This motorcycle helmet buying guide will help you choose whatever your budget and riding type

A helmet has one job and is designed to do it exactly once. But there’s dozens of different ways to accomplish this. Whether you’re hitting triple digits at the track or tackling muddy ruts in the woods, there’s an ideal helmet for you and your wallet. That last part is important. While a $1,000 carbon fiber helmet is ideal, the biggest safety dividend a helmet offers is wearing one, period. Budget motorbike helmets can offer many of the benefits and protection of expensive ones.

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Laws vary from state to state, but only three states have no motorcycle helmet laws: Iowa, Illinois and New Hampshire. All reputable research and/or data show that helmets save lives and minimize brain injuries. We love freedom of choice, but we’ll live and ride longer if said choice is between the thousands of fine helmets available to every kind of rider.

Important note: once a helmet has been in any sort of accident, it’s time for a new one. The shell and liner are designed to work once. Even low-speed incidents can compromise a helmet’s integrity.  

Types of motorcycle helmets

All helmets have this in common  – a hard outer shell with an impact-absorbing liner, a chin strap and some kind of view. But after that, it all depends on you, your ride and where you’re riding.

Sportbike helmets are aerodynamic and designed to be stable at high speed and often feature high protective qualities.  

Sport-touring helmets take the sporty designs and add more creature comforts for long days in the saddle.

Adventure helmets incorporate a peak to protect riders from branches or debris, often with visors shielding your eyes from the sun. 

Retro helmets borrow style inspiration from the past but incorporate the latest safety tech available.

Flip-front, urban or open-face helmets offer solutions to riding with your face exposed with various levels of safety added.

Know what type of helmet you want? Jump to the relevant section below, otherwise keep reading.

• Adventure bike helmets
• Sportsbike and naked helmets
• Retro helmets
• Sports-touring helmets
• Flip-front helmets
• Urban helmets

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How to choose the right motorbike helmet for you

Motorcycle helmets need to do two things: protect your head from high speed foreign objects and absorb blunt force impact. They do this via a hard outer shell that absorbs impact across its entire surface, while a deformable inner layer acts as a cushion or crumple zone. Fiberglass, polycarbonate or carbon fiber are typical materials for the outer construction, while expanded polystyrene (EPS) is widely used for the inner.

There’s more. Many helmets have a multi-directional impact system (MIPS) which offers additional protection by allowing the inner lining to move independently, reducing rotational injuries. Some helmets also have an emergency quick-release system (EQRS), which allows emergency responders to withdraw the cheek pads while the helmet is still being worn, making removal easier and safer.

Three helmet ratings to consider

ECE stands for Economic Commission for Europe, and is the universal requirement in Europe. It’s also a commonly used worldwide safety standard. ECE offers some of the most thorough and comprehensive safety ratings for helmets. Testing methods include impact with curbstone, as well as flat and sloping anvils. ECE testing requires batch testing before sale, meaning the helmets tested come from the same production run as store-bound helmets. This helps detect any potential manufacturing defect. An ECE-rated helmet will cover the legal bases all around the world. The most current rating standard is ECE 22.06, which recently replaced ECE 22.05 helmets in July 2023. You will usually find the ECE rating on a tag on the chin strap.

Opinions vary, but Snell ratings are widely respected and are similar to ECE ratings. Derived from the non-profit Snell Memorial foundation, Snell certification is voluntary, but is a sought-after certification for performance-minded helmets.

Snell tests whether chin straps hold fast to a rider’s head, whether face shields shatter and many G’s the shell allows during rapid deceleration. This is done with edged, flat and hemispheric anvils. Snell testing is updated every 5 years, with M2025 (for the year 2025) being the most current safety rating, updated from M2020. A Snell rating is good for 12 years and can usually be found on a sticker on the back of a helmet. 

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) mandates DOT certification for all helmets sold in the U.S.A. As such, a DOT rating certifies a helmet meets the minimum safety requirements. Testing is conducted randomly, so the most recent “DOT, FMVSS No. 218, CERTIFIED” rating does carry some weight. Said designation dates to 2013, to be clear.

DOT standards emphasize visibility and strength of materials, but not necessarily overall helmet design. “Skid lids” and “pudding bowl” style helmets can earn a DOT sticker, despite their lack of relative protection. At the very least, any helmet you consider buying must have a DOT sticker.

On the subject of protection, consider adding earplugs to your gear. Wind and exhaust noise at highway speed can actually damage your hearing. Even the most inexpensive earplugs offer protection.

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Watch this video on how to get a helmet that fits correctly:

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Adventure bike helmets

Adventure bike helmets (often called ADV helmets) resemble motocross or off-road helmets, but with added creature comforts for all-day touring. You get healthy air flow, practicality and the sun protection of MX helmets, but with linings and fitment similar to sport or touring helmets.

Adventure helmets often come with an off-road inspired peak, or bill, to keep the sun out of your eyes plus deflect branches or debris on trails. If you don’t have a windscreen, this peak creates turbulence and will strain your neck on sustained highway rides, so make sure it’s removable. 

Many adventure helmets let you choose between goggles or a visor. Goggles improve air flow and can keep you cooler, but visors are better at highway speeds. It’s always good to have options.

Check out some of the best ADV helmet options we’ve tested recently:

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Sportsbike and naked helmets

Sportbike helmets are designed with aerodynamics and high speeds in mind. They’re also ideal for naked bikes without windscreens. They’ll have a large field of vision for track use with generous sight lines at the top, so you can see where you’re going, even in a racing tuck.

