The Best Motorcycle Helmets You Can Buy | Gear Patrol (2024)

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Buying a helmet is the most critical motorcycle gear purchase you’ll make. It’s probably the most expensive item on your list — besides the bike. And it protects the most important body part when you get into an accident.

The “right” helmet, like the correct bike, varies. ADV riders will want better cooling. MX riders will want a helmet with more protection. If you’re bombing eight-to-twelve-lane highways, you need a helmet hewn to reduce noise and fatigue. No matter what your riding style, the right helmet is the one you’ll wear for every ride.

How We Tested

Gear Patrol Staff

Gear Patrol staffers and contributors spent a total of hundreds of hours testing every helmet in this guide — several for months if not years. We tested helmets in all weather conditions on both coasts and several locations in between. We wore them on short trips around, substantial commutes and long weekend drives.

We tested helmets primarily for comfort, fit, noise levels, proper ventilation and the ease of use of particular features. We did not test helmet crash safety for obvious reasons. But we gave special weight to helmets with strong ratings on the U.K. Sharp Helmet Scheme test and testing from other independent bodies. All helmets selected are DOT-approved for safety.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

Our Picks for Best Motorcycle Helmet

Best Overall Motorcycle Helmet

AGV

AGV K6 S Helmet

• $800.00 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 3.02 lbs
• Comms: Ear pockets

Let’s start where it matters: The AGV K6 S is crazy lightweight, at a mere 3.02 pounds. That’s weight you can feel—rather, weight that you don’t. Sure, you’re paying for those excised grams, but the reason to do so is to buy your way out of what exhausts you most when you ride long distances, which is why you definitely want to go svelter with a helmet—but not at the expense of safety.

Here, AGV’s Moto GP racing heritage and extensive expertise pays off, because they’ve managed to make the K6 feathery, but it still gets a perfect 5/5 stars in the U.K.’s Sharp Helmet Scheme test, partly because AGV constructed it using five different densities of EPS foam. This is state-of-the-art tech, and like the Bell Race Star listed here, the idea is to work like the crumple zones of a car, compacting at different speeds to spread the force of an impact so that your skull absorbs as little energy as possible.

AGV also uses metal rather than plastic for the visor hinges to stay locked even if you wreck, since having it released could send debris into your face. Also, plastic hinges wear out quickly, and having one snap mid-ride (been there) is an annoyance we bet you’d like to avoid.

Who cares if it’s not comfy though, right?

No worries. They’ve nailed that, and it all starts with the fact that the K6 is quiet as well as lightweight. Is it as din-killing as the Schubert or Bell Race Star on our list? Well, it’s dang close, which is saying something since both those lids are considerably heavier. As for the K6, during three seasons of testing at highway speeds down to traffic crawls our tester found that AGV’s system works great, from the removable chin spoiler that prevents a wind tunnel howl cutting in at your jawline to their revised visor mechanism that holds that windscreen fast to the front of the helmet, so you won’t get any ghostly whistles haunting you at higher speeds.

Our tester also found the AGV to be well vented, with five different ports allowing really fine adjustment of cooling, and that’s especially nice when you might want just a little air for de-misting the visor but not enough to freeze your bean. Ah, and fogging won’t happen that readily, since the AGV ships the K6 with a Pinlock insert, too; install that second lens inside the visor to prevent fogging.

A kicker here is that the K6 is designed as a generalist, not a specialist, with an aero shape that our tester found worked great at higher speeds on a naked rig, but also just put-putting on a scooter and just about everywhere in between. You may never find a single-quiver motorcycle, but this could be your lone helmet for a fistful of different machines in your stable.

Best Upgrade Motorcycle Helmet

Bell

Bell Race Star Flex DLX

• $819.95 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 3.57 lbs
• Comms: Ear Pockets

The UK’s Sharp rating agency gives the Race Star Flex DLX five stars for safety. If you’re going to commute on the 405 (or any freeway), you want that level of protection. Plus our tester found it to be insanely quiet and also massively comfortable and has built-in ear pockets for adding a Bluetooth/mesh comms system.

It’s one of our winningest commuter lids thanks to its clever photochromic visor that darkens in brighter light and goes fully transparent in shadow on cloudy days or when you ride from the full sun into a tunnel. Trust us: Our tester tested this bucket in all kinds of conditions ranging from Northeast summer deluges to dusty farm runs through Wisconsin farmland and the adaptable visor made a massive difference in visual acuity, especially when our tester needed that help slicing through traffic or adapting to windswept marbly washboards.

Our tester also really dug the memory foam-like neck collar. This setup felt rather snug initially, but it is designed to better muffle the air that typically causes the higher decibels of sustained riding.

