Best Motorcycle Helmet Brands (The US Edition)

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Safety should always be our priority while attempting to do anything. As the popular proverb goes, “Prevention is better than cure.” and a motorcycle helmet from a reputed brand can reduce the damage during accidents (At least, that’s what our tests say.)

I know you are here for the list of best brands, but my purpose isn’t just showing you the top-rated brands, but also information about them that can make things easier for you. I’ll also try to include the good-quality motorcycle helmet models from these brands.

Before we begin with the list, wouldn’t you be interested in knowing the reason for trusting the brands? Continue reading if you are, if not, jump to the list!

Why Should You Buy Branded Motorcycle Helmets?

Wearing a helmet is important as it provides protection to your head, but buying one from a reputed brand can provide high-level protection. The models from reputed brands have gone through high-level testing for endurance and damage control. Thereby, they are not just strong, but they also are tested for worst case accident scenarios!

  • When an accident occurs, the helmets prevent direct damage to the skull by spreading the impact over a larger area.
  • In some accidents, people have walked away unharmed, just because they were wearing a good-quality motorcycle helmet.

If you aren’t wearing a motorcycle helmet while riding a motorcycle, during an accident, a serious trauma to the most fragile part of our body i.e. the brain can occur and can in turn cause a fracture in the skull or concussion. As mentioned in a research by National Institutes of Health, even small head injuries can cause permanent cognitive or behavioral issues such as rampant loss of consciousness, loss of memory, disorders related to sleeping, or maybe even slow death.

The Best Motorcycle Helmet Brands in the US

There are numerous brands out there in the market that manufacture helmets for bikers. Several brands brag about the quality of their helmets, but as a beginner, you should be focussed on buying the item of the highest quality, as that ensures greater safety in case of minor or major accidents. But how to differentiate between bad vs good vs best? Well, a product or commodity from a reputed brand is never bad! So shall we get to the list?

1. SHOEI Helmets

  • Founded year: 1959
  • Founded by – Eitaro Kamata
  • Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
  • Specialization- Sports utility

The “APPLE” of the helmet industry, this Japanese company opened its door to the public in the year 1959 in the city of Tokyo of the country of the rising sun. They are known for designing high end helmets and were the first company to use ‘Kevlar’ while making their helmets for providing them with additional strength.

It is a small-scale company, but whatever they make is of the highest quality, and they have never disappointed their loyal motorcycle fan base in the world.

Pros

Pros
  • Safety is their priority, and they have taken the correct measures to ensure that their product provides maximum safety.
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Reduces noise
  • Internal installation of a sun visor that protects riders from the scorching rays of the sun.
  • They meet the road safety standards by having the feature of a 360-degree system of pivot locking.
  • Colour options are available
  • Available in various shell sizes

Cons

Cons
  • If you are looking for a helmet in a lower price range, SHOEI will not be a perfect fit, as their products are highly expensive.
  • Chin guard vents aren’t present in the helmet’s mask.

2. HJC Helmets

  • Founded by- W.K Hong
  • Founded year: 1971
  • Headquarters: North America
  • Specialization- Sports and cruiser utility

Whether you need a full-face, budget modular, or 3/4 helmet. Just name the helmet style and you’ll have a model from HJC. The model won’t just be any random model, believe us, when it comes to value for money helmets. This North American brand by W.K Hong is one of the brands that you can rely on!

The HJC Helmets are popular because they are:

  • Comfortable to wear for any head shape
  • High quality
  • Extremely Stylish
  • Doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket (Value for Money)

Pros

Pros
  • The company owns a state of the art wind tunnel testing laboratory to test various features, some being noise reduction, the aerodynamics of the model, ventilation, etc.
  • Available in different colours and sizes.
  • It provides the feature of reducing unwanted background noise because of their high-quality earplugs.

Cons

Cons
  • The exhaust vent installed in the rear side of their helmets should be designed with more expertise.

3. BELL Helmets

  • Founded year: 1954
  • Founder: Roy Richter
  • Headquarters: California
  • Specialization: Touring and general utility

Bell is an old motorcycle helmet company and was founded in 1954 by Roy Richter in the California region. A lot of motorcycle racers love this brand because of the damage control and the sturdy build quality of them. In fact, Richter started the company because of rice in the accidents due to speeding!

