MCN's expert guide to buying the best motorcycle helmet in 2024 for all budgets and bike types

You only have one brain and so it’s important to buy the best motorbike helmet you can afford. That doesn’t always mean spending £1000+ on a race-ready carbon lid, though, and there are plenty of highly-rated budget motorbike helmets that achieve top safety scores, too.

As far as the law is concerned, the only item of protective kit you are required to wear on a motorcycle is a helmet. There’s a good reason for this, as repeated studies have shown that wearing a helmet can significantly reduce the chance of serious injury (or worse) in the event of an accident.

It’s common sense to look after your noggin anyway, but deciding which is the best motorcycle helmet for you can be a difficult decision, especially with such a vast choice available.

The first place to start is the category of helmet that suits the bike and type of riding you do. There’s no sense buying a feature-packed and well-reviewed motocross helmet to ride your GSX-R1000 at the weekend and an FIM-approved sportsbike helmet won’t necessarily cut the mustard on an adventure bike tour of Morocco.

Types of motorcycle helmets

The core elements of the different types of helmet stay pretty much the same – a hard outer shell with a softer impact-absorbing liner, a chin strap and some kind of viewport – but there are some differing elements and accessories that make some helmets better for specific types of riding or suit the style of the bike you have.

Sporty helmets are aerodynamic and often aggressively styled. They are designed to be stable at high speed and often (but not always) have very high protective qualities due to the speeds reached on track. Sports-touring options take the sportiest designs and add more creature comforts to the mix for long days in the saddle.

Adventure helmets incorporate a peak to protect from branches or debris and shield your eyes from the sun. Retro helmets borrow their styling inspiration from years gone by but the best incorporate all the latest safety tech under the surface, too.

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

If you already know what type of helmet you would like then jump to the relevant section here, otherwise read on for more advice.

• 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

Whichever type of helmet you need, there are some overarching principles that you should keep in mind before you make your choice. Let’s start by looking at the fundamentals and work our way through to options.

A helmet’s primary function is to protect your head from an impact with a solid object. It does this with two main elements – a hard outer shell that is designed to absorb the impact across its entire surface and a deformable inner layer that acts as a cushion or crumple zone. Fibreglass, polycarbonate or carbon fibre are typical materials for the outer construction, whilst expanded polystyrene (EPS) is widely used for the inner.

Many manufacturers incorporate a multi-directional impact system (MIPS) which offers additional protection by allowing the inner to move independently, thus reducing rotational injuries. Some helmets also have an emergency quick-release system (EQRS), which gives emergency services the opportunity to withdraw the cheek pads whilst the helmet is still being worn. This reduces pressure on the head, loosening the fit and making removal easier and safer.

All helmets sold in the UK must comply with the European standard of ECE 22.06, which has replaced the older standard of ECE 22.05 (although old stock of ECE 22.05 helmets will be cleared first).

This involves a whole range of tests to ensure that any given helmet will perform as it should when involved in a crash. You’ll find a tag somewhere on the helmet to confirm this, usually on the chin strap. As of July 2023, all new helmets manufactured have to be tested to the newer ECE 22.06 standard, although it is still legal to wear those tested under the older ECE 22.05 certification.

In 2007, the UK government set up its own testing scheme, the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP). This awards helmets a star rating out of 5 and can give a further indication as to the best motorcycle helmet for you.

Whatever helmet you choose, it’s also worth investing in some earplugs. The wind noise experienced at motorway speed on any bike and wearing any helmet is enough to damage your hearing, so make sure you protect it!

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

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Adventure bike helmets

At first glance, an adventure bike helmet may appear to be nothing more than a motocross or off-road helmet, but there’s more to them than that. Adventure bike helmets combine the air flow, practicality and sun protection of off-road lids with the creature comforts of sports touring helmets for a globetrotting hybrid.

The most obvious outward element of an adventure helmet is the peak, which comes from the off-road world. It’s there to help keep the sun out of your eyes and also offer a little added protection against branch strikes or other debris.

The down side of a helmet peak is that it creates added turbulence and add strain to your neck muscles on sustained, high-speed rides such as motorway work. For this reason, many adventure helmets also come with blanking panels that let you remove the peak if you wish.

Unlike proper off-road helmets, adventure ones also have the option of goggles or a visor. Wearing googles improves air flow and can keep you cooler when you’re working hard, riding off road, but for road riding the added comfort and protection of a visor is preferable.

