Getting The Fit Right: A Guide To Helmet Sizing

For helmet care products and guidance, see Hedon.

A handcrafted helmet shell starts with a base material, commonly fibreglass or a composite blend, layered and shaped by hand rather than produced purely by mould and machine. Each layer adds strength, and the shaping stage is where a lot of the time in production actually goes.

Visors are a wear item, not a lifetime part of the helmet, and most riders find a spare on hand is worth having, especially before a long trip.

Neither format is a universal answer. Weather, speed, journey length and personal comfort all play a part, and many riders end up owning one of each for different trips.

Sun and heat are the two things to watch for. Leaving a helmet on a dashboard or in direct sun for long periods will dull and eventually crack leather trim, so a helmet bag or a shaded spot makes a real difference over the life of the helmet.

Getting helmet sizing right starts with a proper head measurement, taken with a soft tape around the largest part of the head, just above the eyebrows and ears. That figure points to a starting size, but it is only a starting point, since head shape varies as much as head size.