When you’re moving Bell’s venting crushes. There are ports at the mouth, just above the visor at the brow, and at the top of your cranium, with an entry port at the top of the lid and an exit port just at the back. Also, while we’ve seen tech before in sportswear that uses similar chemistry to menthol flavorings, the VIRUS Cool Jade Power Mesh Liner has recycled jade yarn that they say can lower your skin temperature by up 10°F. Yep, we know, it sounds weird. Still, it actually is something our tester could feel, and the hotter you get, the more cooling you’ll experience.

Bell also makes the cheek pads on the Race Star Flex DLX magnetic. Why care? Because you can yank them easily for a quick washing, and first responders can also more readily remove the helmet from your head in case of an accident.

Speaking of the oh-no, Bell learned by studying high-speed racing crashes and built the Race Star Flex with something like a car’s crumple zones. Here, the liner uses three densities of foam, designed to compress in reaction to a crash force, slowing that energy so that it dissipates in accordance with the speed and power of that hit. Provided you keep the shiny side pointed up, you’ll appreciate that Bell designed the Race Star Flex for riding in a tight tuck or for a typical urban posture, with the visor cut to maximize your peripheral vision either way.

Michael Frank

Best Budget Motorcycle Helmet

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HJC i90 Helmet

• $219.99 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 3.79 lbs
• Comms: Integrated

The HJC i90 is one of the better-vented modular helmets we’ve tested, with one big mouth port and another scoop at the top to suck in air and channel it over your head.

It also gets a flip-down sun visor, which hit our tester’s eye line perfectly and didn’t dig into his nose. Given the bargain sticker, this also isn’t too heavy a brain bucket, at 3.79 pounds. Oh, and HJC crushes it on the controls, too, with meaty, oversized buttons for the vents and the chin bar.

Threading in the HJC 20B Bluetooth system is a bit of a battle, but because HJC built this helmet to accommodate their specific speaker and mic as well as controller, once you’ve got those attached the system works seamlessly and there’s no protrusion of speakers jamming into your ears, etc., plus pairing went down without a hitch, making talking to Sena/or Cardo wearers no sweat.

Hiccups? We have tested far quieter helmets, but in the modular space good luck finding an affordable lid that’s also as comfy as the HJC i90—because you won’t.

Michael Frank

Best Motorcycle Helmet with Bluetooth

la choppers

Schuberth C5 Helmet

• $769.00 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 3.63 pounds
• Comms: Integrated

For a modular helmet the C5 from Schuberth felt remarkably svelte, weighing just 3.63 pounds. And Schuberth, a well-loved brand, especially for tourers, is doing more here though than just keeping down the heft since the reason riders dig the German maker is for their extra plush, comfy lids that are ultra-exceptional for being durable and fighting wind noise.

We’ll get back to some of these points, but first, Schuberth is smart to offer alternative padding for the interior. This lets anyone swap out thicker or thinner padding to customize the way the helmet accommodates your particular skull shape, and if, like our tester, you land right between sizes a few quick pad swaps will let you find the right fit.

The next step will be to add Schuberth’s own Bluetooth/mesh comms system called SC2 ($349; sold separately), which works with Sena devices and is roughly the same price as current Sena communicators. You can pair this to other Sena wearers’ comms of course, and also to GPS, your phone, etc. But what’s elegant here, vs. going outside of Schuberth, is how the company broke up components of the system to make for cleaner controls than Sena’s native device. You have just a few (slimmer) buttons on the left side of the lid; a power supply at the rear, and the mic boom for the microphone of this modular lid attaches directly to the leading edge of the junction of the chin bar.

If you’ve had to Macgyver aftermarket comms into your helmet you know that elegance isn’t exactly the end result, and sometimes you’ll have a real wrestling match on your hands just to feed through wires. Here Schuberth built the C5 to route everything seamlessly, and in our testing, this also made for a better audio experience for other riders since Schuberth designed this lid from the start to accommodate that boom microphone and it was easier to adjust its proximity to our tester’s mouth, so there was less static and more coherence.

Our tester found this helmet to be very quiet for a modular; Schuberth says it only passes through 85 dBA at 60mph, and that’s very believable. Like donning Bell’s Race Star Flex, putting on the Schuberth makes your head feel fully enveloped, so there’s no way for air to circulate from below, and that really does seal out sounds. This still isn’t the quietest lid I’ve ever tested, but it is the quietest modular I’ve worn.

