How to fit a motorcycle helmet

How to size a helmet

A helmet is the most important piece of riding gear you will own. It protects your most valuable asset, your brain. Most people have not been through a proper custom helmet fitting. As a result many are not wearing the right size or shape helmet for their head. Whether you wear a half, three quarter, modular or full face, how your helmet fits will affect how it protects you. I will be going over how you should fit your helmet. And what you should look for when choosing the right helmet for your head.

Measuring your head

First you should take a full 360-degree measurement of your head. Measure your head from just above your eyebrows around to the furthest part of the back of your head. Centimeters will give you the most accurate measurement, but you can always convert it from inches. This measurement will let you know what size you should start with. There are a few things that can affect your final helmet size. Your hairstyle, if you wear a beanie or skull cap under your helmet, and your overall head shape. Hairstyle and what you wear under your helmet can be easily changed. The one thing you can’t change is the shape of your head. The most popular head shapes are round oval, intermediate oval, and long oval. Some top brands, like Arai, make all three head shapes for that perfect fit. Other brands stick with one or two types and the entry level brands may only give you one shape to choose from to cut costs limiting your options for the proper fit.

Fitting your helmet

Your helmet should fit snug all around with just enough room when pushing forward from the rear of the helmet to just fit the tip of your finger up to the first joint between your helmet liner and forehead. If you get a hotspot on your head, you should look for a brand that makes a different head shape so you can keep the right size and not have to sacrifice fit for comfort or safety. Your cheeks should feel like they have good pressure on them, and it should not be easy to fit a finger between your cheek and the cheek pad. Remember, your helmet will break in after a few good rides as it starts to fit to your head. If you get a helmet that is too loose it will be very loose once it breaks in and not protect you when it matters.

Make sure when you try on helmets to not get stuck on one brand or graphic. You may be missing out on that perfect fit or feature that will surprise you. At Sprocketz we carry top name brands like: Arai, Shoei, Bell, Icon, Alpinestars, Troy Lee, Fly, Leatt, Nolan, Gmax and HJC. Stop by Sprocketz today for your custom helmet fitting and get geared to go.