Tips on How to Pick the Best Helmet – A Guide for Beginners

Hey there rider! if you are looking for the best tips of how to pick up the best motorcycle helmet, you have arrived to the right place! We at Motorcycle Helmet Store, have created this guide for you to easily start on your journey. And the first thing you will read here will hopefully help you make informational decision when you will eventually purchase your new motorcycle helmet so continue reading to find some of the best tips on how to pick the best helmet for you!

When you hear the word motorcycle, a helmet may be one of the first things that pops up in your mind. It is a word from the middle ages that is referring to a protective combat headgear. In the present time, helmets are known for its use as a protective gear for the head.

Its purpose is sometimes neglected because there are still some people who choose not to wear it when going on a ride. This is despite the fact that they can watch and read accidents that happened on television, newspapers and worse, in actual.

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The Importance of Helmets

Yes, riding a motorcycle gives you freedom, yet it also takes some risks. It was shown in World Health Organizations report that wearing a helmet reduces the chance of death by 40%, and severity of injuries by about 70%. It only means that wearing a helmet is one of the most effective methods of reducing road fatalities, injuries and deaths.

motorcycle helmetsMaybe sometimes you are just forced by the laws that strictly implement, No Helmet Policy. But at the end of the day, the government has no business at all to force you. You’re still the one deciding for yourself.

Having said that, it is so much better to not just be motivated by government laws, but most importantly to be motivated to save a life. And by wearing a helmet, you can prevent road accidents and you can help lessen the number of deaths per day.

This can also be the best comfort you can give for yourself because you can reach your destination from one point to another, feeling at peace and confident that you are driving safely and you can go back home to your family.

Not wearing a helmet is like a suicidal act. Do you want to save a life now? Know some insights about different types of helmets to help you choose what’s best for you.

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Types of Helmets

There are six major types of helmets:

This type of motorcycle helmet is considered the safest. It is also the most popular among all types. Full-face helmets have a significant role for your overall safety. But even if it is highly protective and popular, it is still not for everyone. Because it is a full-face coverage type of helmet, it might be difficult for a person with an extreme or irrational fear for confined spaces.

This type of motorcycle helmet is also known as a flip-up helmet. It is a mix of a ¾ helmet and a full-face helmet. Some features of this type are similar to a full-face helmet like the materials used on it. However, this type weighs more than the full-face though it has an excellent job for protecting your eyes.

This type of motorcycle helmet is also called a ¾ helmet. Unlike the first two types, this type can’t cover your face so you can totally experience the freedom wind can freely give. However, this type of helmet can’t protect you from dust, any debris and weather conditions. Open-face types of helmets are highly recommended for low-speed and scooter riders.

  • Half helmets

This type of motorcycle helmet is not as protective as the first three types. It can only cover parts from the top of your head and brows. Just like the open-face type, you can also be exposed to dust, dirt and weather conditions when you pick this option. Most of them are even made without visors so that it will require you to use goggles or other riding glasses. Therefore, this helmet is best for low-speed riders.

This type of motorcycle helmet is also known as dirt-bike or motocross helmet. These helmets aren’t recommended to be used in cities and highways for it is made for off-road rides as its name suggests. Usually, these designs don’t include visors and the rider needs to be prepared for riding glasses as well.

This type of motorcycle helmet is also known as cross-over, ADV, hybrid or enduro helmet. This type is mixed between an off-road helmet and a full-face helmet. You must expect that it weighs far more than the other types because it has a larger visor and a lower chin bar.

Yet this type of helmet can be used both on road and off-road purposes. What makes it different from an off-road helmet is that its visors are aerodynamic so it wouldn’t lift up in the wind so easily.

1.    Helmet Safety Standards

Before you decide on picking the best helmet for yourself, it is vital to know first about the motorcycle helmets safety standards regarding helmets. Its main purpose is to protect you and to keep you safe during your ride. So it is essential to know its safety standards.

You should find a helmet that meets the motorcycle safety standards and sometimes, it is confusing especially for beginners. So to help you, here are some of the helmet certifications that are applied to all kinds of helmets around the world:

World Helmet Safety Standards

COUNTRY SAFETY STANDARDS
USA DOT
European ECE 22.05
Brazil NBR 7471
Taiwan CNS
Australia AS 1698-2006
Japan SG OR JIS
New Zealand NZ 5430
Korea KS G 7001
Malaysia SIRIM
Thailand TIS
India IS 4151
Singapore PSB
Canada CSA CAN3-D230-M85

 

Some countries implemented laws and certifications that should be followed by motorcycle riders. These are the main reasons why motorcycle helmets now are required to be acceptable and should be worn all the time.

