Top 10 Brands – Picking the Best Motorcycle Helmets in 2017
Do you find yourself asking “What is the best motorcycle helmet in 2017?” A lot of people are looking for the best top 5, or 10 motorcycle helmet brands, and the top products from those brands. But what does that really mean?
The word “best” can mean different things to different people. As you probably already know, when it comes to motorcycle helmets, one size does NOT fit all. Different helmets from multiple brands are made for a variety of purposes and head shapes. And the quality, style, features, and materials can vary greatly from one brand to another. So you are correct in asking the question, “which is the best?”
In this article we are going to cover exactly how to pick the best motorcycle helmet. But first here are some of our top helmet brand picks for 2017. Each of these products will be described further down below if you want to keep reading.
| Image | Product Name | Color | List Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bell Star Motorcycle Helmet | Solid Matte Black | $$$ | ★★★★★ |
 | Shark RAW Soyouz Helmet | Matte Black/Gray | $$ | ★★★★★ |
 | Shoei Solid GT-Air Helmet | Silver | $$$ | ★★★★★ |
 | AGV Corsa Motorcycle Helmet | Black/Yellow/Red/Blue | $$$$ | ★★★★★ |
 | Arai Corsair-X Street | White/Red/Blue | $$$$ | ★★★★★ |
 | HJC IS-2 Helmet | silver | $ | ★★★★★ |
 | NEXX X.R2 Carbon Zero Helmet | Black | $$$$ | ★★★★★ |
 | SIMPSON Outlaw Bandit Helmet | Matte Black | $$$ | ★★★★★ |
 | Scorpion EXO-R2000 Helmet | Black/Red | $$$ | ★★★★★ |
 | Schuberth C3 Helmet | YELLOW | $$$$ | ★★★★★ |
What to Look For
The right approach would therefore not be to look for a one size fits all best helmets solution. That does not exist because every person has a different situation. Different motorcycle helmets are best for different situations.
It’s important to realize there are certain key important factors to consider in choosing the best motorcycle helmet. These are things that will give you a combination of the best riding experience and is balanced with the best safety, price, features, and preferences for style and comfort.
So to figure all this out it’s wise to first examine your individual situation as it relates to your
Being the “best,” means a helmet is going to bring value that’s hard to ignore. It’s going to pass stringent safety tests, but also it will provide a sleek look you will love.
Below we are going to list the factors we think you should take into consideration when choosing the perfect helmet for yourself. At the end of this explanation will be an additional section. There we list the best helmets and the top ten helmet brands of 2017. So lets get started.
Best Helmet for Your Safety
Safety is the primary reason you are wearing a motorcycle helmet in the first place right? So this should obviously be your primary and first consideration.
A helmet is your primary line of defense against blunt trauma, and it’s important to stay as secure as possible in case of an unfortunate an accident. The helmet needs to take the brunt of an impact and save you from catastrophic head injuries or even death. as you are probably already aware of. But we just thought this is worth mentioning just in case.
We feel it is important to stress this point because some people tend to get so caught up in the look and feel of a helmet thy might tend to ignore the all-important safety and strength of it.
Best Helmet Design for Your Safety
This is where we come to the intended purpose of a helmet’s design. Different helmet designs have different levels of safety and protection.
Some helmets are made more for cruising speeds. Some are made for going faster and are therefore constructed of stronger materials and a more aerodynamic design.
And yet others are made for maximum protection against super-fast racing speeds. These are the number one helmets and made of the top of the line strongest impact materials and are the most aerodynamic. We have many of these to recommend to you down below.
Keep in mind the materials of each class of helmet is going to go up in price the as it is made of stronger and stronger materials. For example a carbon fiber or multi-composite speed and racing helmet is going to be on the higher end of the pricing spectrum.
So the first question you need to ask yourself is what type of riding you are going to be doing. Are you just cruising? Or are you planning on racing on the track or going at high speeds?
From there you can start to zoom in on the class of helmets you are looking for. All of the helmets we recommend on this site are from the most well-known, most established, and popular motorcycle helmet brands.
They all make high quality time tested helmets. All of them are safety tested and approved with various certifications. And all of them are reasonable priced and made of strong quality materials. And all of the companies mentioned are at the forefront of the development of the most advanced helmet technologies.
The Best Helmet Features for Safety Balanced With Comfort and Visibility
After you’ve decided on the basic class of helmets by answering the above question (regarding what you will mainly use it for) it is time for the next question.