Our tester found the controls on this lid are great, too. The chin bar opens easily from the front and clicks shut with a satisfying “snap,” and if you half opened the visor before lifting the whole front a detent will keep the visor exactly where you left it. The killer-app detent, by the way, is the first one that cracks the visor just slightly for a little more air and sound penetration, where hearing traffic around you makes you more aware of hazards in traffic. And, about that: Schuberth, like many brands, uses multiple foam densities throughout the shell for better crash protection.

The C5 breathes well, too, with a two-position chin vent, another one at the mouth, and a large two-position top intake vent. At the rear, a new spoiler includes an air extractor, and with the top nostril open our tester could feel his whole skull being chilled. Open the face of the C5 at stoplights, and you’ll never feel cooked wearing it. Cherries on top include a built-in sun shield that flips down, Pinlock compatibility for the visor (and the C5 ships with that fog-fighting inner Pinlock), and a shape optimized for more upright riders that does a very good job of busting down wind buffeting.

Michael Frank

Best Retro Motorcycle Helmet

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Bell Bullitt Helmet

• $439.95 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Round Oval
• Weight: 3.24 lbs
• Comms: Speaker Pockets

The venerable Bullitt has been around since 2014 – and it’s for good reason. A true fan favorite amongst vintage moto enthusiasts, it pairs undeniably old-school cool with the safety and build quality the Bell brand is known for.

As is typical of retro helmets, the Bullitt is pretty spartan when it comes to features. Apart from a small, two-position chin vent, an exhaust vent, and a magnetically latching face shield, there isn’t much in the way of modern creature comforts. And, because of the absence of a rubber seal around the face opening, our tester did note a tendency to whistle at higher speeds. Even still, the inner liner is quite plush (though our tester wished it was removable) and Bell has at least had the forethought to include speaker pockets for use with comm systems.

But let’s face it: anyone who is considering biting the Bullitt isn’t doing so for its amenities; they’re looking at a lid to complement their ride, something that won’t clash with their cafe racer. Whether those things are worth the $440 is a decision that only you can make for yourself; you can get a lot in a modern helmet for that kind of money. Between the look, the feel, and the DOT/ECE certifications, though, it doesn’t get much better than the Bullitt in this category.

Gray Van Dyke

Best Motorcycle Helmet for Adventure Riding

AGV

AGV AX9 Helmet

• $714.95 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 3.4 lbs
• Comms: Speaker Pockets

Our tester has had the AGV AX-9 for over a year and have tried it out with both a Sena and Cardo comms system (since it comes with ear-pocket compatibility for any mesh/Bluetooth system you might want). But the real tech is in the way this lid is made. The key to that is in its versatility, and that starts with its two-position peak and the deeper cut to the unique, Pinlock-compatible visor.

Let’s break that down. First, the peak is shaped to allow air to cut right through it, so there’s seldom an updraft striking it, and by having it, you get excellent eye shading, especially cutting from the dark forest and back to dusty two-tracks and then into the woods again, we weren’t forced to monkey with sunnies or pop an internal shade up down. Nope: Our tester could keep his hands directly on the grips for maximum control.

That Pinlock setup also lets you add an interior second lens (not included) that smites fogging much like a twin lens goggle. Oh, and the visor is cut extra low below each eye, allowing ADV riders extra vision to see obstacles more easily from a standing position. Flip the visor up, and you can spy your terrain through goggles instead.

Riding off-road is plenty taxing already, so the AX-9’s lower weight (just 3.4 pounds) lessens that effort a bit because you’re not battling balancing the brain bucket as much as you’re busy tossing your bike around and adjusting your body to varied terrain.

Too hot in your present lid—or too cold? AGV designed its mouth port with both relentless heat and frigid riding conditions in mind. Remove it entirely for maximum cooling; put it back when that sunny day turns frigid to slow airflow and keep your head warmer. And it gets a pair of closable vents at either eyebrow, too, so you can add or impede the flow of air as you moto.

Michael Frank

Best Upgrade Modular Motorcycle Helmet

Amazon

Best Upgrade Modular Helmet

AGV Modular Motorcycle Helmet

• $599.95 at Amazon

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 3.79 lbs
• Comms: Integrated (Cardo)

You’ll see a lot of modular lids on this list and the reason we dig them is that they’re versatile. Stop to buy gas and you’re not fogging up that visor or roasting because pulling the chin bar open provides instant cooling. The unique Tourmodular is one of the best options we’ve tested, because it’s light, especially in the chin bar, so you don’t get that see-saw effect when the face portion is lifted, weighing your head forward.

AGV also went the extra mile with small details, strengthening, but also pulling back the area where the chin bar snaps to the rest of the lid, so you get more open area when that’s lifted, but they also added protection by making the visor thicker. Plus this helmet is cushy inside, with moisture-wicking Ritmo and Shalimar fabrics, and a synthetic leather gasket at the visor lip that prevents rain from penetrating the seam at the closure.

