Best Motorcycle Helmets in India - Reviews and Comparison 2021

With a lot of helmet options available in the market, it becomes challenging to identify which helmet can be your ideal travel partner. Well, the ISI mark helps you to filter out a lot of non branded and substandard options and go for standard, good quality, and durable helmets. However, it is crucial to keep in mind to consider other features other than the ISI mark as this is just an index of quality. The best suitable helmets can be identified after a thorough analysis of related factors.

The head shape or structure can be categorized into 3 - long oval, round oval, and intermediate oval. It is essential to know the right head size for the right fit. A helmet that is of a good fit will conform to the head shape and structure, while a wrong one will put pressure on your skull on specific points. Eventually, it would be an absolute misfit and should be avoided.

Weight is also an important factor while purchasing a helmet. It is recommended that a helmet weight should lie between 700 grams and 1.2 kg. Anything lighter will not be able to protect your head in case of an accident, while anything heavier will be too heavy to wear for a longer span. It may put pressure on your skull, neck and could be hazardous in case of a sudden jerk and cause spondylitis on regular wearing.

A cushioning is one of the most vital features to consider for a helmet. Proper cushioning is essential to absorb the shock of an accident and protect the skull from being hurt. The inner side of the helmet should not be too flat. Ensure that there is a curve on the inner side of the helmet.

The visor is yet another factor to give a sincere thought while buying a helmet. Contrary to the mercury and smoked visor, it is advisable to pick a helmet with an anti-scratch or anti-fog visor for clear and obstacle-free vision while riding. Also, the visor should be transparent enough to give you a clear view as you ride.

If you have a decent budget, you will be able to get these features in your helmet and will bring home a quality product.

The helmets that stay on the head in the worst-case scenarios are the ones you should look at and pick from. Retention is an important buying criterion to find out that when a helmet is pulled from backwards, does it stays in place or roll out of your head. A helmet with better retention stays intact and absorbs the impact, while a substandard piece will fail to face shock and roll out.

The material is also one of the key features to look for when choosing a helmet. Material that determines the durability and usability of a helmet in varied situations. Some common material types which are preferred by the manufacturers to make helmets are discussed below.

• Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is light in weight and is very sturdy. This is why it's an ideal choice for the outer layer of helmets.

This layer minimizes the effect on the head during a mishap. Materials like composite fiber or fiberglass, carbon fiber and kevlar are used in making a helmet shell.

• Styrofoam And Koroyd

Styrofoam is one of the most notable materials utilized in making of the helmets' inner lining. It is the technical name of Thermocol.

Koroyd, on the other hand, is made when small tubes are welded together. These tubes break when the helmet is hit and they absorb the shock effect, preventing the user from wounds.

• Foam

The cushioning of a helmet stays in constant contact with the skin. So, it should be taken care that the fabric/ material that is used in the cushion is skin-friendly.

Foam has the capacity of absorbing moisture and thus; it is utilized as comfort cushioning. Alongside meeting the safety standards, the foam padding easily confirms the head structure.

• Acrylic and Polycarbonates

The visor of a helmet has a job in removing anything which affects the vision while riding. It is made out of acrylic and polycarbonates.

Utilization of these materials guarantees that breeze, smoke, rain, and moisture are avoided from getting into your eyes. It is important to have a spotless and stainless visor for a safe and enjoyable riding experience.

• Polypropylene or Nylon

The jaw lock of a helmet is additionally a significant part that is overlooked by most people. The straps that keep the helmet stable on your head are made up of Polypropylene or Nylon.

A locking system works through the jaw lock in the helmet and it is important to have an easy locking. Also, the system should withstand abrupt shocks and hiccups on the road to prove its worth.

The range of helmets is mainly classified into six categories. Let us dive in to understand them and find our best fit.

• Full Face

Full face helmet provides optimum face coverage and ensures proper security. It has a noise-blocking capacity to keep you aloof and peaceful during a ride. Due to its form, a full-face helmet is a great fit even in extreme weather conditions, and provide protection from extreme heat, rain and cold.

• Flip-up

Although slightly heavier than the full-face helmet, it can be opened from the front when required. The flip-up helmet has multiple visors-one near the eye and the other one that can be flipped vertically (up and down).

• Open Face

An open-face helmet does not have any protection for your face, as the face remains exposed. It only covers the top and back of your head, there is no chin bar in an open face helmet, contrary to a flip-up or full-face helmet. Many people prefer these helmets as they are more comfortable to wear and are very lightweight as compared to full face and flip-up. However, these are unsafe, and will not be able to shield you against the sun, pollution or dust while on road. They do feature visors in some models but are still potentially unsafe.

• Half Helmet

Having minimum safety and minimum face coverage, the half helmets just tend to cover your head. Though these type of helmets could bring a little comfort to those who find other helmets types suffocating. However, it is recommended that half-face helmets should not be used for long-distance rides.   

