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I have several helmets - Arai, Shoei and HJC. My favorite of course is the Arai RX7 Corsair.

So how do you choose the best helmet for you?
Well, here are some things to consider - I’ve read a helmet test / review in Motorcyclist magazine and was a bit shocked by the results. What they did is set up several tests where the helmet gets hit or dropped. Surprisingly the high end expensive helmets like Arai, performed the same  or sometimes even worse than the cheap ones (like the low end HJC models). It turns out that the plastic helmets absorb impact just as well as carbon fiber and laminate and don’t crack in the process.

All that being said, there are advantages with the higher end helmets vs the lower end. 

• Ventilation - Although the newer lower end models have ventilation, the more expensive helmets usually do it better. This is pretty important especially when it gets hot outside.
• Removable liner - Most high end, expensive helmets have removable head liner and cheek pads. This is useful when you want to wash your liner because it does get dirty after a while. Also on helmets like Arai RX 7, you can change your cheekpads for smaller or larger sizes to better fit your head.
• Noise - Some of the cheaper helmets are very noisy. I think the quetest helmet I’ve ever tried was the Shoei RF-1000 - yes quieter than the Arai RX-7 Corsair
• Weight - Yes, weight. Some cheaper helmets are heavy - and even if you don’t notice it at first, it can cause your neck to hurt after a long ride.

Some myths I’ve heard about helmets… 

• One thing I heard is Arai recommends to change your helmet every 5 years. If anyone knows why please comment on this post. I just do not understand why you would need to change a perfectly good helmet. I’ve heard some race clubs don’t allow any helmets that are older than a couple of years - even if they are brand new! A myth perpetuated by the helmet manufacturers to sell more helmets? I think so…  
• If you drop your helmet - it somehow becomes “unsafe” or broken. This cannot be true. Unless you crack your helmet by dropping it - its fine.

Most importantly buy something that you like. As long as it fits you well and you like how it looks - that’s what’s most important .
And finally - Always wear it!

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