Helmets: jet, full face, modular: reviews and opinions
Content
How and by what criteria to choose the right helmet?
Helmet buying advice to be well protected
Every day we entrust our motorcycle life to AGV, Arai, Nolan, Scorpio, Shark, Shoei, just to name a few of the most famous brands.
We will reserve jet skis for scooter and moped. Then they choose modular and especially closed helmets. The modules are practical and have been chosen by many police departments around the world. Previously, they were less stable than integrals, especially in the case of a frontal impact, but today they are at the same level as many integrals, provided that they are closed; knowing that most modulars now have double homologation (full and inkjet).
Integral and modular have their own characteristics with their own advantages and disadvantages.
How to choose from hundreds of helmets available and which price range to choose?
As for the price, here everyone will find something for themselves, depending on the interior and exterior materials used (polycarbonate, fiber, Kevlar, carbon ...), vintage, fashion, color or finish. Replicas are always more expensive, sometimes by 30% compared to the simple version!
Only one thing is certain. You won't necessarily be less protected by buying a cheaper helmet, provided it's a new helmet and within reason (start doubting a full suit for less than € 70). Always look out for knockoffs that affect all major brands.
All current helmets meet European standards and have been tested. On the other hand, it is true that some helmets - especially the big brands - go much further than safety standards require. You should be aware that standards differ, particularly in different countries, and that major manufacturers try to comply with all standards, not just country standards with ECE 22-05 for Europe, DOT, Snell or JIS. This guarantees greater safety in general.
In addition, helmets have made significant advances in recent years, especially in terms of weight, comfort, safety and sound insulation.
A little reminder: a chin strap with a buckle is worn in the helmet. This is both a safety issue and a legal obligation governed by article R431-1 of the road code, which provides for a fine of 135 euros and 3 points.
How to choose a helmet for yourself?
There is everything about helmets, and especially on the net, very beautiful helmets, in the colors of the brand, sometimes presented as motorcycle helmets. But he doesn't let himself be fooled. And the motorcycle helmet must be approved, especially in Europe, with the European standard.
Analogue
An approved helmet is required. You can find out about this by the label sewn inside. In recent years, green labels have still been associated with NF S 72.305 certification. But mostly we find white labels associated with 22-05 European certificate, awaiting 22-06 arrival.
After the letter E, the number indicates the country of approval:
- 1: Germany
- 2: France
- 3: Italy
- 4: Netherlands
- 6: Belgium
- 9: Spain
Letters indicate the type of approval:
- J: approved as a jet.
- P: approved as an integral part
- NP: modular helmet case, Jet approved only (chin bar does not pass jaw protection test).
Also, be sure to attach reflective stickers to your helmet. This is a matter of safety and law (you could incur a € 135 fine if the helmet does not have a reflective sticker).
New or used?
You can buy a new helmet, you can not give it for a while (internal foam has formed on the head) and it needs to be changed after the first fall (if you just drop it from your hand on soft ground, it's okay, you can still use it).
Why nine? because the helmet is aging, and above all because the helmet is attached to the head; to be more precise, the foam adapts to your morphology. So if you borrow it, the foam may warp and no longer match the impression you made on it, a fortiori if you buy a used helmet it will not match your morphology and the foam may be overwritten. In addition, you will not know if this helmet was damaged by a fall or accident.
One point about the helmet: the visor. It allows you to see. Thus, the striped visor reduces visual acuity, and to a very significant extent. Feel free to protect it and especially change it in case of obvious scratches. Avoid smoky visors, which are dangerous at nightfall and are prohibited at night anyway.
When to change your helmet?
There is no legal obligation to replace your helmet. The law does not exist for 5 years. This is mainly due to the fact that old helmets were easily exposed to UV attack, the projectile became more fragile or even very fragile in the event of an impact. Further it is a matter of common sense.
If you fall in a helmet, it will absorb the impact, and deformations may be internal, and to a large extent, but not visible from the outside. This means that he will not play his part (if at all) next time. Therefore, it is highly desirable to change it.
Again, before replacing your helmet, you will undoubtedly change the visor if it is damaged.
Jet, integral or modular
There are three main families of helmets: injector, integral and modular, or even integral motocross and enduro, more suitable for track and off-road use than for road use.
There are many jet helmets from the famous Bowl or Cromwell. They have the advantage that they are often very "fashionable", ventilated and in recent years have been improved with canopies for protection from rain or cold in winter, or even sun visors. They are authorized and approved. Now, when falling, even at low speed, they do not protect the jaw at all. Therefore, we will rather use them for urban use ... when considering buying more protective equipment, either built-in or modular, that will allow you to enjoy the comfort of a jet when you get off your bike.
