Motorcycle Helmet Sizing

As correct motorcycle helmet sizing is vital not only to the feel and comfort of your helmet but also to protecting your head in an accident, you should never buy or wear a helmet that does not fit your head snugly. You can ensure correct motorcycle helmet sizing in a number of ways, and there are various sites online that will guide you through the process. The following method, which is recommended by the helmet manufacturer HJC, is outlined on motorhelmets[dot]com. 

HJC advises you to begin by choosing a motorcycle helmet sizing that you think will fit, based on your head measurement. This can be obtained by fitting a cloth tape around the head roughly one inch above the eyebrows and just above the ears (this is the widest part of the head. You should take the chin strap of the helmet in each hand and pull it on until the top of your head is touching the inside of the top part of the helmet.  If your head doesn’t make contact with the top of the helmet or the helmet is either too tight to pull down over your ears or cause you pain, you should try the next size up.

When you find a motorcycle helmet sizing that feels comfortable to wear and is a snug fit on your head, you need to make sure that the helmet is not too loose-fitting. This can be done by fastening the chin strap securely and then checking to see if there is any movement whenever you grasp the chin bar and try to move the helmet up and down and side to side. The helmet is too large if you can feel it sliding on your hair and skin when you do this, whereas a snug-fitting helmet will make you feel as if your skin and scalp want to move with it.

You should then try to rotate the helmet down and forward and up and backward as far as you can in either direction. If the helmet is too big, or if you haven’t fastened the chin strap tightly enough, it will give the feeling that it could slide off you head in either direction. Of course, if you are buying online, it is harder to try the helmet on before you buy it, although you could try one on in a high street retailer and then target the same helmet online to get it at a reduced price. If you can’t try a similar helmet on, and your head size falls between sizes listed by the manufacturer, you should order the smaller of the 2 sizes because it is important that you have a motorcycle helmet sizing that is right for you.