Many sportbike helmets are top-of-the-line flagship models, with FIM-homologated versions (certified for race use) that can cost upwards of $1000. But plenty of great options exist at lower price points, too. Graphics and design will add to price, so shop accordingly. 

Have a look at sportbike helmets we’re impressed with:

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Retro helmets

Classic or vintage helmets look cool, but unfortunately come with “classic safety”. Helmet materials degrade over time and offer much less protection than modern variants. But new retro helmets let you have it both ways—classic style with cutting edge materials and safety ratings. It’s a growing category that serves the recurring popularity of vintage bikes. 

Look for old school styling, traditional livery or even hand-crafted custom models, but with modern safety standards. 

Changes in taste and passing trends mean that some retro helmets models get discontinued, meaning there’s deals to be had on existing stock. If you want the most recent safety ratings, double-check the ECE or Snell ratings.

These are the best retro helmets we’ve worn recently:

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Sports-touring helmets

Taking a cue from sportbike helmets, sports-touring helmets put long-distance comfort and practicality ahead of lap times. Some feature drop-down sun visors, ratchet or seatbelt chin straps instead of double D-ring and integrated intercoms. Aero scoops might be missing, or smaller than pure sportbike lids.

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Flip-front helmets

Flip-front or modular helmets are popular with riding instructors and police who need to speak with people while wearing a helmet. A button releases the chin bar and allows you to flip open the front of the helmet.

Recently, many flip-front helmets let you ride with them either open or closed. You get the cooling comfort of an open face in town and the safety of a full-face when you hit the highway. Flip-front helmets are also popular with touring riders for ease of communication with passengers or buying snacks at gas stations without taking the helmet off.

Their downside is that they’re larger and heavier than traditional full-face helmets due to the hinge mechanism, though they’re improving every year. They usually feature more basic color and design options.

Here are some flip-front helmets we really liked:

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Urban helmets

If you don’t ride highway miles or have a large displacement motorcycle, open-face or jet helmets are an acceptable alternative to full-face helmets. While they don’t offer protection to your jaw line, they are better than wearing nothing at all. Scooter riders are notorious for “riding commando”, so any helmet usage is highly encouraged on their part.

American cruiser riders often prefer open face helmets as well, as they satisfy the base legal requirements in states with helmet laws, meaning most states. They’re very comfortable in hot weather, but the downside is obvious. Accident safety is a science, but to state the obvious, you generally fall forward in the direction of your face.

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How do I choose the right size motorbike helmet?

A correct fit is crucial. Too loose and it could come off in an accident. Too tight and it will quickly become an uncomfortable distraction, affecting concentration and giving you a headache. A helmet should be just snug, moving with your head without discomfort.

You can measure your head above the ears and around the forehead to get a correct size, usually measured in centimeters. But the best way is to shop in person and try some on. There’s a healthy range of shell sizes to suit different size heads, as well as liners and cheek pads to achieve a full custom fit. The ideal motorcycle helmet is one you love wearing.

FAQ’S

What’s the best type of strap?

There are three main types—double D-ring, ratchet clasp or a car seatbelt style clip and catch. All meet the required safety standards, so ultimately it’s personal preference.

A double D-ring is the classic, time-tested strap. With no moving parts, it’s simple and remains the standard at top levels of bike sport. 

A ratchet clasp is similar to the double D-ring. You tighten it to suit every time, but some find the clasp simpler to undo. 

The seat belt type has to be adjusted to fit once, involving some trial and error. But when figured out, you just “click it” and press a button to release.

What’s the right strap fit? 

Make sure you can slip two fingers between the strap and your jaw. Any more and you’ll restrict breathing or blood flow. Any less and your helmet might not stay on if (and when) you go down.

Which helmets are rated by MCN?

MCN’s expert road testers have a wealth of experience in testing every aspect of motorcycle kits and have put a huge variety of helmets through their paces. Here’s our pick from each category – you can find more options plus in-depth reviews by clicking on the relevant links.

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How MCN tested these helmets

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.

Each of our writers has an in-depth understanding of the needs of today’s biker… because they are one.

We’ve worn these tested helmets for hundreds or thousands of miles on MCN test bikes and we ride in all weathers and conditions, too. We’ll never recommend a helmet we wouldn’t put our own head in!

If you can’t see a review against a helmet on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These helmets will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

To find out more about our kit testing, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

About the testers

Justin Hayzelden – MCN’s Products Editor and resident bike kit guru, Justin has covered hundreds of thousands of miles on two wheels both at work and in his personal life. In this page, he tested the Arai Tour-X 5 and Nexx X.Wed3 adventure helmets.

Michael Neeves – MCN Chief Road Tester, ‘Neevesy’ has ridden almost every new bike for more than a decade on multiple continents. He needs kit he can trust to do the the job – whatever the conditions. For this page he tested the Shoei X-SPR Pro.

Ben Clarke – Deputy Head of Digital, Ben has worked at MCN since 2018 testing bikes and kit every opportunity he gets. For this page he tested a Bell Race Star DLX Flex, Shoei Ex-Zero, Arai Quantic and HJC V10.

Gareth Evans – Head of Digital, Gareth made the switch from four wheels to two in 2019 and has never looked back (apart from when he’s racing classic cars…). For this page he tested the Shoei NXR2.

Saffron Wilson – Staff Writer, Saffron covers thousands of miles in all weathers getting the latest news and features for the paper. For this page she tested a Shoei J-O.

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Our scores explained

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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