Choosing a new helmet FAQs
Advice on selecting the right motorcycle helmet, including fit, comfort, and safety features.
Is the soundproofing in a helmet important?
Yes, a quiet helmet is a comfortable helmet. Riding is noisy. You need to stay alert when riding, and noise will rapidly become tiresome. You are at a greater risk of a crash when you cannot concentrate because you are tired or distracted by constant noise in your helmet. Wearing a quiet helmet will also protect your hearing from the damage of sustained exposure to noise.
Discomfort from noise is subjective, for this reason, helmets are not designed to any standard for soundproofing. SHARP do not test helmets for their acoustic properties because we are not aware of any test process that is reliable, repeatable and is a fair representation of noise when riding.
To find out how quiet a helmet is, we recommend you wear it for at least 10 minutes in a noisy place. Only you can decide if the helmet is quiet enough to be comfortable.
Which is better, D-ring or ratchet chin strap?
All helmets have a belt-like strap below the chin of some sort. This is a strap in two pieces that joins each side of the helmet by connecting the helmet under each ear. This chin strap is an essential safety feature. You need to be certain your helmet will stay on your head if you fall off. One of the most common causes of head injury to motorcyclists is forgetting to do up the chin strap. Even at slow speeds, if your head hits the road, an unsecured helmet will be pulled off. There are two types of chin strap, the difference is the mechanism for securing the two pieces together. A D-ring is similar to a trouser belt, one strap loops through a pair of D-shaped metal rings; you pull the strap as tightly as is comfortable and the strap will not come undone. A D-ring strap can be fiddly to do up and undo, but once it is done up, it stays secure. A ratchet strap has a set of teeth that lock together. A ratchet strap is quick to do up and to undo, has micro adjustments for comfort, but can be undone accidentally when riding. One type of chin strap is not better than the other. It is a personal preference. There are no independent tests by SHARP to assess the chin straps on new helmets. The important thing is that as the wearer, you remember to always do it up before you ride. The chin strap, once secure, should be tight enough so you can still open and close your mouth.
How do I select a helmet that will not mess up my make-up?
A good fitting helmet will require a little squeezing of the cheeks and forehead to get on. This means that there is always a risk of spoiling your makeup. However, there is a high risk of facial disfigurement from gravel rash, or losing your teeth and nose if your helmet is a loose fit and is ripped off when you come off your bike/moped. Aim to end every ride with a smile and put your makeup on when you arrive.
How do I select a helmet that will protect my hair?
An oversize helmet offers very little protection to the wearer. For people with a lot of hair, or braids, it is really important to find a helmet that still feels secure on your head. How you wear your hair makes a difference. If you can enclose it evenly around your head under a head covering (scarf, or helmet liner), your helmet is more likely to fit securely. If you need to pile your hair on the top of your head, please seek advice from experienced retailers who can measure your head properly and suggest helmet makes and models that will be best able to deal with lots of hair. Some helmets have linings that can be customised to make allowances for hair.
The helmet I want has a low star rating. Should I buy it?
It’s not necessarily the highest SHARP rated helmet that will be the best for you. Any helmet rated by SHARP will provide protection for your head in a crash. But that protection only works if the helmet fits you properly and you are wearing it correctly. A five star helmet that is too loose and will come off in a crash is not a good option for you. A three star helmet that makes your ears sore and distracts you at a dangerous junction is not protecting you. When you are choosing your helmet, try on as many as you can to find a selection that fit and are comfortable. Then if you have several to choose from, use the SHARP star rating to help you make the safest possible choice.
My helmet has a low star rating. Has it failed?
A helmet assessed by SHARP is not given a pass/fail score. All helmets that are rated by SHARP have already been designed and tested to prove that they meet the safety standards that make them legal for sale in the UK. This means they offer – at least – a minimum level of protection in the event of a crash. However, as our tests show, some helmets are designed to provide much more protection than this minimum level, you just can’t see it.
Is a helmet marked 22.06 better than one marked 22.05?
Yes, as a general guide, a helmet approved to and marked UN ECE 22.06 is a newer model that will provide more protection as a minimum in comparison with a 22.05 approved helmet. When choosing a helmet, you should think first about how well it fits and is comfortable.
Is the safety rating the only thing to consider when buying a helmet?
It is important that a helmet fits well if it is to provide its best protection – studies estimate that between 10% and 14% of deaths result from a helmet coming off in a crash. Comfort is also important and should be considered when making a purchase. An uncomfortable helmet can distract you when riding, and a poor fitting helmet may offer reduced protection in the event of an accident. The safety rating is a third criterion that can help you decide on a helmet. Other features of a helmet may influence your choice, but SHARP offers no opinion on things that do not affect the protection a helmet provides.
Is a cheap helmet an unsafe helmet?
No. Regardless of price, if a helmet is approved to, and labelled as, ECE 22.05/22.06 or BS 6658:1985 it is a safe helmet.
There is no connection between the protection indicated by a SHARP star rating and the price of a helmet. A budget price helmet can have four or five stars. An expensive helmet can have a low star rating. As a buyer, you cannot see what additional features have been included in a helmet to make it offer more protection than the legal minimum requirement. As a buyer you cannot see what extra protection has been left out of a helmet to compensate for costly paint, and styling or the addition of features like comms. Use the SHARP star rating to check which helmets within your price range have more protection, after you have made your choice based on fit and comfort.
What should I consider when buying a helmet?
Within your budget, we recommend that you think about FIT, COMFORT AND SAFETY when deciding to buy a new helmet:
Fit – try on as many brands and models as possible within your price range to find the ones that fit correctly (further information on fit is this page and the Z card).
Comfort – wear the helmet for a while to make sure it does not cause pressure points that may be uncomfortable and blocks out noise effectively.
Safety – from the helmets that are the right fit and are comfortable, select the helmet with the highest SHARP safety rating in your price bracket.
Given that over 500 models of helmet have been rated, riders should be able to find a new helmet with a 3 to 5 star safety rating in any price range.
Can I ask for a particular model to be tested by SHARP?
Yes. Please use the ‘REQUEST HELMET TEST’ form on this website or Tweet us @SHARPgovuk.
When we decide which helmets to test, we take into account the popularity of a helmet judging by how many people have asked for it to be tested. So please keep your requests coming in!
From your list of suggestions, we then aim to test a variety of helmets based on their price, brand, type of helmet or key features.