Size
Please choose your size first. It may sound silly, but bikers in general tend to buy one size larger. Why ? because during a static test, when putting on in the store seems more comfortable. However, be careful, the foam will settle; and after a few hundred kilometers the helmet will budge because it was chosen too large. In short, during the test, the helmet should be tightened everywhere, including at the level of the cheeks, and it is not uncommon to bite the cheek when talking. Conversely, don't go too small. Keep it on your head for a few minutes, it shouldn't hurt your head (there is no bar on your forehead) and of course you can put it on without tearing your ears.
A new helmet can damage the first 1000 kilometers. Some, without hesitation, take a really decent size, or even less, so that after 2000 kilometers it is perfectly adjusted and now becomes comfortable.
For glasses wearers, take your glasses with you and test the helmet with them (especially if you wear lenses often). Some helmets leave no room for goggle wearers, even though all major manufacturers have taken these limitations into account over the past few years by making the internal shapes fit better through the temples.
In short, during the test:
- you can not slide your finger between the forehead and the foam of the helmet,
- the helmet should not move if you turn your head quickly,
- He shouldn't squeeze you so hard that it hurts you.
Girls will often have another problem with sizing and sizing like XXS. The selection will then be narrowed down to a few exclusive brands such as Shoei.
A warning ! You need to know the size of your head, but this is not enough for a choice (especially by mail).
Not all brands are the same. Head circumference 57 is usually classified as “M” (middle), for example. But if you took Schubert C2, the M was more like 56 than 57. Suddenly 57 had a stripe on the forehead unless there was an "L", which usually measures more like 59-60. If this difference has disappeared from C2 to C3, it may exist from one brand to another.
Finally, someone can be very comfortable in a brand they find super comfortable, while another rider will always be uncomfortable in the same helmet. The heads are different, as are the casts of the helmets, explaining that you also need to find your mark.
20 years ago, all Shark helmets made me a crossbar on my forehead. And then they changed their uniforms, and since then I can wear them.
The helmet also evolves at several levels, changing the vintage, and you shouldn't hesitate to re-test it. And this is true for brands too.
Take your head
You just need to take a measure. The measurement is taken around the head, at the level of the forehead, in the evening 2,5 cm above the eyebrows.
Equivalent helmet size
| Cut | 48 см | 50 см | 51-52 see | 53-54 see | 55-56 see | 57-58 see | 59-60 see | 61-62 see | 63-64 see | 65-66 see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equivalence | XXXX | XXX sec | XXS | XS | S | M | XL | 2XL | 3XL |
Vesi
Weight varies depending on the materials used (polycarbonate, fiber, carbon ...), helmet size and helmet type.
The integral weight usually ranges from 1150 g to 1500 g, but can exceed 1600 g, with an average of about 1400 g.
Modulars tend to be heavier than integral ones because they often have more parts and also integrate the sun visor with the mechanism that comes with it ... which gives an average of 1600g and weighs less than 1,500g, but they can go up to 1800g. And vice versa. , the weight of the jet is about 1000-1100g, but it can rotate about 900g if it is made of carbon.
And for the same helmet, the weight will vary by +/- 50 grams depending on the size of the case. Depending on the brand, the same helmet model is available in one, two or three shell sizes (outer part), which directly affect the amount of polystyrene inside. And the more foam there is, the more the weight increases.
Those few hundred grams can be critical, especially on long journeys. This difference is even more noticeable at high speeds; a light helmet will often have less movement and less effort to lateral control and keep the head upright. It depends on your neck and you will often appreciate a lighter helmet. Be careful, the weight is often very expensive, especially when you switch to carbon 🙁 Note that a carbon helmet is never 100% carbon, but is generally a mixture of fiber and carbon.
Two weights, two measures
Then there are two weights for the helmet. Weight, when weighed it on a scale, is the first and most important indicator. And dynamic weight, real driving weight feeling.
Thus, a helmet that is lighter statically may appear heavier dynamically, depending on its shape and overall balance.
Big brands tend to work harder on this issue, which partly explains the higher prices. I was already amazed at the weight of the Arai helmet, which is heavier than other similar models, but less fatiguing to wear than other models, which are nevertheless lighter.
So, if weight is important for an unmarked helmet, or between two entry-level helmets, it can be largely offset or even less important for a high-end helmet precisely because of its aerodynamics.
And not because we end up adding a candle, we become light.
