Rated
In order to be sold in the United States, helmets must pass a set of safety criteria, and all of the helmets featured have passed at least the basic DOT requirement for safety. There are various standards by which helmets are judged and multiple manners in which they are tested. The tests that most helmet manufacturers meet or exceed are the Department of Transportation (DOT), Snell, British Standard and European Standard (ECE). All helmets must be, at a minimum, DOT certified to be used on America's public roads. Though there is much debate over which is the gold standard, all certified helmets meet one or more of the various tests.
Helmets have one basic duty and that is to protect the head from injury in a crash. Price variances come from volumes of extras that include everything from graphics, spoilers, lights, pumps, ventilation systems and construction materials, and because of that there's a cornucopia of styles, shapes and graphics to match just about any bike or rider's personality.
All full-face helmets come with clear visors for riding at night. Because riding with sunglasses under a clear visor has the potential to limit visibility and can cause injury in a wreck (not to mention make you look like a goof), tinted screens are available for most helmets. Some are easier than others to swap out, so we took time to play with screen options as well.
We selected different models from over 20 companies to examine the differences. Helmet comfort is a head-by-head impression and can only be decided by the user so we didn't evaluate them on fit as much as construction and function. Take a look at this wide range of brain buckets and hit up a dealer to try a few out.
AGV "Stealth"
The Stealth by AGV features a modern look and styling with its subtle tribal graphics and rear spoiler. The addition of the mirrored shield adds a cool Star Wars-like look. Shield replacement requires an under/over-type swap, which took a minute to figure out.
Shield change: 3 out of 5
Weight: 3.32 lbs.
Safety: DOT and British Standard
AGV
Price: $349.95
Shields $36.00
+ Subtle graphics
- Tricky shieldreplacement
www.agv.com
(800) 950-9006
AFX "FX-16 Skull"
AFX offers a full-feature helmet at an affordable price. A six-point ventilation system features chin, side, forehead, top and rear vents. The FX-16 is available in a variety of solid colors and designs for those who don't like the Skull.
Shield change: N/A
Weight: N/A
Safety: DOT and Snell afx