• Off-Road or Dirt Bike

Dirt bike helmets or off-road helmets belong to a whole new league of helmet types. These helmets have multiple air vents to ensure proper airflow. They have large visors and appropriate chin support, but they lack eye protection. 

• Dual Support

Combining the capacities of a full face and an off-road helmet, a dual support helmet has large visors and many air vents, coupled with optimum padding. They have dynamic on-road and off-road use and has a design similar to an off road helmet.

Steel bird is the best in the business of motorcycle helmets in India. Alongside regular riders, it is highly popular among the dirt bikers. The shell of the helmet has a high impact grade of engineering thermoplastic and comes with a concussion padding in the interior. The padding is lined with anti-allergic velveteen.

High airflow is ensured by the dynamic ventilation system in the helmet. It comes with a polycarbonate visor which has anti-scratch properties due to being coated with hard silicon. Polyurethane paints are used in the helmet to keep it safe from excessive exposure to UV rays and it arrives with a quick-release and efficient chinstrap mechanism for ease of use.

The Sepia brand helmets are the undeniable contenders for premium spots on any comparison list of helmets. This Sepia muscle rider is also a rightful one. Not just the interior has comfortable and ventilated cushioning but its visor also provides a broad visual field alongside being fog and scratch-resistant.

This ISI approved helmet comes with an aerodynamic design which helps to keep it stable during the ride. This lightweight helmet takes 7-10 days to conform to the riders' head as the foam coating on the interior adjusts itself.

It seems a little tight as you wear it for the first time, yet manufacturers' have cared to carve a quality helmet, make it compatible and true to all safety standards.

The Vega off-road helmet could be your choice if you’re looking for something stylish, safe, and long-lasting. This easy to use and lightweight head equipment could be your perfect companion on road with a durable outer shell and visor. The shell has a UV finish that prevents the colour or durability of the shell from deteriorating. Also, the visor of the helmet is scratch-resistant.

With the intake air vents (in the front) and the exhaust air vents (placed at the rear end), it ensures proper airflow through the helmet. The soft padding of the helmet cushions the head against the shocks amid the ride and absorbs moisture and precipitation. You can detach and clean the interior of this helmet.

This ISI certified helmet has built-in goggles present in it as an external amenity.

The Steelbird SB-50 Adonis Zap classic is a full-faced helmet that is super economical yet sturdy and useful. Above all, it hails from one of the premium manufacturers of the country and is labeled with an ISI mark. So the quality and worth remain undisputed.

Many vigorous tests have been performed to test the quality of this product due to which it boasts a high level of durability under varied conditions.

Ensuring your safety, the helmet shell has been carved out of the high impact ABS plastic while the interior padding has proper ventilation due to air mesh fabric. This lightweight helmet has variations available in size based on various head shapes, which makes the use of this head equipment compatible for everyone.

Offering comfortable and tight-fitting helmets for various head sizes, vega has yet another affordable option available, that is this full-face helmet. The shell is made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, which makes it highly durable.

With airy and comfortable cushioning, this lightweight helmet is ideal for daily use too. This helmet has a scratch-resistant premium quality visor providing you complete protection on the road. And while all the measures have been taken to make this helmet very safe and usable, equal attention has been paid to making the helmet compact and stylish. Additionally, the helmet material is solid ABS plastic which enhances impact resistance on the road.

If you are here in the search of something robust and dynamic, and an all-round helmet in general, the Vega crux DX full-faced helmet could be the end of your exploration.

A shell that's made up of the high impact ABS material to a supreme quality visor that comes with scratch resistant and UV resistant properties, this helmet can be termed as the holy grail on the list.

But wait, we haven't even talked about the additional features! To add to your delight, it has a removable and washable lining, a movable chin guard with easy opening, an odour resistant body and finally removable and replaceable padding in the interior, which can be changed suiting various head sizes.

This helmet flooding with extras and essentials could be one of your valuable purchases so far.

What starts with a Steelbird, ends with a Steelbird! This brand is all over the place, and that is because of great design, splendid performance and over the top innovations! The Steelbird SBA-1 7Wings is a robust slim fit helmet in a handsome shape. Though a bit costly, but all worth it.

The helmet has an ABS shell, multilayered EPS (Thermacol) padding, a high density, low-density air mesh for ventilation & safety and a micro-metric chin buckle ensuring basic safety measure. Moreover, this handsomely crafted helmet has an Italian touch to the design and comes with a protector for extra comfort, an anti-scratch coated visor, and a quick-release visor mechanism kit.

Two of the special features of the helmet are that it is waterproof and has a hands-free call feature, which lets you take the calls with a single click, and helps searching locations from the map effortlessly. This feature contributes a lot to its popularity and acceptance in the market.