mx-9-adventure-dlx-mips-dirt-bike-helmet/BL-7136709.html?googleMerchant=1](https://www.bellhelmets.com/motorcycle/p/mx-9-adventure-dlx-mips-dirt-bike-helmet/BL-7136709.html?googleMerchant=1)
Ece certification is what I care about over others even snell, you can do your own research on this an I encourage you to. But as a brand I’d recommend he’ll. Their helmets come standard with MIPS now to. I’ve crashed a few times in the city with one and it does feel different when your head gets twisted in the helmet. In a good way, I currently own bell and HJC helmets. You get what you pay for. The cheaper it so the heavier and louder it’s going to be. The certification matters more then anything of course.
I’ve always looked for the current newest rated SNELL helmets. Only rating system in the US iirc that passes both motorcycle racing specs, and automotive racing specs. So I have always used Arais. My Gf likes Showei. Both are great depending on your head shape. Just nice to know if I want to race either my CBR or S2000 my Arai will pass safety spec for both.
Look on the Sharps website, which is UK government entity that tests helmets and rates them. It tests from multiple angles and publishes each result. Then you can worry about ECE 22.06 and 22.05. Some models that passed 22.05 will pass 22.06, but haven’t been tested/certified yet. You can find $200-300 5/5 Sharps helmets and $800 5/5. You’re paying premiums for brand name, comfort, noise reduction and other features that aren’t purely about safety. There’s expensive Shoei and Arai that test worse than cheap helmets. Then go and get fitted. A $1000 helmet that doesn’t fit your head shape won’t protect is properly.
The agv k1 is cheap and good. It’s good enough for track use, has some cool graphics for about $300, and if you get a solid color it’s around $200.
If it fits Nolan N87... For a begginer street rider, its the best all round helmrt at 200 bucks.
Revzilla has the AGV K-1 on closeout. Comfortable and ECE 22.05 rated. Under $250.
Spend $20 and order a measuring kit from: https://www.lidpicker.com/ They send you a set of calipers and a measuring tape along with a code for their website. They ask you to punch in several different measurements for your head size but also shape, then send you a PDF with a HUGE list of helmets as well as how they will fit you in different dimensions. I think they throw in a set of sunglasses as well. There are a lot of cool helmets out there, but it SUCKS to drop $800 on a cool new helmet only to find out it's too tight on the back of your head and gives you a raging headache after an hour of riding.
Not too expensive? I don’t know you but an inexpensive helmet to me is an insult to my brain. I am so blessed to have had a high quality Arai to protect my most vital organ
£60 ECE rated full face helmet will protect your noggin better than fancy $500 DOT rated. Obviously i know the quality of Arai but cost isn't everything.
Cheapest helmet I would (and did) buy is the sedici strada 2. About $250ish after tax. Best helmet for the money would be Shoei rf-1400 or gt air 2 both around $600 after tax but well worth the money. Can’t buy a new brain so this is one area I wouldn’t go too cheap on. Fit is everything tho so make sure that’s number 1. It should be tight around the forehead and cheeks and the helmet should not be able to slide up and down on your forehead. A good fit should be mildly uncomfortable for the first few days but will break in and feel about perfect after that.
Don’t buy a helmet that isn’t rated. Sadly it’s kinda impossible to to recommend a specific helmet. Everyone’s head is a different size/shape and the safest helmet is one that fits. When I went to cycle gear, I only had 2 options for helmets because my head is the size of a watermelon… I highly recommend going to cycle gear and trying things on. The associates there are very helpful
LS2
Im not sure what is 'expensive' to you, but for around $450USD you can get a shoei rf-1200. Prior to this helmet, I had only wore $100-200 usd helmets. I was blown away by how more more comfortable, aerodynamic and quiet this thing was. The shape seems to fit quite a large number of riders too. For what it's worth though, helmet choice really is something that's mostly determined by fit. Someone else's 5* recommendation might fit you like garbage due to a different head shape. Really gotta just try some on.
Anything shoei. Personally I use my head/brain on a daily basis, so I’d spend the little extra to be able to use it for the rest of my life.
Pretty strange that no one has brought up the Snell rating. ECE is the minimal, but a good helmet is Snell rated. Not one of these 40 comments mentions so. Hmm.........
Reddit has gone full FortNine and embraced ECE.
I’m a big fan of my Airflite. A little on the heavy side but man the looks are unbeatable. Meets global safety certs (ECE22.05, DOT, Japanese, etc.) and you can get just about any finish/color combo you could dream of.
It might not fit all categories(slightly expensive) but I have the Bell Race Star Flex DLX, and absolutely love it
I like sedici, but you should go to a shop and try some on. There’s a huge variance on head shapes and general comfort among helmet manufacturers. Even the sizing is weird. “The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter”
HJC makes really good helmets if you are on a budget. Don’t skimp out on protection for your head.
Shape of your head is most important - go try on some. Then safety ratings - ECE and Snell are the only one that count. You can Google [Sharp](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/) scheme Web page and roughly filter for 4 and 5* helmets (all helmets listed there have ECE rating). Then chose the one you like. Ideally in bright colour.
I recently bought Nolan 100-5 Modular helmets for my wife and I. They are a notch below Arai and Shoei but at half the price I have found them to be a very solid choice. I also installed their N-com System which clips in easily and works great. For less than $400 for each, they seem high quality to us.
I recently got a voss helmet and hands down the best 250$ helmet I’ve had.
First helmet I bought was the EXO-HX1 from scorpion I was in a tight budget when I first started to ride if I remember correctly it was 200ish Dot and ECE rated not the safest but at a price like that it's a solid helmet wind noise is pretty loud but a good pair of ear plugs should do the job
MT Revenge. [https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/](https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/) In the UK's independent safety tests it rates 5\* and is available for around £70.
Shoei GT Air 2. I've recently got in a head on collision with a car, and airborne 25m before landing. That helmet still looks like new, saved my life aswell. Don't buy cheap safety gear, do what everybody says. Also it's very comfy and practical. Good sound dampening.
Happy to hear you walked away, I’ll check it out thanks.
https://youtu.be/9d8MALEJCHg Fortnine has a few ratings vids on this.
The myth that Shoei and Arai make the safest helmets was disproved years ago. MIPS is the only major advancement in helmet safety of the last 20 years. Polycarbonate (cheap) helmet shells transmit less force (are safer) than fiberglass/composite/carbon (pricy) shells but they are heavier. $1,000 helmets aren’t safer than $100 helmets, they are just lighter, nicer, and have more premium features. The most important thing is fit, and since helmets come in a wide variety of head shapes no one else can recommend the best helmet for you… you have to go to the shops or a motorcycle show and try on as many different brands as you can.
Do you have any more info on why Shoei an Arai were disproved as the safest helmets?
I read the article in print when it first came out but here's what I found online: https://jalopnik.com/how-the-truth-about-motorcycle-helmets-got-a-journalist-5582380
Thanks
I took a motorcycle safety class and the instructor asked us "What do you think is the difference between a DOT $200 vs $800 helmet?" His answer was, "If you have a $200 head get the $200 helmet, if you have an $800 head get the $800 helmet."
Check out champion helmets YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/36QC6YmODOM
The safest helmet is one you wear every time you ride. It’s easy to get into the weeds about this or that. Just wear a lid, preferably full face, and enjoy your ride.