Ventilation
Each manufacturer designs air intakes and ventilation to remove fog (at low speed) and not suffocate from the heat in summer. A warning ! The more ventilation systems in the helmet, the more noisy it becomes, especially as the speed increases. So you end up closing them systematically and they are useless!
However, some helmets fog up more or less easily. The dual visor / Pinlock system, housed within the visor, is particularly effective in preventing fogging. Rarely in the past, they start to come standard, including from brands like Shoei and Arai. The addition of a retainer increases prices even further. Then be careful, this system is more sensitive to scratches and does not keep drying too hot near a heat source (deformation).
The Schubert C2 could even get damaged by cleaning the inside of the visor with a paper towel! Problem fixed with C3, the latter with the Pinlock screen.
Vision
Once you've found the right helmet for your head, you need to check the field of view that it offers. Some helmets have a very small visor to provide a limited field of view in both width and height. The best ones offer the largest field of view with an angle of over 190 °. Such a proposed viewing angle is difficult to suggest because the larger it is, the less it allows for a shell that completely covers and therefore effectively protects if it has not been reinforced elsewhere. A larger field of view does not mean a “safer” helmet, but in any case in everyday life it provides more comfort, better visibility, especially for side checks, and therefore more safety.
Sunscreen
The advent of sunscreens has revolutionized. Many of the largest manufacturers initially resisted, demonstrating that the sunscreen took up space on the inside due to the size of the helmet or the internal protection and weight gain, not to mention the more or less fragile mechanisms that deteriorated over time. And then, for her, there is nothing like sunglasses to protect her eyes. The fact remains: even if the sun visor is only used part of the time, it is especially useful at the end of the day so as not to dazzle you even in the city when you return home. And that we don't necessarily have to take our sunglasses. Almost all major manufacturers now offer models with Shoei Neotec sunscreen.
Photochromic screen
In the absence of a sun visor, some manufacturers - Bell, Shoei - now offer photochromic visors, that is, a visor that is tinted more or less depending on the ambient light. However, you should pay attention to the time it takes for the visor to go from dark to light or light to dark, sometimes on the order of 30 seconds. The glasses aren't that much when you walk, on the other hand, when you walk outside into the tunnel, you can drive in the dark for 30 seconds while the screen clears. There is also a case of "transparent" cloudiness, where UV rays tend to darken the visor, when the brightness is actually low, and in the end we see worse than with a transparent visor. And the cost of these visors is also worth,
Your head
Well, yes, your head is not the same as your neighbor's. Thus, the headset may very well suit your neighbor, but not yours. This phenomenon is also noticeable at the brand level. Thus, you can have a "arai head", but it will be uncomfortable for you to wear a Shoei helmet and vice versa, or even a Shark. So try, try again, take your time.
Once you think you've found a suitable helmet, find a retailer and ask for advice and sizing confirmation (but avoid Saturdays, they are less available to hang out with you).
Again, a helmet is an investment in your safety, not just your appearance, and you will be covering several thousand miles with it. In addition to the fact that he should protect you in the event of a fall, he also needs to be "forgotten" as much as possible.
style
Cleaning
Personally, I clean my helmet with water and Marseilles soap on the outside. First of all, don't drink alcohol. Some helmet visors are damaged, in particular by products such as Rain-X, from rain. Read the instructions carefully before making sure processing will not be destroyed by such products. In any case, with careful care, the helmet can serve you for several years, despite daily use and several thousand kilometers.
At the same time, statistics show that most bikers change it after two years. Some manufacturers also do not contribute to extending the life of the helmets. Note that promotions like the old helmet are regularly held online and this may be an opportunity to win a good price.
There are shampoos bombs for the interior or, if your interior is removable, which is becoming more and more frequent, in a basin of soapy water / washing powder (see attached documentation). For example, Shoei recommends machine wash at 30 ° C or less, which is more like delicate items.
Dry in a warm place, not on a heat source that could damage the foam. Beware of padded visors that will not survive drying near the radiator (padlock is almost guaranteed to deform).
There are now also two preventative solutions: the use of a balaclava or sanitête, a woven sheet that adheres to the bottom of the helmet and protects the inside of the helmet and especially the scalp.
Some brands, such as Shoei, often travel by truck, capable of not only cleaning, but sometimes repairing an accessory part of the helmet, or even offering after-sales service.
Best helmets
The survey sends opinions are updated every day on the website in order for opinions to be compiled on all helmets on the market. In any case, more than 10 bikers have already responded. This allowed us to compile a rating of helmets with the best rating with all the necessary evaluation criteria.