Adventure helmets that started out life as off-road models and had road features added are often cheaper than those that were specifically built for the purpose. Here are some of the best we’ve tested on MCN recently:

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Sportsbike and naked helmets

Sportsbike helmets are designed to be as slippery as possible in terms of aerodynamics because they are built to be used at high speeds. This also makes them ideal for use on naked motorbikes where the rider is constantly buffeted by the wind.

Sportbike helmets also have a large field of vision for track use – to improve your view of the riders around you – and also have apertures (the hole you look through) that are high at the top so that you can see where you’re going in a racing tuck.

Many brands have sportsbike helmets right at the top of their range as a flagship model and FIM-homologated versions (which can be used at any level of racing) can run over £1000. But there are plenty of options at lower price points, too.

Here are a couple of sportsbike helmets we’ve rated highly recently:

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Retro helmets

You can technically wear whatever type of helmet you like on a retro bike, but as the scene grew and the market increased, helmet manufacturers sensed an opportunity and many added specific options to their ranges.

Retro helmets range from modern lids with a classic paint job all the way through to hand-crafted custom models that incorporate old-school styling with modern safety standards.

A slight drop in demand has meant that some retro helmet models aren’t being brought up to the ECE 22.06 safety standard and so they will be dropped from ranges, but there are still plenty to choose from.

Here are some of the best we’ve tested recently:

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Sports-touring helmets

Sports-touring helmets look similar to sportsbike helmets but put long-distance comfort and practicality further up the pecking order than lap times. You are more likely to find drop-down sun visors, ratchet or seatbelt chin straps rather than double D-ring and integrated intercoms. Aero scoops will also be missing, or at the very least smaller than on out-and-out sportsbike lids.

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Flip-front helmets

Flip-front or modular helmets have been popular for decades with riding instructors and police riders who need to speak with people regularly while wearing a helmet. Rather than taking the whole thing off, a button releases the chin bar and allows you to flip open the front of the helmet.

More recently, many flip-front helmets have been dual homologated, meaning you can ride with them either open or closed. This means you get the cooling comfort of an open face in town and the safety of a full-face when you hit the national speed limit.

Flip-front helmets are also popular with touring riders who enjoy the ease of flipping the front for chatting with a pillion or buying fuel.

The down side of a flip-front helmet is that they tend to be larger and heavier than a full-face due to the inclusion of the mechanism (although they get better every year). They also tend to feature the more basic colour and design options.

Here are some of the best flip-front helmets we’ve tested recently:

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Urban helmets

If you never venture out of the city centre or ride a scooter to work, an open-face or jet helmet could be a comfy alternative to a full-face.

These are more popular in the scooter culture of mainland Europe’s cities but plenty of UK riders also wear them. Open face helmets are also popular for cruiser or American bike riders and also classics and retro bikes.

Although comfy to wear and cool in hot weather, the obvious down side is that your face isn’t protected in a crash – although jet helmets usually extend further down the jaw line.

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How do I choose the right size motorbike helmet?

A correctly fitting helmet is paramount, both in terms of safety and comfort. Too loose could cause it to move around in use, and it won’t be able to protect as it should, maybe even coming off in an accident. Too tight, and it will quickly become uncomfortable, affecting concentration and giving you a headache – a few miles in a helmet that’s too small can be akin to a medieval torture device. The best motorcycle helmet should be just snug, moving with your head without causing discomfort.

Measuring your head is a good place to start in finding your size (above the ears and around the forehead), but the only way to be sure is to go to a shop or show and try some on. Manufacturers offer a range of shell sizes to suit different size heads, as well as liners and cheek pads to achieve a full custom fit. The best motorcycle helmet is the one you feel most comfortable wearing.

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FAQ

What’s the best type of strap?

Keeping a helmet in place is crucial to its effectiveness, and there are three main types of fastening systems – double D-ring, ratchet clasp or a car seatbelt style clip and catch. All meet the required standard, so ultimately it’s down to personal choice.

A double D-ring is the traditional method and is adjusted each time it’s fastened by simply tugging it snug. With no moving parts, it’s also the simplest and remains the standard at the top level of bike sport. A ratchet clasp is similar in that you tighten it to suit every time, but some will find feeding the strap through the clasp less fiddly to get the hang of. The seat belt type has to be adjusted first, altering the length of the strap to suit, so may involve some trial and error. In operation, it’s a simple case of clipping the buckle into the catch and pressing a button to release.

A strap is correctly tightened when you can slip two fingers between it and your jaw. Any more than that could restrict breathing or blood flow, any less and your helmet may not stay on when it needs to.

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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