These laws have set standards that can be used to judge a motorcycle helmet’s effectiveness when an accident happens. Usually, in order for you to know that it is credible, you will find a small sticker at the back of the helmet or chin strap.

Always do background checks on the helmet you are going to buy. It should be made not just out of quality, but most importantly of high safety standards. Because again, a helmet is your saving hero.

Motorcycle Helmet Beginners Guide

2.    The Purpose of Your Ride

There are different types of helmets based on different types of rides. So to pick the best helmet, you need to know the purpose of your ride first. We have our personal reasons why we want to take some rides. It could be because of our passion, longing for freedom, speed and thrill, friendships and brotherhood (group rides), or we just want a stress buster that could help us improve our mental and physical health or only just for fun.

Questions to Know the Purpose of Your Motorcycle Ride         

To further help you figure out the main purpose of your ride, here are some basic questions that might help you process everything you have in mind. You may now think of your dream destinations, start to plan your pre, during and post event ride, and imagine the overall riding experience.

“Is it for my personal use only? For my daily essentials and necessities like going to work and going back home?”

“Is it for tour, travel leisure like long rides and/or adventures?”

“Is it for sports?”

If you have a heart and passion to start a riding career. It can be.

“Is it just for style?”

Because maybe you just want to have your own motorcycle.

Or “Am I having my future plans where I want to drive?”

(on streets or off-roads)

Hopefully, by doing this, you’ll find the best helmet that can satisfy and do its job for you. If the questions above helped you to discover your purpose, you may consider these options that may help you to decide.

If you are planning to ride for daily use and leisure:

Motorcycle riding can be your best friend, too. You can use it as your everyday transportation and it can also take you to weeklong road trips. For this type of ride, it is highly recommended to pick a comfortable helmet that has better dynamics and can reduce wind noise to achieve the versatility and comfort that are necessary for daily use.

If you are planning to have a group ride:

Aside from being your best friend, motorcycle riding can also help you to gain friendships, more connection and stronger brotherhood. Group rides can enhance your whole riding experience knowing that you are not alone along the road. For this type of ride, communication is a must. There are types of helmets with communication provision where Bluetooth systems can be installed.      

If you are planning to start your riding career (riding track and racing):

Motorcycle riding can also unleash your passion for sports especially if you are a kind of person who wants a “speed and thrill” riding experience. For this type of ride, high performance helmets are required since it often happens off-road, and is more risky than the other types of rides.

Additional features like aggressive venting for riders when in a tucked position is highly recommended, too.

For whatever reason and/or purpose, it is a must to consider the kind of place you’ll meet along the way. You may think of it as if you are watching a movie right from the start until it ends. You might not know the full story yet, but because you started, you can do something to be prepared about what would happen in the end.

To relate to motorcycle riding, you can think about while you are reaching your final destination, what are the things you’re going to face in the middle of it?

Because along the road, changes are expected. You could meet narrow and crowded places, highways and expressways, or even dusty and bumpy roads. Moreover, weather conditions are also a huge factor that is vital to know. By checking it, you can prepare the protective gears that would be needed for your ride.

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3.    Helmet Parts and Its Safety Features

It is also beneficial to have an idea about helmet parts and its safety features so that you would know what you can expect from the item you will choose.

Outer Shell

This safety feature is the outer part of the helmet. Its main purpose is to protect the head from a huge impact and from the damage due to scraping and wearing away. Usually, carbon fiber, Kevlar, polycarbonate or molded plastics are the materials used for this part.

Face Shield/Visor

This safety feature is the one that will keep you protected from the 3Ds: Dirt, Debris and Dust that you will encounter along the way. Usually, this part is removable so that it would be easier to clean and replace it when already needed. Its major function is to protect your eyes and face.

Impact Absorbing Liner

This safety feature is the one that protects the internal while the outer shell is protecting your head from external and foreign objects. Its main purpose is to consume and take the place of energy that could be transmitted on your head in case of an accident.

Padded Comfort Layer

This safety feature supports the main purpose of the impact absorbing liner. Its main purpose is to provide a comfort layer while wearing a helmet regardless of its type. Open-cell foam and moisture-wicking materials are used for this safety feature because it also helps to resist odors caused by sweat. For maintenance, this comfort layer should be kept removable and replaceable.

Chin Straps

This safety feature is significant to all helmet types. Its main purpose is to help you know that your helmet is still in the right place and in a perfect fit.

Cheek Pads

This safety feature can give rest for your cheeks. lts main purpose is to make you feel even more comfortable. But not all types of helmets have cheek pads. Usually, it can only be found on the ¾s and full-face type of helmets. And if you are sharing your helmet, cheek pads can be removable and customized according to the shape of your face so that it can be easier to clean it. It also adds protection and gives assurance that your helmet is still in its place supporting the chin straps.

