Sometimes I think one reason why most of us prefer going through the trouble of playing hide and seek with the traffic police instead of just wearing the helmet and opting for a safe way is that most of us don’t care to find the perfect helmet for our head.
Instead, we just grab the nearest and the cheapest we find by the road, just to stay away from the fines we dread.
And then we end up with a helmet that’s way too big or way too small or just not right for us and constantly hurting our heads, leaving us with a sore neck and jaws that could hurt after a long ride.
Know that this can have long-term effects too, becoming a cause for migraines and other harmful effects that we don’t want for you.
And this is why we decided to put down this article to help you find the right helmets, making helmets more of a help than a painful punishment making you long to get it off your head.
Table of Contents
Know Your Head
This way, you will come closer to determining the kind of features you would want to look for in your helmet.
The right helmet is one that comes with a snug fit, which is neither too tight to be a source of pain on your head nor too loose to be a nuisance, making you conscious each time you shake your head.
So, the secret here is to find a helmet that is designed to fit your head snugly and at the same time, leave you with the right amount of wiggle room so you are not suffocating in it. And with the number of brands and models out there, we know how this can be a challenge.
Helmets are usually in one of the three shapes: round, intermediate and oval, and this is because most heads come in either of the three shapes.
So, now what’s left for you is to find out what your head shape is. That said, make sure that you’re doing it the right way. The idea is to have a look at the crown, the top of your head, and not the rest of your head as a whole.
A look in the mirror will tell you what it is, and if you are still finding it hard, just go ahead and ask a friend.
Okay, let’s be honest. This is not entirely easy, and so one of the best ways to find out is to try out all three kinds of helmets and as many helmets as you can check before you end up with your perfect helmet.
1. Round Oval
I’ll be honest again. Those with heads in this shape will have some difficulty in finding the right helmet. While some helmets fit well on the sides, they may be too tight or loose at the temples and vice versa.
And yet, getting a helmet that is not right for your round head is going to give you a hard time as you are going to constantly face a kind of tightness at your temples that you are not going to like.
2. Intermediate Oval
Now, if you are someone with a head in this shape, you have no excuse to not find your own comfortable helmet as a lot of helmets out there are manufactured today keeping your kind of head in mind.
This, as the name suggests, is an oval shape, with the length of the head being a little more than its width.
You have the most common head shape and thanks to that, you have no problem finding the right helmet that suits your head and your budget. Go get one for yourself today.
3. Long Oval
And finally, we have the ones that I pity the most, the ones who are actually going to have a hard time finding the right helmet, those with the long oval heads.
These are characterized by an exaggerated oval, leaving such a person with a hard time finding the right helmet that fits his head.
If this is you, Arai has some helmets in various sizes, so you could browse through the collection there and you will definitely find the right one.
The Breaking-In
So, now do you know why you always hated having a helmet till now on your head? Even then, note that if your helmet is a little tight for the first time, then it’s not a great cause for worry.
You are in the breaking-in stage and will need to give it a few days. It will loosen in time, becoming the friend you need to protect your head.
You see every rider needs to do some breaking-in. While horse riders break in their horses, you break in your helmet, which is much easier.
And that’s why we say, don’t wear your friend’s helmet. It would have been broken in to suit the shape of his head and thus would not be the ideal helmet to fit your head.
The idea is to always have your own helmet that you have found for your head and carry it with you when you know you are going to be needing it. A little load on the way is always better than a ride with a big uncomfortable helmet that belongs to someone else on your head.
A Few Last Words Before You Zoom Off
Finding a helmet that is a pleasure to keep on your head takes effort and time and you must be willing to put in both of these, because, at the end of the day, both you and I know that a helmet is quite an investment and you wouldn’t want to be throwing away your money on a couple of them till you find the one that fits your head. Right?
And apart from this, don’t forget to also look out for some useful features like a comfortable chin strap, soft padding and so on, based on the kind of rides you go on and what your needs are.
With that, we hope you got to know all you wanted to and that you soon find the right helmet to accompany you on all your rides and protect your head.
