Helmet question...

SoonerRick · Post by **SoonerRick** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:05 pm

What type helmet do you wear? Full Face, 3/4 or Half? Thanks.

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:28 pm

Have you tried the search function yet?
There are many, many threads on here about helmets.

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:34 pm

Welcome to the forum!

There are lots of threads about this already so you can get your answer by reading any of these from the first few pages:

I need a new helmet...

Full face vs 3/4 helmet?

Half Helmet & Goggles

Hi Vis: Silver Vs White

Ultimately, helmet choice is about balancing safety and comfort. There is no question that a full face helmet offers the best protection. We've got a great Helmet Basics & Buying FAQ that is very helpful.

All of that ought to keep you busy!

And I wear a Scorpion EXO-400 full face helmet that really helped me when I hit my chin on the median at 50 mph!

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:38 pm

Full/modular.

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:25 pm

Full and 3/4. 3/4 in the heat, FF the rest of the time. its all a matter of preference. i am pretty sure a full face gives the most protection, yes. but i crashed into the ground wearing a 3/4 and it protected my head fine and my face was unharmed even though the forehead portion of the helmet hit the ground and the face shield broke off

when in doubt or even if not, have both imo. you can get some good deals on good helmets if you look. under or around $100. as mentioned already though you can have the best helmet in the world but if it doesn't fit right you will be uncomfortable wearing it. so pass. some helmets are geared toward oval shaped heads, some round, and some a bit of both evenly. i have an oval shaped head, myself.

and HOW the helmet fits is of the utmost importance. again, if it doesn't fit
well it won't protect you well. what is well? very snug, thats what. many people buy helmets too big for them even when buying in-store because a helmet that is a bit loose feels like it "fits," but it does not. and it won't protect your head properly. check this video. many people would consider the helmet that fits this guy too tight. but in fact it is perfect for riding, falling, and protecting the head. remember it must fit right for riding and all which goes with, not for standing around in a store

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F8v4qzB5HLY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Christophers · Post by **Christophers** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:55 pm

JHScoot wrote:Full and 3/4. 3/4 in the heat, FF the rest of the time. its all a matter of preference. i am pretty sure a full face gives the most protection, yes. but i crashed into the ground wearing a 3/4 and it protected my head fine and my face was unharmed even though the forehead portion of the helmet hit the ground and the face shield broke off

when in doubt or even if not, have both imo. you can get some good deals on good helmets if you look. under or around $100. as mentioned already though you can have the best helmet in the world but if it doesn't fit right you will be uncomfortable wearing it. so pass. some helmets are geared toward oval shaped heads, some round, and some a bit of both evenly. i have an oval shaped head, myself.

and HOW the helmet fits is of the utmost importance. again, if it doesn't fit
well it won't protect you well. what is well? very snug, thats what. many people buy helmets too big for them even when buying in-store because a helmet that is a bit loose feels like it "fits," but it does not. and it won't protect your head properly. check this video. many people would consider the helmet that fits this guy too tight. but in fact it is perfect for riding, falling, and protecting the head. remember it must fit right for riding and all which goes with, not for standing around in a store

Great summary!

I also have both a full face (Nexx XR1R) and a 3/4 (Nolan N30) - for the same reasons listed above.

Most helmets are designed to fit an oval head shape. This caused me no small amount of grief. Before I selected my Nexx FF helmet I must have tried 10 different helmets ranging in price from around $100 to $700. From experience borrowing my brother's FF Scorpion I knew that a "great fitting helmet" not made to fit my head shape could end up pinching my head and giving me a headache. So I wore most helmets around the store for 5-10 min to make sure that they didn't similarly end up hurting. Out of every brand that I tried the Nexx was the best fit - even if the price was not. I went with the Nexx.

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:19 am

I may look into the Nolan Trilogy Air for my next helmet. It's a modular, but not a flip-up. The Trilogy has a chin bar that can be removed to make the helmet a 3/4. Owners I know leave it on, though. It's not as constricting as a full face, has good airflow and passes ECE standards tests as a full face with the chin bar attached, meaning that bar holds up to the same tests as a solid full helmet.

scootavaran · Post by **scootavaran** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:23 am

^^^^^ NICE^^^^

Think i found my next helmet.

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:35 am

meh. don't quite trust that helmet as a ff

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:45 am

I tried a Trilogy on when I was helmet shopping recently and I really felt like my chin was too exposed. But I guess that's because I've always worn a full face. For someone coming off of a 3/4 or 1/2, it would be a nice compromise to get a bit more protection while still feeling pretty open.

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:21 am

JHScoot wrote:meh. don't quite trust that helmet as a ff

Yet you wear a 3/4 some of the time. This would certainly be better than that.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:37 am

Tocsik wrote:Have you tried the search function yet?
There are many, many threads on here about helmets.

ericalm wrote:
JHScoot wrote:meh. don't quite trust that helmet as a ff
Yet you wear a 3/4 some of the time. This would certainly be better than that.

Even having been scooting and such for so short a time, this question comes up a LOT. There are as many opinions as there are about politics on the subject.

If the crowd gives gruff or curt responses, just remember that it tends to cause raw nerves.

Mutt the Hoople · Post by **Mutt the Hoople** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 6:03 am

I have a ff modular and a 3/4. I know the full face helmets are safer, but the heat the last couple of weeks has been brutal... And a steamed up full face can't be very safe. However, I got whacked by my first large insect wearing. 3/4 today... A dragonfly smacked into me right on the lip and I was doing about 40-45mph. OUCH (and it was not very tasty either). And I still have a bit of a fat lip. The dragonfly fared worse though.

neotrotsky · Post by **neotrotsky** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 6:18 am

Been hit while wearing both an open face and a full face. Been lucky enough to survive both, and wouldn't of without either.

In short: I wear what I want because it's my body, and I take the responsibility. If you choose wrong, don't go looking to blame someone else when the decision is yours. Obviously full protection is best, but I'm not going to ride around in a cocoon of kevlar, airbags and poly-foam. Riding a bike is a risk. Simply assess how much risk you wish to take.