The Ultimate Motorcycle Helmet Fit Guide

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned rider, choosing the best motorcycle helmet is more than just picking out the most appealing paint job. When buying a helmet, you’ll want to consider how well it will work to protect your head in the event of an accident. 

The fit of your helmet is one of the factors determining how effective it will be at protecting you. A properly fitted helmet will provide the best protection, the most comfort, and help to reduce wind noise. If your helmet is too big, in the event of an accident, the helmet may move around, resulting in further injury, and if your helmet is too small, it will simply be uncomfortable and distracting, if not unbearable.

Despite the many things to consider when buying a helmet, the process doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Once you understand the steps for how to fit a motorcycle helmet, for both safety and style, you’ll be in good shape.

3 Elements to Consider When Fitting a Motorcycle Helmet

The steps to size a motorcycle helmet are simple:

1. Determine a Helmet Style

Motorcycle helmets come in different styles, each offering its own benefits. There are full-face helmets: which enclose the entire head and face; open face helmets: which cover the entire head and ears but leave the face exposed; and half-helmets which only cover the top of the head. 

Full-face helmets are the most popular helmet style on the market and feature a face shield to protect your nose and eyes, as well as a chinbar to cover the bottom of your face. A full-face helmet will provide the most protection against the elements and any unwanted impact.

Open face helmets do not cover your chin or face and are the least restrictive and the least protective. An open face helmet can also be a half-helmet, which only covers the top of your head. Although open face helmets are generally less expensive than full-face helmets, they’re short on protection. These helmets are commonly worn by riders on cruisers and classics.

Modular helmets fall into the category of full-face helmets and use a hinge to swing the chinbar and face shield out of the way, converting into an open face helmet. A modular helmet will allow you to enjoy the benefits of both helmet styles in one. You’ll have full-face protection when riding, as well as the ease of an open face helmet while stopping for something to eat or drink. For those reasons, modular helmets tend to be popular among the touring and commuter crowds. Modular helmets are also often used by motorcycle instructors.

2. Find Your Head Shape

Once you've determined which style of helmet best suits your riding needs, you'll need to find a helmet that fits the shape of your head. Some brands break their helmets down into specific shapes, for example: long oval, intermediate oval, and round oval.

It is not uncommon for a rider to stick with one or two brands throughout their riding career that they’ve found fit their head shape properly.

When determining your head shape, make sure you have a very snug, full-circumference fit. We often recommend that riders keep the helmet on for 10-15 minutes to determine if they develop any hot spots or pressure points, which are areas, particularly around the crown of the head, that become very uncomfortable. These pressure points will likely not resolve, so if they develop, we recommend trying a different model or brand of helmet for a better fit.

3. Measure Your Head Size

Finally, you’ll want to find your head size. The best way to find your head size is by using a flexible measuring tape. Wrap the measuring tape around your head just above your eyebrows, write down your measurement and use that to refer to the brand’s size chart. If you happen to be between sizes, try the smaller size first.

How to Size a Motorcycle Helmet for Protection & Comfort

Once you’ve found your desired helmet in the appropriate size, it's time to try it out. It's important to remember that helmets aren't designed to be comfortable while pulling them over your head, and you will need to remove accessories like glasses or earrings while putting it on. You should be focused on fitment when the helmet is in place. Any extreme discomfort could mean you need to size up or try a different model. If the helmet fits properly, you should feel pressure on your cheeks from the cheek pads. We refer to this as chipmunk cheeks. Slight pressure on your cheeks is important, as the helmet will break in over time, particularly in the cheek pad area, and if you don’t feel this pressure when purchasing the helmet, it could become too loose quickly. When you move around the chinbar, your cheeks should move, not the helmet. If the helmet moves, that's an indication you should size down—remember that a helmet will break in a bit over time.

Here are some of our top picks for helmets: the Shoei RF-1400 Full Face Helmet, the HJC i10 Solid Helmet, the Shoei Neotec II Modular Helmet, and the ABV K1 Helmet.

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