Vents

This safety feature can keep your head cool while on ride and can give a comfortable feeling, too. Its main purpose is to provide ventilation for your overall safety and protection. It also helps absorb sweat and prevent odors.

motorcycle gear

4.  Helmet Production—  What Are The Materials Used?

Through the years, helmet production developed a lot. Modern helmets now are very different from the first models produced starting from the materials used with regards to its weight, safety and style. When it comes to choosing a material, you should consider first the ride you are planning to have, and the road you are going to pass by. Finding the best ones always depends on you, your preference and your purpose.

Plastic, Thick Padding Foam, or Fiberglass?

Plastics are the most common material used for helmets.

These kinds of plastics are not like the ordinary plastics we can buy on markets. It is specially engineered in order to meet the requirements and safety standards of helmets.

On the other hand, thick padding foam can also be used underneath the shell. With this kind of material, helmets can be considered out of its best quality because foam padding usually crashes during an impact.

And lastly, the use of fiberglass has a great flexibility.

Nowadays, this kind of material is highly recommended because unlike the ones made of plastic, it can effectively deal with impact and withstand more force and pressure. Aside from that, it is also a lightweight material and more durable than any other materials used for helmets.

5. Finding the Perfect Helmet Size and Shape

It’s too dangerous when your helmet is moving while on the road. It can make you feel uncomfortable, distracted and be prone to accidents as well.  Finding the perfect helmet size is a way to prevent that kind of scenario. It plays a major role for keeping the helmet safe to use.

Yet, this can be critical and a bit challenging. Before you decide on purchasing an item you want, make sure that it is really something that can be used effectively for your own protection and safety.

One of the most effective ways is to measure your helmet size. You can do this by wrapping your head with a measuring tape. It should be approximately one inch above the eyebrows and in the back of the head.

Measuring a helmet size is like looking for a well-fitted hat. The only difference is when measuring a helmet, you need to measure over the rider’s head.

After doing that, take the measurement and use this example of a motorcycle helmet size chart as a guide.

Sizes Head Circumference Inches Head Circumference Metric Hat Sizes
3XS 17 1/8” – 18” 43.5-45.7 cm 5 4/9 -5 3/4
2XS 18 1/8” – 19” 46- 48.3 cm 5 3/4- 6
XS 19 1/8” – 20” 48.6-50.8 cm 6 – 6 3/8
S 20 1/8” – 21” 51.1- 53.3 cm 6 2/5- 6 2/3
M 21 1/8” – 22” 53.7-55.9 cm 6 5/7 – 7
L 22 1/8” – 23” 56.2-58.4 cm 7- 7 1/3
XL 23 1/8” – 24” 58.7-60cm 7 1/3- 7 2/3
2XL 24 1/8” – 25” 61.3- 63.5 cm 7 2/3- 8
3XL 25 1/8” – 26” 63.8-66 cm 8-8 2/7
4XL 26 1/8” – 27” 66.4- 68.6cm 8 1/3- 8 3/5

 

Example of a motorcycle helmet size chart

However, the size of your head that is measured by a tape may not fit the size of your motorcycle helmet. It is because motorcycle helmets have different shapes based on different shapes of the head. You can easily determine the shape of your head by looking in the mirror. Your head shape can be long-oval, intermediate oval and round oval.

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About Us

Our team consists of good people with great love and passion for safe motorcycle riding and so the idea of a perfect and safe motorcycle gear and helmets came into life. The motorcycle helmets we offer are designed for your safety so you can’t go wrong with the world top brands.

We at Motorcycle Helmet Store aim to see that every rider will have the best driving experience together with the top-notch helmets that we offer from Japan like Shoei, Arai, and OGK Kabuto.

We are here to guarantee you that our customer’s safety is our priority. We make sure that our products are quality-made and passed the SG or JIS standards (Japan standards) These helmets in our selection are well-known all over the world for their excellent build, design, efficiency, enhanced comfort, and safety.

Aside from making sure that you are going to be safe in your whole driving experience, our products can also give you different options to pick helmets that are cool, stylish and would fit every rider’s style and purpose of ride. These options can give an additional impact to the best driving experience you’re dreaming of.

Wrap Up          

Thank you for letting us introduce a few things that you need to know and tips to consider about motorcycle helmets. It is better to discover new things as if we are doing it together as one. Everything mentioned above is helpful as you start to prepare for your first riding experience.

We hope that we’re able to provide the essential information about helmets and that you have learned its unique features, purposes, differences and similarities. As your journey continues to unfold, let Motorcycle Helmet Store guide you all throughout.

Always remember that helmets are made for safety purposes and we are here to provide constant assurance that you are safe wherever you will go. Let us finish what we started.  Let’s go rider!