Shoei is the most trusted helmet brand by Australians, according to the 2018 Canstar Blue survey of almost 500 riders.
The customer satisfaction research and ratings business found Shoei topped the ratings for the third year in a row. In 2015, the first year of Canstar Blue ratings, Nolan won and Shoei was a lowly sixth.
The ratings compare motorcycle helmet brands on factors including durability, safety, comfort/fit, ease of cleaning additional non-safety features, style/design, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
Shoei was followed by Arai, AGV, Shark, Bell and Fox.
These were the only brands mentioned as they must receive a minimum of 30 responses to be included in the ratings. Previous ratings have included up to eight different brands.
Canstar Blue says this year’s survey found that durability, vision and comfort/fit are the greatest drivers of satisfaction for consumers.
The company has also rated motorcycles, gloves, jackets, boots and tyres. Click on the relevant item to read our report.
Trusted brand
Shoei won every segment with a full five stars, except for value for money which was won by Arai.
That’s interesting considering Arai is not a cheap brand, so riders obviously value their head more than their hip pocket.
Yet, the average spend on a new helmet is $321 and we could not find a single full-face Arai helmet that costs less than $550. Even their open-face helmets cost more than $321.
There was no rating for safety.
However, riders can view safety ratings for many helmets by checking the NSW Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets CRASH or the British helmet safety scheme SHARP.
Our assessment of comprehensive SHARP results found Shark rated highest in safety, followed by AGV.
While surveys and ratings are important information to consider, riders should try on a helmet to see if it is comfortable and fits them properly.
For this reason, we do not recommend buying a helmet online.
Remember, every rider’s head is a different shape and helmets also have different shapes that present varied pressure points.
In fact, the Canstar Blue Survey found that 8% of riders bought a helmet that didn’t fit properly.
Survey results
The Canstar Blue survey also found some surprising results about riders’ use of helmets:
- 8% have ridden without a helmet on open rads;
- 5% don’t wear a helmet when riding on private property.
- 12% attach addition features such as Bluetooth intercom units;
- 15% attach a camera to their helmet;
- 11% get a headache from wearing a helmet too long; and
- 27% believe a helmet saved them from serious injury.