Motorcycle Helmet Syle Overview
- Motorcycle Gear Reviews
- Jan 5, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 18, 2024
Arguably the most important piece of motorcycle gear is your helmet. Of all the motorcycle gear available, nothing has a bigger impact on your comfort, style or your safety as the helmet you choose.
Choosing a motorcycle helmet can seem overwhelming. There are a ton of options out there. The first step is to narrow down to the style of helmet that is right for you. Here we will explore the styles of motorcycle helmets and the pros and cons of each to make that decision easy!
Selecting a motorcycle helmet often comes down to priorities. Often, in motorcycle gear, there is a trade off, between style, function, comfort, and safety. We are going to explore the differences in the different styles of helmets and hopefully allow you to select the helmet that's right for you based on what's most important to you!
Novelty Motorcycle Helmets
Novelty helmets are just that, a novelty. Yes, I've owned several and love the look and style of these barely there helmets, but they offer little to no protection and I would not recommend any helmet in this category. Novelty helmets fail to meet any safety standards and do not meet any state requirement where helmet laws exist. If you live in a state with no helmet laws and safety is of little to no concern, the novelty helmets do offer a highly sought after style in the half helmet segment.
Half helmets that meet Department of Transportation (DOT) safety standards can be a great option for those that prefer the style of the novelty helmets, but are concerned with meeting legal requirements and protecting their head in the case of an accident. These helmets typically sit just above the ear and fasten below the neck with a chin strap. If you love the wind in your face feeling of riding without a helmet, you get that with the half helmet. The trade off is that they offer no protection for your face or the lower part of the back of your head. Check out our recommendation for the Lowest Profile Half Helmet.
Open Face Motorcycle Helmets
Open face helmets are often referred to as 3/4 helmets or Three Quarter Helmets. These helmets go over your ears and provide protection for your entire head...except your face. Typically, all of these helmets will meet at least DOT standards, though be sure to check as I would not recommend one that doesn't. With the open face design, you can still have that wind in your face feeling with the security of knowing most of your head is protected. Often these helmets will offer face shields that attach to the helmet. The ability to add a face shield makes these helmet very versatile. The face shield can add much needed protection from the elements and make your ride much more comfortable.
When we start looking at helmets that cover more of your head, field of vision comes into play. Usually, the open face helmets offer a wide field of vision and it is not usually a concern in this segment. In fact, besides style, it is a major reason many riders choose this helmet over a full face or modular helmet.
With Sport bike riders, full face helmets are the standard, but it is becoming more and more common to see riders of all styles and classes of motorcycles to be wearing a full face helmet.
Full face helmets are feature rich, or at least they can be. Air flow vents and exhaust are almost a given on every helmet, though some are better than others. Basically every helmet offers a flip up visor.
Many reviewers and companies classify Bluetooth helmets as their own class. I consider it more of a feature of a helmet and not enough difference to make a separate class. A Bluetooth helmet is one that has the ability to pair with a mobile device, or the motorcycle's infotainment system. They always include integrated headphones and sometimes microphones. This allows you to listen to music and even talk on the phone (isn't the point of riding to get away from other people?) Fully integrated Bluetooth systems in helmets is pretty awesome, but they can be easily added to most any helmet.
Without a doubt, a full face helmet offers the most protection of any style of motorcycle helmet. For that reason alone, it is a great choice. There is a reason moto riders are not wearing half helmets. Of course, that protection comes at a cost. The field of vision can be more limited than other style of helmets. Most modern helmets offer an adequate field of vision, but it will never be as good as a half helmet of open face. Some riders also complain of a feeling of claustrophobia in a full face helmet.
Modular Helmets are often confused with full face helmets as they look very much alike and offer many of the same benefits. A modular helmet is simply a full face helmet, but the chin portion of the helmet is hinged and can be raised in the same fashion as a visor on a full face. The visor on a modular helmet can be raised and lowered much like the full face helmet. Being able to raise the chin portion of the helmet has the added benefit of making it easier to speak to others, take a quick drink of water at a stop light, or even take a smoke break if that's your thing.
You will find all of the same features of a full face helmet in a modular. They offer interchangeable visors, drop down sun shields, air flow vents and exhaust, and integrated (or added) Bluetooth.
Modular helmets may sound like the perfect alternative to a full face. Of course, nothing is perfect. There are a few draw backs to the design of modular helmets when compared to a full face helmet. First is safety. Since the chin piece is hinged and locks into place, unlike the one unified helmet in a full face, in an accident, if the locking mechanism were to fail in an accident, it would leave your face exposed. The other consideration since the helmet is comprised of two separate pieces is vibration and wind noise. This is where quality really matters. The fit and finish of the helmet is critical to eliminating the additional wind noise that can occur at the seem where the helmet and the chin piece meet. Also a loose or ill fitting piece could rattle or cause vibration at highway speed. As with every great innovation, there is always a trade off.
