The Snell Memorial Foundation is a not for profit organisation committed to improving the performance of crash helmets. It was established in 1957 in response to the tragic death of Peter Snell in a motorsport accident. Its goal? To ensure helmets offer an adequate level of safety performance to the user – and to help manufacturers make them safer.

Since then, it not only tests helmets that are on general sale but offers different certificates for motorsport, motorcycle and karting helmets (denoted by letter SA, M and K). It also works with manufacturers to help them develop helmets that will pass its standards and bring compliant helmets to market – which are then allowed to display the Snell certification sticker on them.

You can find all our Snell Certified helmet reviews here.

M2000, M2010, M2015, M2020D and M2020R?

M stands for motorcycle and the number’s simply the date the standard was introduced.

Most of the helmets that were certified under M2010 and before will have been consigned to history now, while the majority the certified helmets on this site that are marked as Snell will have passed the M2015 standard.

But for late 2019, Snell introduced the new M2020 standard. This time, they split their standards into D and R to try reflect the different standards you’ll find around the world – including the new FIM testing standard.

Now, there’s an M2020D and M2020R. The D stands for DOT and the R for ECE Regulation 22.05. M2020D is a continuation of the same 2015 standards used for testing DOT helmets. M2020R is there so helmet manufacturers can now try and produce a helmet that’ll pass Snell testing but will also pass ECE certification (and hopefully FIM certification) too.

Note: If a helmet’s been certified as M2020R, that doesn’t mean it’s ECE or legal to wear in Europe. It’s just that it’s passed Snell’s test.

So, from 2020 onwards, most US helmets submitted for Snell testing that passed their tests are now M2020D certified. But a few have become M2020R certified too.

There, hope that’s cleared that up!

So what does the Snell helmet test include?

The test has developed over the years and you can see which test each helmet passed by the date in the certification. The first standard for motorcycle helmets was M2000 (in the year 2000) and the latest is M2015. To find a full list of which helmets are Snell certified, visit their certification page. And where a helmet we’ve reviewed is Snell certified, we’ll also put it on our review page.

Below is what’s tested in the M2015 and M2020D certification test:

1. The first test is an impact test. A helmet is fitted with a suitable dummy ‘headform’ that includes an accelerometer (or should that be decelerometer?). The helmet is then dropped against a range of different surfaces to simulate different types of impacts. The helmet needs to absorb enough energy to ensure the accelerometer measures no more than around 300 Gs – there’s slight deviations depending on which standard is being tested (but that’s still an awful lot of deceleration!).

2. Next is a test designed to check whether the helmet is secure on the head and won’t come off during an accident. As an aside, independent research seems to indicate that helmets come off in around 5% of accidents – probably through badly fitting helmets or straps that are incorrectly adjusted (or not fastened at all). Snell affixes a cable to the rear of the helmet, tilts it to an angle of 135 degrees then drops a 4Kg weight to simulate a force trying to rip the helmet off the head. They then repeat the test to the front of the head. A helmet can move, but must remain on the head to pass the test.

3. The next test tests the performance of the retention strap. A 23Kg weight is attached to the strap for one minute. If that’s passed, the 23Kg weight is replaced by a 38Kg weight which is then dropped to stress the strap and closing mechanism to ensure it won’t break or stretch more than 30mm. If it does, it fails.

4. The fourth test is the chin bar test – where a helmet is fixed to a solid base with the chin bar facing upwards and a flat 5Kg weight is dropped onto it. The chin bar must not break or bend beyond a certain amount.

5. The penultimate test involves dropping a 3Kg spike onto the helmet to check it can resist penetration.

6. The final test checks the face shield is resistant to penetration by firing an air rifle pellet at it at a speed of around 500 kph.

When a helmet passes the tests, the manufacturer can then display the Snell logo on the helmet – as a sewn-in label an on the back of the helmet. However, that’s not the end of the process. Snell conducts random sample testing on the retail versions of each certified helmet by purchasing helmets throughout the manufacturing run of the helmet to ensure it continues to pass the tests. If samples fail, there are a number of steps Snell will take – from demanding the manufacturer remedies the product to full decertification of the helmet.

Snell and modular/flip-up helmets

Snell tests the chin bars on modular/flip-up helmets the same way as it does full face helmets and a helmet will fail the test if it ‘flips-up’ twice in the first impact test or once in the second test.

