Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guide

Helmets fall into a handful of styles, and the right one depends on the riding you do:

• Full-face: a one-piece shell with a fixed chin bar. The most protective and usually the quietest style, and the default choice for most riders.
• Flip-up (modular): the chin bar pivots up for fuel stops, tolls and conversation. Check the homologation label: a dual P/J-approved flip-up is certified to be ridden with the chin bar open, while a P-only helmet is not.
• Open-face (jet): no chin bar. Airy and convenient around town, but it leaves your chin and face unprotected.
• Adventure (dual-sport): a full-face with a peak and a larger visor aperture, designed to work with goggles off-road and a visor on the road.
• Motocross: a peak, no visor, and an aggressive chin bar, worn with goggles. Built for off-road use.

To be worn legally on UK roads a helmet must meet British Standard BS 6658:1985 or UNECE Regulation 22. ECE 22.06 is the current version of that regulation: since January 2024 new helmet designs can only be type-approved to 22.06, which added angled impacts that measure rotational forces, tests at more speeds and impact points, and tougher visor testing. Helmets approved to the older 22.05 remain legal to wear, so there is no need to bin a good 22.05 lid. If you are buying new, though, 22.06 is what to look for.

SHARP is the UK Department for Transport's independent helmet rating scheme. It buys helmets that are already legally on sale and subjects each model to 32 impact tests (30 linear and 2 oblique) across at least seven samples at three impact speeds, then awards one to five stars. A five-star SHARP helmet has demonstrated better impact protection than a one-star helmet, whatever their prices, and SHARP's results show that price and protection do not reliably go together. Check sharp.dft.gov.uk before you buy.

Fit matters as much as the standard on the label, because a helmet that moves in a crash cannot do its job. Measure your head circumference just above the eyebrows and start from the manufacturer's size chart, but always try before relying on it: head shapes vary between brands as much as sizes do, with some suiting rounder heads and others more oval ones.

A correct fit grips your cheeks firmly and does not slide when you shake your head. With the strap fastened, try to roll the helmet forward off your head. If it moves significantly, go smaller or try another shell shape. A new helmet should feel snug verging on tight, because the padding beds in with wear; one that feels perfectly comfortable in the shop will likely be loose in six months.

Beyond the shell and its rating, these are the features that make a difference day to day:

• Pinlock anti-fog insert: the single biggest usability upgrade for UK weather. Check whether the helmet includes the insert or is merely Pinlock-ready with the lens sold separately.
• Drop-down sun visor: an internal tinted visor you can flick down, saving you carrying a second visor or sunglasses.
• Ventilation: closable vents you can operate with gloves on.
• Shell material: polycarbonate keeps prices down; composite and carbon shells are lighter, which you feel on longer rides.
• Noise: quieter helmets reduce fatigue; a good neck skirt and visor seal matter as much as shell shape.
• Intercom cutouts: recesses for speakers if you use a Bluetooth headset.

As a rough guide, budget lids from reputable brands start under £100, the mid-market runs from around £100 to £300, and premium helmets run £300 upwards. What extra money buys is mostly lighter shells, quieter aerodynamics, better ventilation and nicer liners, not automatically more protection. SHARP's independent testing regularly awards top ratings to affordable helmets, so choose the best-fitting, best-rated helmet in your budget rather than assuming the dearest is the safest.

Replace a helmet after any significant impact, even if it looks undamaged: the protective liner is designed to crush once. Manufacturers commonly advise replacing a helmet after around five years of use as padding compresses and materials age, and you should never buy a helmet second-hand, because you cannot know its history.

Clean the shell and visor with warm soapy water rather than solvents, and remove and hand-wash the comfort liner now and then. Look after the visor: scratches scatter light at night, and visors are replaceable for far less than the cost of riding with poor vision.