Helmet Buyer’s Guide

I always preach safety on ATVs, dirt bikes, UTVs, and other off road vehicles and when it comes to protection, nothing is more important than your head! When looking to buy a helmet you will be faced with many different reasons to choose your helmet. 

I have personally used many different helmets over the years and the 2 biggest factors for me are comfort and safety. My current helmet is an old O’Neal Series 5 Helmet from back in 2012. I am currently in the market for a new helmet and I have narrowed my search down to the Fox Racing V3 Helmet on Amazon. This helmet won’t break the bank, but also isn’t the cheapest I could find. It is great for ATVs, UTVS, dirt bikes, and snowmobiles. It meets most of my criteria very well and after trying it on in my local powersports shop, I am sold.

I personally have bought cheaper helmets in the past and they have served me well through some minor crashes but remember, this thing protects your head and your BRAIN so don’t pick the cheapest you can find. I will tell you I have tested helmets over the years and it pays to pay a bit more for better quality. It costs a few more bucks to manufacture those more expensive helmets for a reason. They are GENERALLY safer for you!

What I Want In a Helmet

As I said before, I look for 2 things most of all, comfort and safety. There are other characteristics I look for in a helmet before making a final decision.

  • Safety – Safety is the number one concern for me and the helmet needs to AT LEAST be DoT approved before I even consider it.
  • Comfort – A helmet HAS to be comfortable on my head. I don’t want to ride around all day with a helmet that is giving me a headache or is too heavy and weighing my head down, straining my neck.
  • Price – Don’t get me wrong, those $700 helmets look really cool and have all kinds of bells and whistles but that just isn’t up my alley. $100-$350 is a great price range for a good quality helmet.
  • Name Brand – I like to choose well known brands of helmets because chances are that there are a ton more parts for those than for the lesser known brands
  • Looks – Of course you want your helmet to look cool and match your other riding gear AND your ride!!!

Popular Brands

6D – The ATR2 from 6D has stepped up the game in helmets safety with this model and at a very steep price, you will pay for what you get, a great quality helmet.

Alpine Stars – Alpine Stars has one of the best helmets out right now and if I had the cash to throw at it, I would get the SuperTech M10 from Amazon. This looks great and has all the bells and whistles.

Bell – I have had 2 Bell SuperSport street bike helmets and they have been great so I have no doubt their years of experience will lend themselves to making great off road helmets as well.

Fly Racing – Fly has been around the motocross scene for a long time and sponsored greats like Jeremy McGrath. 

Fox Racing – My top pick is Fox Racing so need I say more?

Leatt – I have seen that people really like Leatt gear but I have never tried any of it.

O’Neal – I have owned 3 different O’Neal off road helmets and for the price, right at $100ish, they are a great bargain and decently comfortable. Check out the Racing Series 3 over at Amazon.

Shoei – Shoei has been around for a very long time and make GREAT road helmets. They come at a hefty price but are great quality from what I have been told by people who own them.

Troy Lee Designs – I have watched a few video reviews on TLD helmets but that is the extent of my knowledge.

All of these companies have helmets that meet or exceed DoT regulations in the United States and would be great choices but my personal choice is the Fox Racing V3