Schuberth C4 Basic, Pro and Pro Carbon Review.

The Schuberth C4 Basic and Pro are fiberglass flip-up helmets (Pro Carbon is full carbon fiber) that’s designed to work for both touring and sportsbike riders.

The C4 originally hit the market in the plain ole ‘Schuberth C4’ guise (no Pro or Basic then) and was designed to be a super slippery and compact, high quality and quiet modular helmet.

Which it kinda did and kinda didn’t. While the basics were OK, there were quite a few niggly problems which really shouldn’t have made it through Schuberth’s quality control.

These problems included a chin bar vent that was prone to breaking, a rubbish in-house version of a Pinlock that didn’t stop fogging and a communicator battery that could rattle loose.

But there were also quite a few other areas that Schuberth quickly identified needed improvement too.

In fact there’s a Schuberth document that itemises around 30 points of improvement from more comfortable comfort liner to deeper speakers and speaker pockets, improved internal shape, better glasses grooves, improved chinstrap padding – which have all been improved on the newer models.

That improved version is now called the C4 Basic – which should now have all those original niggles ironed out. And the Basic has been joined by the bluetooth-ready C4 Pro and Pro Carbon – you can see more info on the differences between the Basic, Pro and Pro Carbon helmets below.

As always, we do the research for you by scouring the internet’s forums, reviews, videos and comments to find out whether the Schuberth C4’s worth your hard earned money or if it’s a helmet you should avoid.

• Fiberglass modular helmet
• SHARP 3 star safety rated (C4 Basic ECE helmet)
  
• SHARP 4 star safety rated (C4 Pro ECE helmet)
• Drop down sun visor
• Large shield (vertically and horizontally)
• Genuine Pinlock anti-fog included
• Integrated aerial, mic & speakers (Pro)
• Micrometric fastener
• 3.6lbs (1.66Kg) average weight for a modular
• Sizes XS-XXXL
• 5 year warranty
• Expect to pay:
  • $900 (Pro Carbon)
  • $700-$800 (Pro)
  • $600-$700 (Basic)

Looking to buy a Schuberth C4?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth C4 helmets pages at our recommended store – checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Overall/Summary

The Schuberth C4 is a great looking modular helmet that’s designed for touring riders but with a sporty edge.

The first gen of C4’s dropped the ball and had a few niggles that made for a premium helmet that really wasn’t worth the money. The C4 Basic and Pro that replaced it have improved it in several areas and makes the latest Schuberth C4 a much better helmet.

It’s not perfect though. The ventilation could be better, the integrated comms unit in the C4 Pro ain’t the best. For safety reasons, the C4 Pro is the one to go for as an ECE Pro scored a SHARP 4 star rating for safety whereas the C4 Basic dropped a couple of stars when tested by SHARP (though the chin bar performed slightly better scoring 100% to the Pro’s 93%).

That said, it’s a nice compact helmet with an excellent shield system (with Pinlock and sun visor that work well), it’s comfortable and attenuates noise well for a modular helmet.

At this price, owners are (rightfully) demanding, and the slight inadequacies of the C4 range might be a deal breaker for some. In the real world though, no helmet’s perfect and while the C4 does have a chequered history, the latest versions are good helmets that the majority of owners find to be accomplished and stylish flip-up lids.

C4 Basic or Pro/Pro Carbon?

There’s Basic or Pro versions of the C4, plus there’s a carbon fiber version of the Pro.

The Pro is essentially the same helmet as the C4 Basic but with an integration for the Sena SC1 bluetooth headset. That means all the wiring’s pre-installed inside the helmet along with speakers and microphone (but not the controller unit itself which you’ll have to buy separately).

For more info, see ‘Comms Unit’ section below.

The C4 Pro Carbon is the same helmet as the Pro except it has a 100% carbon fiber shell that saves around 60g in weight (Schuberth’s own figures) over the fiberglass Pro.

Safety

Schuberth say the fabrication of their fiberglass shell, using a technique called DFP or direct fiber processing, makes for a much stronger shell. They also say their approach to producing an EPS or shock absorbing liner (which is now made in sections) will enhance shock absorption in different areas of the helmet.

Which is all fine and dandy – but does it work?

No DOT Schuberth C4 has been Snell certified yet, but the UK/ECE version of the fiberglass C4 Basic was tested by the SHARP helmet testing labs.

When they tested the old C3, it scored 3 stars (out of a possible 5) and the average score across all SHARP tested Schuberth helmets to date is also 3 stars.

So guess how well the C4 Basic did? Yep, it scored another 3 stars out of 5.

Overall, that’s a reasonable score – but certainly not the best. You can find our top 10 overall modular helmets here.

Having said that, more recently SHARP tested the C4 Pro and it nudged its way up to a 4/5 star rating.

Schuberth does make a noise about how compact (i.e. small) the C4’s helmet form is – which can get a distant alarm bell ringing because the smaller a helmet is, the less material there is to absorb shocks and stop it passing through to the rider. Which I guess may be reflected in the fact the C4 drops one or two stars.