And that is:
How much safety are you willing to sacrifice for style and/or comfort?
There are many different types of helmets within each class of motorcycle helmets. These are designed for specific uses.
For example the “best full faced aerodynamic speed helmets” are maximum protection helmets that are some of the safest and most durable in under normal highway riding conditions.
And then you can have the “best flip-up modular helmets”. These are not as safe as one piece helmets in a crash, but close to the same level. The chin guard flips up to expose the face.
The “best open-face cruising helmets” offer less protection than full face and modular helmets. There are different levels of protections with these based on the exact style.
With open face designs you can choose the “best ¾ helmets” design. These can give more protections to the back and sides of your head.
Or you can choose the “best ½ helmet” design which will give less protection but better visibility and comfort.
Of course the comfort level of any helmet design or shape might depend on the weather and temperature conditions. So for example if the weather is cold a three quarter might be warmer and more comfortable than a one half design.
Whereas if you mostly ride in hotter areas a ½ helmet would offer a better cooler helmet. All of these things are going to depend on your individual situation. So we can’t give any one answer. We are simply guiding you in the right direction, and helping you to ask the right questions, so that you can come up with the right answer for yourself.
Also with all of the above factors taken into consideration there are hybrid helmets that can be used for multiple uses and situations. For example dual sport helmets are great if you want to keep one all around helmet, but don’t want to spend too much money on multiple helmets for multiple uses. Some of the best dual sport or multi-use motorcycle helmets can be transformed for multiple uses. These are all things that are going to be up to your personal preferences. There is no number one helmet that can apply to all situations.
Pricing the Best Brand Helmets
Pricing is another factor on what is going to be best for your budget. We know money can be tight sometimes. But you don’t want to sacrifice quality for price. You want a great helmet at a great price. Luck for you there are plenty of high quality best helmets at reasonable prices.
Down below we will lay out the top 10 motorcycle helmet brands. Some of these brands are made of the highest quality most expensive materials and offer the best protection.
Others are made with less expensive but still quality materials. There are different features that can make them more or less expensive. So our goal here is to lay out all the best helmet brands so you can check them for yourself and decided on the best balance of safety, quality, and features for your budget.
You can choose the best of the best. Or you can choose good enough, but still very good. It is up to you.
There are a lot of helmets to choose from. So we organized them for you to make it easy to find what you are looking for. We will have a brief summary of each motorcycle helmet brand and then our top pick out of each brand. The top picks for each brand are also listed in the comparison chart at the top of the page.
If you don’t see what you are looking for you can click the links to bring you to a page for each helmet brand. On that page we have more helmets listed in the top 10 helmet products for each brand.
Some Other Factors to Consider When Choosing the Helmet That’s Best for You
Things to look for include:
- Safety Certifications (Such as DOT and Snell)
- Aesthetics (i.e. Color/Curves)
- Weight/Comfort
- Usage Patterns (How Frequently Do You Ride?)
- Pricing (Better Materials = More Expensive)
- Air Flow Though the Helmet and Design (Ventilation)
- Accounting for Drag (Aerodynamics Design – Helmets Built for Speed Create Less Drag)
- Durability (i.e. How Easily Does it Scratch?)
- Your Head Shape (Different Helmets are Made for Different Head Shapes)
- Visibility (i.e. visor/goggle design, curve, and tinting)
All of these things are going to weigh into the decision-making process when it comes to finding the best overall helmet. So you’ll want to think about these criteria when looking at all the different choices.
For example there are many ways a person can tell they have a bad helmet in front of them. One of the easiest ways is if it doesn’t meet DOT standards. These are the basic standards for safety as it pertains to motorcycle crash helmets.
If you’re not hitting those standards, you have to skip over a helmet because it’s not safe. All of the helmets we list here meet basic safety certification requirements of DOT. And most of them exceed it with additional certification from other more strict testing organizations.
Another very important feature in a motorcycle helmet is to take into consideration the ventilation setup and how air flows through the helmet.
The ventilation is going to regulate how easy you can breath and the temperature inside the helmet. It is important that any helmet you choose has an excellent ventilation system of air flow throughout the unit.
Imagine a hot day where everything is sweaty and not enough air is getting through. This is the worst feeling in the world. You can feel like you are suffocating and overheating. These are just a few examples of the factors in the above list.
All of the top 10 helmet brands we choose have state of the art ventilation systems.