Although a few of the models from this brand are that come with a carbon fiber shell that are quite costly but there are a few head protectors from the brand that don’t cost very high. Just like I said about helmets by HJC, I would like to call Bell also a value for money helmet brand.

Fun Fact: The company designed the trendy “Full Face Helmets” in the year 1971. They are known for making helmets of different styles, namely- full-faced, half-faced, ¾, snowmobile helmets, etc.

Pros

Pros
  • Beautifully detailed designs
  • Extremely comfortable 
  • Certification granted by DOT and SNELL
  • Available in varied shapes, sizes, and designs to suit different riding styles
  • All products are coupled with warranty
  • Special helmets designed for women
  • Has the impressive feature of a “quick release shield.”

Cons

Cons
  • Cheap padding in certain products
  • Uncomfortable stitching and seams
  • Heavier than normal can cause discomfort for beginners

4. ARAI Helmets

  • Founded by: Hirotake Arai
  • Founded year: 1926
  • Headquarters: Japan
  • Specialization: Sports and Cruiser Utility

This Japanese Helmet company is one of the most popular companies in its field of expertise around the world, and each of its products is built by hand. Trusted by MotoGP riders (racers) like Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa, ARAI exceeds SNELL’s safety ratings.

Pros

Pros
  • Designed with a wind deflector to cut through the noise of the wind, thus making it more comfortable to wear.
  • Uses high-quality stuff to build their products
  • Tested thoroughly 
  • Comes with a nice system of ventilation

Cons

Cons
  • Extremely expensive; cannot be afforded by everyone.

5. NOLAN Helmets

  • Founded by- Lander Nocchi
  • Founded year: 1973
  • Headquarters: Italy
  • Specialization: Sports, touring and all-terrain utility

Some of the biggest names trust this in-house helmet manufacturing company in the field of motorcycle racing, namely, Marco Melandri, Casey Stoner, and Ricardo. T.

Pros

Pros
  • Reasonable pricing
  • Meets DOT’s safety standards
  • Comes with a warranty of 5 years
  • Highly flexible
  • Extremely modular
  • Adding and removing parts is an easy task.
  • Suits any season
  • Provides its users with great visibility

Cons

Cons
  • Limits itself to building shields with the feature of clear face
  • Removal of ear covers is a risky process, as the rider has to remove the entire lining, which can cause major issues related to safety.

6. SHARK Helmets

  • Founded by: Olivier Jacque
  • Founded year: 1986
  • Headquarters: France
  • Specialization: Sports and touring utility

Founded by actual motorcycle racers, namely-

  • Olivier Jacque
  • Raymond Roche
  • Randy de Puniet
  • Carl Fogarty
  • Scott Reading
  • Olivier Panis
  • Cyril Despres
  • Troy Corser
  • Pol Espargaro

    This company is the real deal when it comes to issues of safety and protection of the rider. 

Pros

Pros
  • Offers a warranty of 5 years
  • A lot of attention is given to Aerodynamics
  • The “quick-release visor” is an important design feature that enables the rider to pull off the visor to clean or when it needs to be changed.

Cons

Cons
  • Highly expensive
  • Loose cheek pads
  • Foam gasket found on the helmet’s goggles might be of a cheap quality

7. AGV Helmets

  • Founded year: 1947
  • Founded by: Gino Amisano
  • Headquarters: Italy
  • Specialization: Sports and General utility

Trusted by world champions like Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi, builds helmets of premium quality.  It meets DOT’s safety standards and even that of ECE.

Pros

Pros
  • Reasonable pricing
  • Great protection
  • Reduces unwanted noise
  • Comfortable to wear
  • An excellent system of ventilation

Cons

Cons
  • Limited color and graphics options
  • Loose chin curtains
  • Should use neck roll that is thicker than the one in use

Helmets that are approved by DOT or SNELL and assure the best protection and safety are safe purchases for beginners. As they’ve gone rigorous testing and are ready for the hardest crash. There’s no guarantee that wearing it can save your life during an accident. However, it surely could provide high-level protection and reduce the damage caused during an accident. It is up to you to choose among this vast array of helmets, but pro tip: Buy the one that speaks for your style!

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