That and the fact it’s only produced in 2 shell sizes which isn’t great for a premium price helmet.

Of course, SHARP also assesses how often that all-important chin guard unlocks during impact testing – because we all want it to stay locked and closed all the time, right?

The good news is that Schuberth modulars are usually very good here. Their average score across three tested helmets so far is 97% (two 97%’s for both the C3 and C3 Pro and a 100% for the now defunct C2) – and now the C4 Basic gets a perfect 100% rating and the C4 Pro a 93% rating.

So that should mean you can rely on the C4 Basic’s chin guard to stay in place should you have a spill – which is always very nice to know!

Onto the rest of the stuff that should help with safety; there’s a nice wide shield and drop-down sun shield for when the sun gets low.

And whereas the old C4 came with it’s own (pretty poor) version of a Pinlock, both the C4 Basics and Pro come with a pre-fitted Pinlock 120 antifog insert. So you should always have a clear, fog-free shield.

Helmet Noise

(more about helmet noise)

Schuberth has made efforts to make the shell of the C4 particularly compact and slippery – and they’ve also increased the internal padding and the thickness of the neck roll to help insulate the rider from external noise.

While modular helmets do tend to be noisier than full face helmets in general, it seems most riders do reckon Schuberth’s efforts have worked, as while there are a few riders saying it’s noisier than they expected, most owners do feel it’s a pretty quiet helmet.

Whether you’ll feel the same if you buy one, it’s difficult to say but overall it does seem it’s one of the quieter modular helmets out there.

Ventilation

The Schuberth C4 has a single chin and single crown vent.

The crown vent is opened by the 3-way slider above the vent and feeds air through channels in the shock absorbing lining, through the inner comfort lining and onto the scalp.

The chin vent takes air into the helmet and up onto the rear of the shield. Unusually, the chin vent is opened/closed by pressing the vent rather than sliding.

That’s a nice touch because I, for one, can never remember which way to move the slider to open or close it. So with the C4 you don’t need to!

On the first gen of C4 helmets though, the chin bar vent had a tendency to break. So it’s been uprated in the C4 Basic and Pro and is now more robust.

That’s all fine, but overall the venting system on the C4 leaves a bit to be desired. Owner’s opinions we came across range from ‘average’ to ‘very poor’.

The top vent does flow some air but not enough to really feel it circulating around your head unless you’re riding above 50mph. And the chin bar vent is particularly ineffective with several riders saying they can’t feel much breeze on the face or back of the shield ever.

So it’s probably a very good thing that it comes with a top-spec Pinlock to keep that shield clear.

Shield and Sun Visor

The main shield is designed to be as large as possible – both horizontally for improved peripheral vision – as well as vertically for good forward vision in a more sporty tuck position.

You can find other helmets with large shields if that’s something you’re particularly looking for right here.

It has a couple of opening tabs at the bottom edge of the shield with one on each side; which is exactly how most of us want them so you can open while riding along or while stationery and pulling the clutch in.

It’s also a class 1 optically correct shield so there shouldn’t be any distortion. And it comes pre-fitted with Pinlock’s most effective 120 insert. That’s a big step up from Schuberth’s own version of the Pinlock which apparently didn’t work very well on the original C4.

Overall, C4 owners say the shield system works well and gives a nice wide and deep view of the road ahead, so all good here.

The sun visor is operated using a slider to the bottom left edge of the helmet. The slider has a direct connection with the sun shield, meaning you can drop it down to any position you like rather than the fully-up or fully-down only some visors allow.

Again, we’ve not found any problems with sun visors on the Schuberth C4 and found several owners say it works just fine. So if you’re looking for a helmet with an integral sun visor that works well (and we highly recommend you do) then the C4 should fit the bill.

Schuberth C4 Pro: SC1 Integrated Communications

One of the big features of the C4 Pro and Pro Carbon is that fact that Schuberth have now integrated an aerial into the fabric of the helmet and have pre-installed both speakers and a microphone in there. So if you’re serious about your communicators, you’re probably very interested in the C4 Pro.

Schuberth has worked with bluetooth specialists Sena to develop the SC1 communicator for the C4 Pro (and R2) and designed the helmet to accommodate it.

There’s a couple of panels at the bottom rear of the helmet where the battery slots in place and another where the bluetooth sits. There’s also a companion app so you can configure the communicator and there’s an optional remote too.

That’s the good news. The not so good news is that many C4 Pro owners complain that the SC1 headset isn’t very good. Or at the least that it’s last-gen technology and most riders expect more from their headsets these days.

Yes, Schuberth has improved things from the old C4 where the battery could rattle loose and the microphone placement was so poor it picked up noise from the vents making conversations above 30 mph painful.

But there’s quite a few people saying the SC1 struggles to remember pairings and the buttons are hard to find and operate (amongst other things!).

Also, if you buy a Pro Carbon version it seems the carbon fiber shell interferes with the signal enough to cut the effective range down to about half a mile – which is a bit of an oversight!

