No matter what kind of bike you ride, one of the most essential things that you always need to have on you is a decent helmet
Not only does it protect your head from being smashed up in a high-speed accident but it also helps tie the specific biker look together.
However, getting the right helmet is half the problem itself. You will need something that will give you adequate protection while also looking and feeling like you want it.
For that purpose, we’re going to look at some of the best full-face motorcycle helmets that you can buy.
First, take a look at what should be considered before buying any helmet.
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How to Pick the Best Motorcycle Helmet
Picking the best motorcycle helmet often involves looking closely at a few different aspects carefully. Here are a couple of the things that you should be looking out for.
Durability and safety
At its most basic level, the job of a helmet is to protect you and stand up to damage. But if your helmet ends up getting damaged on its own, then there’s no point in having it on your head.
If you’re looking for a helmet for your motorcycle riding then you should go for something that has multi-layered polycarbonate construction which will absorb road damage easily.
Look and feel
There’s nothing that says a motorcycle helmet can’t also function as part of your wardrobe. Sometimes you want to look your best on your bike and a helmet is a big part of that.
Getting helmets with tons of color options can be great for this as you can get them in the color that fits your basic wardrobe colors.
Another thing that you should focus on Is the design of the helmet and whether it can be stylish while also being functional.
Breathability
When you’re cruising on your bike in hot and humid weather, there tends to be a buildup of moisture inside your helmet.
This not only makes things uncomfortable but it can also reduce your visibility when your visor fogs up too much.
Some of the best motorcycle helmets out there will have some sort of feature that will make them ideal for doing things like dispelling unwanted moisture and helmet air out of your breathing space.
That’s why you should try to look for helmets that feature some venting system or air holes to leak inside air.
Comfortability
A helmet stays on your head for the majority of the time that you are riding a bike.
It only makes sense that you should have something that doesn’t feel like it’s dragging your head to the ground or crushing your head in.
This is why you should try to aim for helmets that have special cushioning in them.
Some of the best motorcycle helmets will incorporate multilayered EPS cushioning that takes the brunt of any impact.
These make it easy for your head to stay nice and comfortable.
Additional Features
Sometimes you might want something a bit more than just the basic protection offered by a helmet.
That’s where your additional features come into play.
You can find features like tinted visors that turn darker as the UV gets darker and darker. You can also find communications support or support for Bluetooth headsets.
The exact features will vary depending on the helmet itself.
Top 5 Best Full Face Bike Helmets of 2022
| Product Name | Material | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Qualifier (Our pick) | Lightweight Polycarbonate | 1527g | |
| Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene | 2170g | ||
| HJC 972-601 CL-MAXBT | Polycarbonate | 2310g | |
| Bell Qualifier DLX (Upgrade pick) | Polycarbonate | 1600g | |
| Shoei Men's Rf-1200 | Polycarbonate | 2267g |
Before we go into the reviews, we should mention our review process because the word ‘REVIEW’ has a lot of responsibility.
How I picked
In order to pick the right helmets for this list, We had to go look at popular choices online. Whether they were recommended by the average user or professional reviewers.
Once we had our list, We started to narrow the choices depending on what people wanted to look for in a motorcycle helmet. We had then shortlisted a few that I considered the best of the best.
How I Tested
To test the different helmets, We had to evaluate them all on different criteria. This included things like safety, comfortability, design, features, and breathability. We then proceeded to test the helmets on all these different aspects. This was done by taking our trusty bike on to daily commutes and leisure rides out on the highway.
We tested each helmet for a week and then finalized the ones I liked for the list above.
Bell Qualifier – Best Lightweight Full Face Helmet (Editor’s Choice)
Bell Qualifier is one of the biggest names when it comes to motorcycle helmets. They have exceptionally crafted motorcycle helmets whether it’s been for your everyday bike commute, professional bike racing, or even specialty BMX bike helmets.
It’s safe to say that they know their helmets inside and out.
The Bell Qualifier is one of the best-looking and most premium helmets that you can get. The helmet comes in a variety of different sizes with everything from extra small all the way to triple extra-large.
The fit for this helmet is some of the most comfortable that you will come across.
It features three premium layers of EPS padding and protection to help keep things nice and cozy. It not only protects you from high-speed accidents but it will also prevent you from feeling too many bumps.
Not only does the Bell Qualifier helmet perform well but it looks good doing it. There are 18 different color and design options that you can go for that can make it look anywhere from a popping urban street look to a full-on racing helmet.
The click-release shield system makes it a breeze to take out shields and replace them. All it takes is one button press to pop out a shield and put one in. The helmet itself comes with one clear shield but you can put in any kind of tinted shield you want on the helmet.
Key Features:
- Lightweight polycarbonate/ABS helmet construction.
- Fastest shield changing system.
- Five-year warranty.
- DOT approved.
- Great variety in color and design choices.
- Tons of shape and fit options.
- Premium polycarbonate look and feel.
- EPS padding provides great comfort.
- The helmet can cause whistling noises sometimes.
- Not a big choice of included visors.
ILM – Removable Winter Neck Scarf + 2 Visors DOT
ILM or ILMotor is one of the biggest brands out there when it comes to motorcycle gear.
They make all kinds of accessories and essentials such as gloves, visors, riding jackets, shoe guards, cell phone holders, and of course helmets.
If you’re buying from them, then you can be sure that you will be getting a quality product.
In terms of looks, the helmet has the basic shape and style down for what a premium motorcycle helmet should look like. It manages to have a stylistic form while still retaining simplicity.
It comes in 7 different color options which is a decent amount if you’re trying to match with your jacket or your bike. What’s more, you get your choice of gloss or matte finish depending on what you’re trying to achieve.
