Motorcycle helmets emerged because safety was an increasing concern for many riders. Over the passing century, many motorcycle helmet manufacturers started to focus only on the styling but forgot the main feature of each motorcycle helmet – safety. Still, many motorcycle helmet manufacturers didn’t forget about safety, and our list of top 10 safest motorcycle helmets will introduce you to the best of the bunch!
If interested in more “best of” lists of helmets, we’ve prepared the following lists for you:
- Best Motorcycle Helmets For 2021/2022
- Best Full-Face Motorcycle Helmets For 2021/2022
- Best Modular Motorcycle Helmets For 2021/2022
But, before we begin with this list, here is a table with all the safest motorcycle helmets if you’re in a rush!
| Image | Helmet | Picked For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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Shoei RF-1400 | Most Versatile Motorcycle Helmet | Check Price |
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AGV Pista GP R | Lightest Motorcycle Helmet | Check Price |
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HJC C70 | Most Affordable Motorcycle Helmet | Check Price |
 |
Shark Skwal 2 | Best Styling | Check Price |
 |
Shark Race-R Pro | Best Sports Performance | Check Price |
 |
Scorpion EXO-R420 | Most Aerodynamic Motorcycle Helmet | Check Price |
 |
Shoei RF-SR | Best Minimalistic Design | Check Price |
 |
Bell Star | Safest Motorcycle Helmet | Check Price |
 |
Nolan N87 | Widest Point Of View | Check Price |
 |
Arai Signet-X | Most Balanced Feature Package | Check Price |
Without further ado, let’s begin with the breakdown of the safest motorcycle helmets on the market!
Table of Contents
1) Shoei RF-1400
Kicking off our list of the top 10 safest motorcycle helmets is the latest outing from Shoei – the RF-1400. This full-face lid is the evolution of the astonishingly popular RF-1200 helmet, meaning this is an all-rounded full-face motorcycle helmet.
First of all, the Shoei RF-1400 has a dual-layer shock absorption liner, helping with impact absorption. In addition, the double-D ring fasteners are more effective at keeping this helmet tight on your head, and there are emergency release cheek pads that help paramedics quickly remove the helmet from your head.
Check out our Shoei Helmets review section for more content!
But, the most crucial thing that nets this helmet DOT and Snell safety ratings is the AIM+ shell tech that has four resin and organic fiber layers, resembling a fiberglass sandwich essentially.
So, if looking for a versatile motorcycle helmet that is incredibly safe for street rides or the race track, Shoei RF-1400 is an excellent lid for you!
2) AGV Pista GP R
Looking for the king of the sportbike helmets? Few come close to the overall craftsmanship, design, and safety of the AGV Pista GP R motorcycle helmet. Yes, it’s one of the most expensive helmets on our list (it costs $1,000/£726), but it more than makes it up for its overall feature package.
Check out our AGV reviews section for more content!
AGV Pista GP R has a polystyrene shock-absorbing lining, rounded up with the carbon fiber shell that further helps with impact absorptions. It also helps that this helmet weighs only 2,9 pounds (1,3 kg), making it one of the lightest full-face motorcycle helmets on the market.
When it comes to safety ratings, the GP R has a 5-star SHARP rating, along with DOT and ECE certifications. So, if looking for one of the safest motorcycle helmets around, you might give this AGV lid a chance if you have the funds to do so.
3) HJC C70
Being one of the most affordable helmets on our top 10 safest motorcycle helmets list at the $150/£109 price tag, HJC C70 is surprisingly a pretty safe helmet. It provides a well-balanced mix of quality design and a wide range of features, such as an inner sun visor.
Let’s talk about its safety ratings first. It has a 5-star SHARP rating along with the ECE and DOT ratings. Pretty swell for a sub-$200 motorcycle helmet. This full-face all-rounder has a wide face shield that offers a fantastic field of view. The inner sun visor provides even better protection from the sun, which can hinder so many rides.
Overall, if you’re tight on budget, there are still helmets like HJC C70 that can save your life if you end up in a crash. While this isn’t the best performing helmet out there, it is one of the safest you can take on the road with you. And that’s the most important thing out on the road.
For a detailed look, check out our HJC C70 helmet review!
4) Shark Skwal 2
Serving as an upgrade over the initial Skwal model, Shark addressed the noise and aerodynamic issues of the original and added the LED lights on the front and the rear for additional styling and safety.
This full-face motorcycle helmet has a thermoplastic shell, but don’t let that fool you – this one has a 4-star SHARP rating, along with DOT and ECE motorcycle helmet crash test ratings. Basically, this helmet will be able to save your head if you end up in a crash.
There is one weakness of the Skwal 2 when it comes to impact absorption. That occurs in the sides of the helmet, which don’t provide that much protection as other sections of the helmet.
Still, the Skwal 2 provides an excellent feature package, along with great styling with the LED lights that serve some purpose for additional safety too, which is awesome.
5) Shark Race-R Pro
If looking for yet another race helmet to fit the top 10 safest motorcycle helmets list, the Shark Race-R Pro is the one to look out for. This bad boy has a carbon fiber shell and weighs only 2,9 pounds (1,3 kg), making it incredibly light and aerodynamic. Honestly, it reminds us a lot of the AGV Pista GP-R helmet, which is an awesome thing.
Check out more Shark helmet reviews on our site!
This full-face lid has a 5-star SHARP rating along with the DOT and ECE safety certifications from a safety standpoint. Even though this full-face motorcycle helmet is designed with sport riders in mind, it will perform exceptionally well on the roads.
Also, if you want a well-performing full-face sport motorcycle helmet that can rival AGV Pista GP-R in the overall safety and feature package, the Race-R Pro from Shark is an incredible purchase. Along with that, it costs $300 less than AGV Pista GP-R.