The best combination of all these factors is going to be the one that’s best for you. This will translate into better safety and a more fun comfortable ride.
In this article of the – top ten brands for motorcycle helmets all are high-grade helmets. You just need to figure out the blend of factors that apply to your individual situation. You will be able to figure this out as you look through each product. You can hover over the product images for pricing. If you click to the product you will see more about the helmets as far as features and the materials it is made of.
Our Top Rated 10 Best Motorcycle Helmets and Brands
Listed below are the best helmet brands in the world. These are the top companies who make the highest quality products and have excellent warranties. They stand by their products and have developed a long standing reputation of producing amazing innovative helmets.
Best Bell Motorcycle Helmet
Bell Helmets is the leader in the industry and the first driving force to push the limits of what was possible in helmet design and construction. Bell helmets is one of the oldest most and most popular helmet brands. Established way back in the 1950’s Bell have been developing top of the line helmets built for speed and safety.
Our top rated pick in the Bell line of helmets is the Bell Star Full Face Helmet.
This DOT safety certified street speed helmet is made for speed. If you are looking for a super strong fully protective helmet, then look no further. The shell is made of a tri-composite material consisting of carbon fiber, Aramid, and fiberglass that delivers amazing strength. Comes in 9 different colors and styles.
Best Arai Motorcycle Helmet
Arai Helmets is also a veteran brand in the motorcycle helmet business. Base in Pennsylvania, USA they are still going strong after 6 decades of designing and manufacturing hand crafted helmets that not only meet the highest safety standards, but exceed them. This is another amazing company that that prides themselves in making quality products.
Our top rated pick in the Arai line of helmets is the Arai Corsair X Motorcycle Helmet.
Another DOT certified speed racing full face aerodynamic helmet. This beauty is built for strength and racing. It has been going strong as a super-premium, top of the line, Arai Racing helmet for over 40 years. Now in its 10th generation countless improvements to the design have been made.
Best HJC Motorcycle Helmet
HJC Helmets is not the oldest helmet brand, but they are also not a young buck either. HJC has been going strong in the worldwide motorcycle helmet business since 1971. With their own laboratory testing facilities they have remained one of the leaders in developing some of the safest and most technologically advanced innovations in the helmet industry.
Our top rated pick in the HJC line of helmets is the HJC IS-2 open face cruiser motorcycle helmet.
We now break from the speed helmets for a moment and have chosen this best open face cruiser ½ shell helmet. For the casual rider this stylish strong polycarbonate lightweight helmet is ideal for someone willing to sacrifice some of the safety of a full face helmet for a more comfortable and breathable ½ shell design. If you don’t like full face helmets and prefer the open face design, this affordable choice is perhaps the best helmet for you.
Or Click here for more of the top HJC Motorcycle Helmets.
Best Shark Motorcycle Helmet
Shark Helmets is a brand based out of France. As we go down the line the companies seem to be getting younger. But Shark helmets still has plenty of experience under its belt with 25 years as an established helmet company. As another industry leader in motorcycle helmets the Shark brand employees over 600 worldwide employees. The company has its own factory facilities where it is constantly developing new helmet technologies and improvements.
Our top rated pick in the Shark line of helmets is the Shark Raw Soyouz motorcycle helmet.
This unique streetfighter inspired design looks like a full face helmet. But is actually a dual sport multi-purpose helmet that can be transformed into basically 2 different type’s helmets by removing the chin guard and/or goggles. It is a light weight strong helmet designed for the street cruising and comes in a variety of colors choices. This is a very popular helmet.
Best Shoei Motorcycle Helmet
Shoei is the preferred helmet brand trusted by many professional racers. Established in 1959 Shoei helmets are all handmade in Japan. This is another brand that personifies quality. All Shoei products are handmade in Japan using an advanced process that requires over 50 people to make each and every helmet. If you want quality, strength, and safety, you are sure to find it with Shoei.
Our top rated pick in the Shoei line of helmets is the Shoei Solid GT-Air Racing Motorcycle Helmet.
This is a true racing helmet. If you like speed and you want strength, safety, and aerodynamics this DOT certified helmet is one of the best racing helmets. It is not built to be light weight. It is built for pure speed and strength.
Click here for more of the top Shoei Motorcycle Helmets
Best AGV Motorcycle Helmet
AGV Helmets is an Italian brand established in 1920. They are most well known for their association with motorcycle racing Champions Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi. AGV have been tested at top racing speeds and produced racing Champlain’s. There can be no question these helmets are built for speed. If you are speed demon this is one of the top helmets for you.