There are some owners who say it works just fine (especially if you make sure you’ve got the latest firmware update which some say does really improve things) but if you’re buying a helmet with integrated comms – especially at this price point – many people probably want to install a decent latest gen headset?

Having said that, if you want to use a different headset with your helmet, then you can always opt for the C4 Basic which doesn’t come with pre-installed speakers/mic so you can fit your own.

Chin Guard

Schuberth have a very good record for producing helmets with a well designed chin guard in terms of staying locked and closed during impact testing.

The chin guard on the C4 is opened by a single central button. And while with some brands, that can mean it’s prone to open under impact, of all the modular ECE Schuberth helmets tested by SHARP so far, they’ve scored an impressive 98% average for the number of times the chin guards have remained locked.

And when tested by SHARP, the C4 was awarded a perfect 100% rating – meaning you should be able to rely on the chin guard on the C4 staying locked and closed in an accident. Job done.

Again, those SHARP tests are always done on ECE certified helmets (not US DOT) and Snell hasn’t certified any modulars so far so that data’s the best we’ve got. But it’s worth being aware as DOT helmets might perform differently.

Comfort & Sizing

The older version of the C4 was an intermediate oval shaped helmet. Which means it fits like most helmets on the market and should mean it’s comfortable for the vast majority of riders.

Word is that the reworked Basic and Pro helmets are slightly rounder fitment though – more like the fitment of previous Schuberth helmets.

Also, the old C4 used a fabric called ShinyTex. That was a material from a Chinese company that produces a range of fast-drying and antibacterial performance fabrics.

For the C4 Basic and Pro helmets that’s now been upgraded to a more comfortable CoolMax material. Again that’s both antibacterial and moisture wicking but it has a more comfortable nap to the surface.

Like the previous liner, it’s also Oeko-Tex 100 certified. That’s a certification that ensures fabrics aren’t harmful to the end user. So if you’ve a particularly sensitive skin, it might be a really handy feature.

All Schuberth C4 helmets come in sizes XS-XXXL and, providing you’ve a medium or slightly rounder shaped head, most owners say it’s a really comfortable helmet – and particularly comfortable since the liner upgrade.

And now that Schuberth has improved the glasses groove, it works well with glasses too, including when the sun visor’s down.

Looks & Graphics

At the time of writing, there’s a limited but classy range of graphics available for the C4 Basic. That’s a matt black or gloss white/silver.

For the C4 Pro, there’s a much wider range of fairly muted graphics – the Fragment, Magniutdo and Swipe designs, with most available in red, yellow or black versions.

For the C4 Pro Carbon, all have exposed checkerboard style carbon fiber but with simple overlaid graphics – in Fusion or Tempest designs.

As usual, you can see all the designs available at the time of writing up and down this page – but to check them all out in more detail, as well as any more recent releases and deals on the C4, click through directly to the Schuberth C4 helmets pages at our recommended retailers below.

Best places to buy a Schuberth C4 Helmet?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth C4 helmets pages at our recommended store – checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

Schuberth C4 Pro Video

Here’s an 8m look around the C4 Pro from Revzilla.

Other stuff – fasteners, weight, aero, build quality, warranty

All Schuberth C4s come with a micrometric fastener.

Weight varies a little between the models. The C4 pro carbon is around 1.6Kg with the C4 basic around 50g heavier and the C4 Pro 50g over that (because of the comms pack).

1.65Kg (3.6lbs) is about bang on average weight for a modular helmet so none of them are particularly light, though it does mean you shouldn’t have any issues with weight either.

Schuberth tests all of their helmets in a wind tunnel to ensure they’re slippery (so reduce buffeting) and aren’t too noisy.

And we came across several owners who said the aero is excellent. They cut through the wind nicely with very little lift or buffeting.

Build quality is another feature several owners rated highly. C4s feel well built and sturdily made and their fit and finish are widely praised.

And finally, all Schuberths come with a 5 year warranty – but make sure you register on their website to activate it.

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Good Alternatives to the Schuberth C4?

There’s plenty of good alternatives to the Schuberth C4. If you’re after a good quality flip-up helmet then take a look at these highly rated lids. Again, the SHARP ratings refer to the ECE tested helmet.

You should check out the SHARP 4 star rated Shark Evo One 2 – it’s dual homologated, with sun shield and is a fraction of the price of the C4.

The LS2 Valiant is another cheaper modular and, like the Shark above, its chin bar flips right around to the back of the helmet and out of the way. It’s SHARP 4 star rated and more suited to riders with a longer oval head shape than the C4.

Finally, if you want a modular that works best with a sportsbike, then the AGV Sport Modular might be best for you. It’s a full carbon fiber SHARP 4 star safety rated helmet with sun shield, optically correct shield and Pinlock included.

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Looking to buy a Schuberth C4?

Please click below to visit the Schuberth C4 helmets pages at our recommended store – checked for great online ratings. And if you buy from them, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).

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Star Ratings