The ILM Full Face comes with two interchangeable visors; one clear and one smoked. This gives you good options for both daytime and nighttime riding. You also get an attachable neck scarf that shields you from harsh winds in the winter.
The design of the helmet fits in with an aerodynamic profile which it keeps it steady. You can expect to reduce your wind noise and drag as you’re cruising along at high speeds. The durable ABS shell also ensures that the helmet doesn’t break apart after a few hits and dings. At the same time, it’s lightweight enough that you don’t have to worry about a towering weight holding over you.
Key Features:
- Quick Release Clasp and Strap.
- Interchangeable visors.
- Removable inner lining pads.
- Complies with FMVSS-218 and DOT Safety Standards.
- Tons of color options.
- Great stylistic design.
- Durable and comfortable.
- Tested and approved according to safety standards.
- Visors can scratch fairly easily.
- The tinted visor has a blueish tint to it.
HJC 972-601 CL-MAXBT II – Advanced Air Channeling System
HJC Helmets is a company that is known for exclusively making helmets of all kinds for different purposes.
They make helmets for bikes, bicycles, and rally car racing. They have a significant amount of experience dealing with different helmet designs. This means that they can expect their helmet design to be well-versed.
The HJC 972-601 CL-MAXBT II is designed to be a modular helmet that lets you easily swap parts in and out without any worries.
The helmet has an easy chin bar release that takes only one hand to operate. This makes it extremely easy to use when you’re using your bike and don’t have free hands to deal with your helmet.
The shape of the helmet is a standard full-sized helmet style. You can find all sorts of slick curves here and there in the design of the helmet that helps it cope aerodynamically.
On top of some of the premium features in this helmet, you can also find a superior vent channel system. This makes it so that air enters in through the front of the helmet and leaves out from the back of the helmet. It helps push out moisture, humidity, and hot air that might have accumulated inside the helmet keeping you fresh and cool.
By far one of the most impressive features of this helmet is its Bluetooth compatibility. There are indents inside of the helmet that allow you to fit popular Bluetooth speakers and headsets with ease. This allows you to have your music on the go without having to deal with fitting headphones under your helmet.
Key Features:
- Advanced Air Channeling System.
- Integrated Bluetooth support with speaker cavities.
- UV protective face shield.
- Single Button Face Shield Release.
- Great modular design.
- Well suited for Bluetooth headset compatibility.
- A visor is great for providing UV protection.
- Exceptional fit and comfort.
- Has problems latching properly sometimes.
- Different revisions have been known to have their own defects.
Bell Qualifier DLX -Best Helmet for Track Day
Bell Qualifier is known among tons of motorcycle enthusiasts for its excellent craft and precision in making proper helmets for bike riding and racing.
The Bell Qualifier DLX isn’t just your ordinary motorcycle helmet.
This helmet is designed from the ground up to be a fully-fledged racing helmet that’ll perfectly take you to the track any day.
It comes in a wide variety of eye-popping colors and designs with over eight different options. This makes these helmets really pop when they ride up with them on the streets.
You can find some really unique features here that are characteristic of Bell Qualifier like a communications port on the back of the helmet. This can be used to connect with Cardo and Sena systems quite easily.
In terms of durability, the Bell Qualifier DLX fares pretty well. It is made out of a composite ABS shell that keeps your head protected at all times while also preventing significant dings, dents, and scrapes. And if there’s ever a chance of something going wrong, then the extensive five-year warranty is there to help take care of any issues you might experience.
Key Features:
- Cardo and Sena System Compatibility.
- Includes UV detecting Transitions Shield.
- Anti-Fog protection.
- UV protection.
- Great variety of designs and colors.
- Works well with a lot of patch talk communications devices.
- Premium look and feel.
- Breathable and moisture-free design.
- Has had problems with wind noise before.
- You need additional accessories to attach the communications devices.
Shoei Men’s Rf-1200 – Best For Anti-fog Technology
Shoei is one of the few Japanese helmet manufacturing companies that has really made a name for itself in recent years.
They have made all kinds of helmets for all kinds of riders.
They have a long list of supporters both in the professional and underground bike scene which is a testament to their product quality and legacy.
The Shoei Men’s RF 1200 is designed with the proper design philosophy in mind. It incorporates all the different nuances that you can expect from a premium Japanese auto accessories manufacturer.
The helmet comes with a matte black finish that not only looks great but gives the whole helmet a proper look and feel. The small form factor and shape of the helmet make it ideal for aerodynamics. This translates to stability even while you’re riding fast through some harsh cross-country winds.
The Shoei Men’s RF 1200 comes with a ton of helpful additions such as proper ventilation which keeps moving air in and out of the helmet. This helps greatly reduce any buildup of moisture and humidity that end up accumulating in your helmet. This is further improved by the pin lock anti-fog system that makes it easy to take out moisture without having to take off your entire helmet.
What’s even better is that there is tons of comfort to be had here. The helmet comes with an EPS liner with a dual-layered multi-density cushion. This makes it easy to absorb any kind of bumps or jumps along the way. You will also find a chin cushion that makes for a comfortable fit no matter what kind of shape your head tends to be.
Key Features:
- Compact and lightweight design.
- Highly aerodynamic form factor.
- EPS cushion liner.
- Anti-fog technology included.
- Suitable for those that don’t like big and bulky helmets.
- Durable design that stands up well to any kind of accidental damage.
- Breathable and moisture-free design.
- Lightweight and burden free.
- Too expensive.
- Not too suitable for some big heads.
Conclusion
By now you should have a good idea of what some of the best motorcycle helmets look like and how you can find the best ones for yourself. At the end of the day, you should go for the helmet that works well for you and incorporates the functionality that you need it.