It’s unclear from their docs whether by ‘flips-up’ they really mean ‘unlocks’ like the SHARP test does or actually unlocking and opening the helmet. And unlike SHARP, their findings showing percentage of impacts the chin guard actually unlocks aren’t made public, which is a shame. But then again, they are a private organization and helmet makers do pay to put their helmets through Snell certification, so it’s entirely understandable.

Potential issues with Snell helmet testing?

Like any helmet testing regime, there are a few detractors of the Snell testing regime.

Firstly, there’s a slight question mark over some of the science behind their tests and opponents suggest that it doesn’t reflect real-world motorcycle accident data enough. They also suggest their testing can result in a M2020D helmet with a shell that’s simply too hard to effectively reduce the shock being passed through to the brain. Latest crash helmet design thought is that the helmet shell needs some flex in it to help it absorb the impact shock and stop it passing through to the skull and brain. Stopping shock passing through to the brain is very much one of the main objectives of an effective crash helmet. If a shell is too hard, it can’t help with absorbing shock and leaves only the EPS liner to do the job.

There’s also not much evidence that helmets are likely to suffer from penetration to the shell – one of the lab tests a Snell certified helmet has to undergo.

That said, there seems to be no doubt that Snell are entirely committed to improving crash helmet safety and are working hard to improve safety standards for helmet users. We’ll therefore leave you to make your own mind up as to whether you want to buy a Snell certified helmet and will simply report where a helmet is Snell certified.

We’ll also report where a helmet is SHARP tested and when it’s either DOT certified or ECE 22-05 approved. Reporting on all these schemes, we hope to provide our readers with the fullest view of how well each crash helmet will perform.

Here’s more information on The Snell Foundation or here for our analysis of SHARP testing data to find out more about how protective different types of helmet are along with lots of other useful information.

So you want to buy a new motorcycle helmet but you don’t know where to start?

Well fear not, Billy’s Crash Helmets is here with all the insight, information and intel you could possibly need to make finding and buying the right crash helmet to suit you, your bike and your riding style.

So here’s an FAQ to get you up to speed and link you to some of our excellent guides along the way.

Where do I start when thinking about buying a motorcycle helmet?

Well you could start with by thinking about what type of riding you do – commuting, touring or riding a sportsbike for example.

Or you could work to a budget and check out our cheapest helmets, mid-priced helmets or most expensive helmets.

You could even have a look at our Smartish Filters page where you can tick two or three helmet features you’re looking for and we’ll show you which helmets you ought to take a closer look at.

But aside from that, I suggest you look down this FAQ and see which features should be your biggest priority – such as safety or price or type of helmet. That’s a great starting point, and from there you can start to zoom in on the best helmets out there that’ll suit your particular needs.

Which is the safest motorcycle helmet?

All protective motorcycle helmets on sale in the US have to be DOT Certified – in Europe, the equivalent is ECE 22.05 tested and approved. If you go to a reputable store, all helmets on sale should be genuine, certified, and therefore give a good minimum level of protection.

Above that, in the US Snell safety tests some helmets (at the maker’s cost) and in Europe, SHARP independently safety tests helmets (at their own cost – it’s a state sponsored safety scheme).

Now you know that, you can visit our safest motorcycle crash helmets section to find all the highest rated SHARP safety tested helmets (and you can find even more information on how to buy the safest helmet here) and if a helmet’s been Snell certified you can visit our Snell Helmets page.

That’s a great place to start your helmet buying journey: find the safest helmets on the market then choose the right one from among those!

Which is the cheapest motorcycle helmet?

When a helmet’s for sale at the lower end of the price range – typically under $199 – then you’ll find them on our cheapest motorcycle helmets pages. You’ll find some great helmets in there too – because price isn’t necessarily a bullet proof guide to buying a great performing helmet.

You might want to visit our smartish filters page too – so you could tick the boxes for cheapest helmet and safest helmet (for example) to find lower priced helmets that also max out on protection.

Overall, the cheapest helmets are polycarbonate or thermoplastic helmets but only because they’re easier (and therefore cheaper) to make. Again, if you choose right, that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on safety either.

How much should I pay for a motorcycle helmet?

I’ll not say ‘how long’s a piece of string’ because that’s lame.

Decide what your budget is, what sort of helmet you want (a quiet helmet or a helmet for your sportsbike for example) then buy the right sort of helmet within your price range.