6) Scorpion EXO-R420
From one of the best motorcycle helmet brands comes the Scorpion EXO-R420! It is a great all-rounded motorcycle helmet with excellent aerodynamic features, high safety, and good ventilation, with a design resembling a full-fledged race helmet. It’s also a great helmet for all you riders on a low budget, as this Scorpion helmet costs $150/£109.
Even though it’s a polycarbonate helmet, that doesn’t mean Scorpion cut down on its overall safety. On the contrary, the EXO-R420 has a DOT certification, along with the Snell M2015 rating. With the Snell rating being one of the best safety rating standards for motorcycle helmets, we can boldly conclude that Scorpion EXO-R420 is one of the safest motorcycle helmets out there.
Check out Scorpion helmet reviews on our site!
Some safety features include the emergency release cheek pads, face shield with nice peripheral vision, and anti-fog coating with the option of putting on a Pinlock insert.
Overall, the Scorpion EXO-R420 is one of the safest budget motorcycle helmets, along with the HJC C70. You can’t go wrong with either one. The decision will mostly be dictated by the preferred design and styling.
7) Shoei RF-SR
Here we have yet another Shoei helmet, but this one is a bit different, as its slightly aggressive and minimalist design targets street bike riders. Even though it is styled as a street bike helmet, it equally fits short city cruises and long-distance rides. We’re really impressed with Shoei and its transition to the safest motorcycle helmet brand.
As with other newer Shoei helmets, the RF-SR features the AIM+ shell with five fiberglass and organic layers. Along with that, there are the emergency release cheek pads and a multi-density EPS liner to help with impact absorption. All these safety features have netted the Shoei RF-SR the 5-star SHARP and Snell M2015 safety ratings.
Sadly, there is no inner sun visor in the Shoei RF-SR. But, the clear face shield more than makes up for it with its defog capabilities and plenty of peripheral vision. As with most other newer Shoei helmets, the RF-SR doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the overall safety levels.
8) Bell Star
Bell is one of the safest motorcycle helmet brands, and one of the best showcases of that is their entry-level Bell Star helmet. During the last 50 years, the Star model has evolved to be one of the safest entry-level motorcycle helmets on the market.
The Bell Star motorcycle helmet features a shell made of a composite of carbon, aramid, and fiberglass material. Due to this shell construction, the Bell Star has all the highest safety ratings you might expect, such as the Snell M2015, 5-star SHARP rating, along with the DOT and ECE motorcycle helmet safety ratings.
For more reviews, check out our Bell reviews section.
Along with the expanded EPS liner, there is MIPS included in the mix. This is the multidirectional impact protection system that makes the shell rotate to promote more even impact absorption during a crash. Pretty awesome stuff.
Overall, the Bell Star is one of the top 10 safest motorcycle helmets out there, and we expect Bell to continue updating the timeless Star line of helmets.
9) Nolan N87
This full-face helmet from Nolan is yet another polycarbonate helmet that performs exceptionally well when it comes to safety. It’s a great helmet both for sport and touring riders, and it’s reasonably priced at $300/£218.
When it comes to the safety ratings, the N87 has a 4-star SHARP rating, DOT, and ECE safety certifications. But don’t get fooled by the 4-star SHARP rating – this is an incredibly safe helmet due to the features that we’ll mention below.
For more content, check out our Nolan helmets reviews section!
First of all, the clear face shield offers a wide field of view and comes with a Pinlock insert already glued to the face shield. Also, it’s one of the rare helmets with a socket for a brake light in its rear, which can further increase safety while wearing this helmet. The more, the merrier, right?
Overall, the Nolan N87 continues Nolan’s streak of high-quality, safe helmets, and we expect this motorcycle helmet manufacturer to continue their streak for years to come!
10) Arai Signet-X
For the last entry in our top 10 safest motorcycle helmets list, we couldn’t help but include this excellent street bike full-face helmet from Arai. The Signet-X sports a fiberglass shell that will ensure your safety and provide great aerodynamic features.
For the safety ratings, Arai has made sure to perform well on all aspects, netting the Signet-X the Snell M2015 rating, 5-star SHARP rating, along with the ECE and DOT safety certifications.
The fiberglass shell of the Signet-X is multi-layered and comes with a multi-density EPS liner to improve the overall impact absorption. Also, the double D-ring strap ensures maximum stability of the helmet, even during high winds. Along with that, there are emergency release cheek pads to help out paramedics if they need to remove the helmet from your head quickly.
All in all, Arai created a well-balanced and safe helmet in the form of the Signet-X for a premium price that ranges between $615/£447 and $870/£632.
Top 10 Safest Motorcycle Helmets For 2021/2022 In Photos
In this section, we will show you the best graphic designs of the helmets we outlined throughout this post!
AGV Pista GP R 
HJC C70 
Scorpion EXO-R420 
Shoei RF-1400 
Nolan N87 
Shark Race-R Pro 
Shark Skwal 2 
Bell Star 
Arai Signet-X 
Shoei RF-SR
Closing Words
Now that you know the top 10 safest motorcycle helmets out there, what would be the safest one to pick out from the bunch?
From our standpoint, the safest motorcycle helmet would be the Bell Star helmet. It has all the safety ratings you would imagine, and the composite shell is quite robust when it comes to its overall construction and safety.
But the main reason we picked the Bell Star is that it includes the MIPS liner, a revolutionary impact protection system getting adopted by more helmet manufacturers each day.
If you liked this list, make sure to check out our motorcycle helmet reviews section to find out the motorcycle helmet that will fit your budget, but more importantly, your style!