Our top rated pick in the AGV line of helmets is the AGV Corsa Motorcycle Helmet.
Comes in a variety of stylish colors with graphics. This is one of the strongest racing helmets on the market. It is constructed of super strong Kevlar and Carbon Fiber composite. The extra price is due to the expensive Kevlar composite shell. But what you lose in price you gain in strength and safety. If you want the ultimate safety crash protection you may want to consider this product.
Click here for more of the top AGV Motorcycle Helmets.
Best Nexx Helmet
Nexx Helmets was founded in 2001 in Portugal. Nexx is another veteran and has been in the helmet development game for almost 20 years. The company has their own factory facilities in Portugal where they have been able to come out with lots of amazing new concepts. They have been the first to launch many types of popular helmet inventions. This brand is one of the top helmet innovators in the industry.
Our top rated pick in the Nexx line of helmets is the Nexx XR2 Carbon Zero motorcycle helmet.
This is another heavy weight in the racing speed helmet category. You will notice we are listing lots of speed helmets as those are usually the top of the line helmets built of the strongest helmets. So if you are looking for the best, you need the best materials. This Nexx is no exception. It is constructed of super strong carbon fiber. The carbon fiber gives it an amazing look. It has multiple safety certification including DOT and CAPA. If you are looking for a stylish strong speed helmet this is one of the top rated helmets.
Click here for more of the top Nexx Motorcycle Helmets.
Best Simpson Helmets
Simpson is unlike some of the other brands mentioned above, in that they sell in a more broad performance based racing category, besides just motorcycle helmets.
Simpson produces racing products for racing tracks and racing teams including NASCAR. They have also produced products designed for NASA proving they are a top notch technology innovator. Simpson is headquartered in Texas USA with 80,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. Simpson helmets are at the forefront of premium racing helmets and products.
Our top rated pick in the Simpson line of helmets is the Simpson Outlaw Bandit motorcycle helmet.
Immediately you will notice that the design of this helmet seems curiously similar in shape to the Shark Raw helmets series. But don’t be deceived. This is a full face real speed helmet with a devout worldwide following. Some of the most fearless motorcyclist nuts have famed this helmet. And for good reason. It is time tested and proven to perform in the most extreme conditions. This helmet is safety certified with Snell and DOT.
If you want to be an outlaw bandit the style and performance of this helmet is a true testament of a fearless racing spirit.
Best Scorpion Helmet
Scorpion Helmet products come from a company that is little younger than all the ones mentioned above. But don’t let this deter you from realizing in a little over 10 years Scorpion has quickly positioned itself as one of the top innovative helmet manufacturing companies in the world.
Scorpion helmets has secured some of the top designers and team riders in the world. This translates into proven excellently designed helmet products that perform in the most extreme conditions at a high level.
Our top rated pick in the Scorpion line of helmets is the Scorpion EXO-R2000 motorcycle dispatch helmet.
This is a really amazing looking helmet. We have to give it one of the highest scores for how amazing it looks.
This is a full face all around cruising helmet that is DOT, Snell, and M210 safety certified.
The main advantage of this particular type of helmet is its lightweight comfort design while offering full face safety protection at an extremely affordable cost. This is one of the lowest cost helmets we are recommending here. For this category of helmet it is one of the best of the best.
Best Schuberth Helmet
Schuberth Helmets are based in Germany. For over 70 years Schuberth has been producing protective helmets in different categories.
As you can see in this article the top ten motorcycle brands we mentioned are from companies located over the world. These are companies with products that are time tested and PROVEN to perform. Schuberth is no different. In fact this is one of the oldest and most established brands in our list.
Similar to the other motorcycle helmet brands in our list this company is one of the top innovators. As a technology company they are constantly coming up with new designs and concepts to increase performance, safety, style, and function.
Our top rated pick in the Schuberth line of helmets is the Schuberth C3 Pro motorcycle helmet.
This is a modular flip up speed helmet that has been tested at 240 km per hour. It is literally the most quiet, aerodynamic, and light weight speed helmet in the world! This helmet is a technology master piece. We highly recommend it.
Well there you have it folks. We have laid out the full spectrum of the best motorcycle helmet brands and the top product from each brand. We hope this helmet guide had been helpful to you.
This article was originally published at: http://thehelmethelper.com/best-top-motorcycle-helmet-brands
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