You can actually buy a excellent helmet that’ll really look after your head in an impact for under $100. But a top-flight (and hyper exclusive) track helmet can cost over a grand.

Are cheap helmets as good as expensive helmets?

They can be. Certainly, there are a couple of Snell approved helmets we’ve come across as well as a few SHARP 5 star rated helmets for less than $100 – either of these approvals will mean they’ve got exactly the same safety rating of the big boy brands made from carbon fiber. And of course they’ll all be DOT certified too.

Here’s loads more information about expensive v cheap crash helmets.

What fastener should my motorcycle helmet have?

D-ring fasteners are tried and tested and require the rider to adjust them every time (that’s a good thing by the way!). As long as they do that, they’re as safe as they come.

Micrometric fasteners are incredibly easy to use (so ideal for learners) – just make sure you readjust them at the main adjuster from time to time.

These are the two de-facto standard helmet fasteners you’ll find on all modern helmets.

Do I need to wear ear plugs with my motorcycle helmet?

Yep. If you’re going any sort of distance and you don’t want to damage your hearing, you really should.

All motorcycle helmets are pretty noisy places. Even though we have our quietest helmets page, noise is always relative. And if you’re riding any distance – especially if you’re riding at speed – we always recommend you use a good pair of ear plugs.

Handily we’ve done a review of the best motorcycle foam ear plugs.

What’s the best helmet for commuting?

Many full face helmets are great for commuting. So too are flip up helmets (sometimes called modular or system helmets).

To quickly find one that’ll work, we’d suggest three places to look.

First there’s our Commuting motorcycle helmets page.

Secondly, our top 10 full face helmets page.

And thirdly, our top 10 modular helmets page.

What’s the best helmet for a sportsbike?

Funny you should ask.

For a sportsbike, you need a nice big shield, vertically as well as horizontally to give you a good clear view of the road/track ahead when you’re tucked in and nailing it.

It needs to be mega comfy, have good ventilation, probably be light weight and have an anti-fog shield too.

Check our sportsbike helmet reviews and our motorcycle helmets for the track. You’ll find a few duplicates across the pages because many track helmets are excellent for general sportsbike riding too.

What’s the best helmet for a cruiser/naked/retro?

Tricky.

Lots of cruiser riders like half helmets or open face helmets – though we don’t review many of those because they’re inherently less safe the full face helmets.

You might want to find a nice retro helmet to go with your custom ride.

And there’s the occasional helmet released that they say is designed for cruisers – such as the Arai Defiant X (Renegade V in Europe) or for naked bikes such as the Shark Spartan.

But if you go for a sports touring helmet, you’ll probably find most work a treat with your cruiser/naked/retro bike as they’re designed to be all-rounders.

What’s the best helmet for touring motorcycles?

When we review a helmet that’s a great all rounder, we add it to our sports touring helmets pages.

There you’ll find lots of helmets with decent noise suppression, aero, visor with decent peripheral vision and lots of room for bluetooth communicators.

And as always, visit our Smartish Filters page and choose ‘sports touring’ along with another feature or two to zoom in on helmets that have all the features you’ve chosen.

Which is the best full face helmet?

Probably a helmet that’s great value, comes with a Pinlock anti-fog in the box, is quiet and comfortable.

To quickly find our highest rated full face helmets, you should head over to our top 10 full face helmets page.

Or jump here to see all our full face helmet reviews.

Which is the best modular/flip-up helmet?

And if you’re looking to quickly zoom in on the best modular helmets, take a trip over to our top 10 flip-front/modular helmets page.

Modulars can be a bit tricky because that chin bar can be a bit of a weak point. Thankfully, UK testers at SHARP rate how well those chin bars perform (and we mention it in the safety section of our reviews).

Other than that, you should look for the usual combo of comfort, great shield (probably with a sun visor) noise suppression (modulars can be very noisy places) and quick release shield with Pinlock antifog.

See all our modular helmet reviews here or visit our smart filters page to choose ‘flip-up & modular’ along with one or two other features you must have.

Other places for Motorcycle Crash Helmet buying Information?

There’s lots of guides and helmet reviews on this site if you have a nose around.

Try the homepage where we’ve scattered links to some of our most popular sections.

Or here’s a ton of our motorcycle crash helmets buying guides. Whatever your question or query about motorcycle helmets, a pound to a penny you’ll find your answer somewhere in there!

And if you don’t, you’re even more geeky about helmets than we are (and do let us know your question via comments section below). Cheers!