Yes, you can always open the face for max cooling, but you should ride with it shut, and that’s when four vents—a giant scoop at the top and three more at the chin—do a great job keeping you vented. If you need even more cooling, AGV wind tunnel tested a micro-open position (the first detent) for the visor that stays in perfect position while riding. Why bother with that test? To ensure lower wind noise but maximum venting while retaining safety. We also found that having all vents shuttered on cold days truly did quell wind penetration, with an optional chin spoiler keeping air from penetrating from below.

You can also get the AGV Tourmodular with a comms system, and this one works with Cardo rather than Sena, which, if you have friends who ride Cardo, is extra handy since most rebranded comms come from Sena.

Michael Frank

Best Modular Motorcycle Helmet

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Bell SRT Modular Helmet

• $399.95 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate oval
• Weight: 3.89 lbs
• Comms: Ear Pockets

We love modular helmets because they give you the versatility to quickly get cooling at a traffic stop by just throwing open the whole lower half and revealing your whole sweaty mug to the breeze while re-engaging full protection once you’re moving. But… they’re usually not affordable.

Our tester used this Bell extensively on busy highways, lane-splitting in L.A.’s worst snarls, at over 10,000 feet in the Rockies and lots of places in between. It ticked most of the boxes you’re after. And it does so without busting your wallet in two.

Some of those ticked boxes include recessed ear pockets compatible with either Cardo or Sena mesh/Bluetooth comms systems, an internal sunshade so you don’t have to fiddle for sunnies or goggles and pretty solid venting at both the mouth port inlet and another at the top with an exhaust port at the back. Oh, and despite the reasonable sticker, this Bell’s no brick at just under four pounds.

Lastly, during testing our tester found all the switchgear for venting, lifting the visor as well as opening the chin bar are tactile enough to find and operate with gloved hands. That should be a given with moto helmets, but it’s not. Bonus Points: Bell spreads the love further by offering this lid in several colors, and for better safety consider the Nardo Gray, Hi-Vis yellow or white.

Best Café Racer-Style Motorcycle Helmet

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HJC V60

• $299.99 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 2.97 lbs
• Comms: Ear Pockets

With their simple, rounded shells and aggressive, vented chin bars, vintage dirt helmets offer a decidedly different vibe that’s perfect for everything from bobbers to enduro bikes. Unfortunately, their style usually comes at a cost – there isn’t much in the way of sound or element protection, as goggles can invite all sorts of wind, rain, and bugs into your face.

HJC’s V60 bucks these inconveniences thanks to the addition of an integrated sun visor. When fully deployed, it clicks into a set of secure detents, leaving only the tip of your nose exposed. So, while it won’t offer the quiet and isolation you’d find with a full-face shield, it does go a long way toward reducing the discomfort of road noise and cold air. The helmet also comes with a snap-on peak that, although prone to catching wind during head checks and rattling at highway speeds, does noticeably reduce glare.

HJC has given the V60 other conveniences, too, such as a pair of cut-outs in the foam for speakers, some built-in grooves for use with glasses, and a set of tabs on the cheek pads for quick emergency removal. The liner is plush and padded, made up of a mixture of suede, mesh, and leather. Our tester found it comfortable during cold weather; however, the lack of vents around the brow and the back of the helmet could prove a little warm come time for summer riding. We’d also like to see an ECE certification in future iterations, though it’s not uncommon to see a helmet with a drop-down visor only achieve DOT status.

Gray Van Dyke

Best Budget Retro Motorcycle Helmet

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Biltwell Gringo Motorcycle Helmet

• $174.95 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Round Oval
• Weight: 3.54 lbs
• Comms: Ear Pockets

The Gringo’s full-face design hearkens back to the ’60s and ’70s; the glory days of riding legends like Steve McQueen and Evel Knievel. Unlike helmets of old, however, the Gringo meets all modern DOT and ECE R22.05 safety standards, thanks to an exterior made from an injection-molded ABS shell and an interior containing a three-piece expanded polystyrene safety liner.

While our tester (luckily) never needed to put the Gringo’s safety features to the test, he found the helmet to be great in pretty much every other area. It was comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Snaps around the eye port allowed out tester to add a visor or bubble shield easily. And the Gringo offers several different colors and graphic packages, making an already cool helmet even cooler.

But perhaps the best part is that the Gringo starts at just $175 — which is ridiculously low by modern high-quality motorcycle helmet standards these days. Even if you don’t ride, a price that low almost warrants buying one just to sit on a shelf and look cool. Of course, it’s not perfect in every way. The Gringo isn’t a helmet with the most high-performing stats out there, and if you’re embarking on a cross-country ride, you may want to consider a helmet with additional features.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Best Budget Modular Motorcycle Helmet

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Sedici Sistema II Mips Helmet

• $289.99 at cyclegear.com

• Shape: Intermediate Oval
• Weight: 3.89 lbs
• Comms: Ear pockets

If you bike or ski, chances are you already know MIPS as the anti-rotation system developed in Sweden that’s designed to combat the forces that cause concussions. But you won’t find it in every moto helmet, with more popularity among dirt bike riders, so it’s nice to see Sedici offering it in a highway-focused modular.

And the Sistema II is just that, with an aero shape that’s reasonably quiet, especially for the dough, and one that doesn’t suffer a lot of battering, even in high winds or when riding a naked or partially faired machine. Like the HJC on this list, it gets an internally deployable sun visor, and is pre-fabbed with slots to accommodate a Bluetooth system, though unlike the HJC, Sedici doesn’t offer its own branded module.

Our tester found this to be a very comfy helmet, with a super-soft, antimicrobial treatment to the liner. Controls (top and mouth vent as well as chin bar release) were wisely oversized and easy to adjust with a gloved hand, and speaking of that, our tester found cooling to be very good. Adding to that, the first detent of the face shield allows sucking in more venting, and the visor stays put in that position and snaps shut with a very positive feeling lock, so you know when the visor’s fully sealed.

One bonus, by the way, is that Sedici sells a photochromic visor for about $120 that fits this helmet, so you can get that tech in a modular helmet, which unfortunately is otherwise hard to scare up. Otherwise, the clear visor that comes standard is Pinlock ready, so you could always add a tinted Pinlock, too.

What to Look for When Buying a Motorcycle Helmet

Fit: The helmet should fit snugly and comfortably on your head with the eye port starting above your eyebrows. If you can adjust the helmet side to side without your skin moving, you likely need a smaller size.

Head Shape: Not every helmet is optimal for every type of head shape. A manufacturer will typically note whether the helmet is better for long oval (longer front to back), intermediate oval (round) or round oval (longer side to side) heads. Most helmets will skew toward intermediate.

Lining: Wearing a motorcycle helmet can get sweaty, particularly during summer rides. Liners that are easily removable, washable and made from antimicrobial materials.

Noise Insulation: A quiet ride is a more comfortable and less exhausting ride with any helmet. And filtering out excess road noise is especially important when you’re using Bluetooth devices to communicate while riding.

Ventilation: Ventilation is important for temperature regulation in hot weather and over long rides; no one likes a sweaty and consequently smelly helmet. And the better airflow also keeps your helmet from fogging up.

Weight: A lighter helmet will generally be more comfortable and cause less neck strain. Many helmets incorporate carbon fiber and other lightweight materials into the construction of the shell, which can reduce weight but also jack up the price. Modular helmets tend to be heavier than full-face helmets because they need a way to flip up the visor.

When to Replace Your Motorcycle Helmet

There’s no exact timeline for when to buy a new motorcycle helmet. The rule of thumb is around every five years. But it could be sooner, depending on how often you use it. Here are some factors to watch out for.

You’ve been in an accident: Your helmet is designed to protect your head during an impact not necessarily maintain its integrity to be able to do so again. The safest option after sustaining a heavy impact is to just get a new helmet.

The helmet’s interior lining is degrading: Your helmet should be close-fitting when you buy it. It may loosen as the inner material compacts over time. It may degrade and start to flake off. Either way, it’s time to get a new helmet at that point.

Straps, buckles and snaps are starting to fail: Your helmet is only valuable if it stays on your head. Any tearing, loosening or corrosion at the straps, buckles and snaps is a sign that it’s time to get a new helmet as well.

How to Care for Your Motorcycle Helmet

Keep your helmet in a storage bag: Storing the helmet safely can help prevent wear and tear. The helmet may come with a drawstring bag which you can bring with you while riding. A protective case would be even better. Avoid storing the helmet in a bag with other gear or fuel.

Only clean your helmet with warm water: Avoid abrasive and petroleum-based cleaning materials which can damage the helmet. Only use warm water on the exterior and face shield. Mixing non-abrasive baby shampoo with warm water can be a great way to clean sweat and hair oil out of the interior lining.

Use soft cleaning accessories: The best option for avoiding damage to your helmet is to use a soft microfiber towel that is clean if not brand new. You can also use a toothbrush with soft bristles to clean nooks and crannies. Vents can be blown out using compressed air.

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