With so many crash helmets available, it’s hard to decide which is the best. Does the American Bell helmet offer all of the protection a European helmet gives?
Bell motorcycles make great helmets and have the same DOT or Snell certification required for helmets when riding a motorcycle. Bell has been manufacturing helmets for 50 years and has innovated rider comfort and safety design.
Is Bell a good motorbike helmet?
What constitutes a good helmet? All motorcycle helmets must comply with rigorous testing to be accredited with the required DOT and Snell certification for comfort and protection.
But Bell goes beyond accreditation standards and considers the rider’s comfort and design features.
Take the Bell Qualifier helmet. The visor is anti-scratch, anti-fog, and photochromic to tint, automatically reducing eye strain for the rider.
In the UK, it’s ok to wear sunglasses, but you will know the sun is bright one moment and then vanishes behind a cloud the next minute, which could be hazardous to the rider if wearing dark glasses.
The photochromatic visor is only one innovation in a range of well-priced helmets from Bell.
Are Bell Helmets safe?
The criteria for selling a helmet for road use are very strict; the bar is set high when protecting the rider’s skull. Bell helmets meet all of the accreditation standards.
Bell helmets are used off-road and are the preferred helmet for many motocross riders due to the design attributes of the helmet.
A motocross helmet needs to be tough to deal with flying debris and offer an amount of protection required for such a rugged sport. Again, Bell helmets meet the required accreditation standards.
It’s a fact that Bell has the highest score for safety across all 15 accreditation standards. That is a remarkable achievement.
Don’t be under any illusion when you check the leaderboard for the safest helmets. Bell is a top contender, and you should know the aesthetics of Japanese helmets are not going to save you in an accident.
Who makes Bell motorcycle helmets?
It is fair to say that Bell does have some of their helmets made under license in China, as do all the other helmet manufacturers for commercial reasons.
However, Bell does have its manufacturing facility in Illinois, USA. It would be reasonable to guess that the more traditional US helmets are manufactured at the Illinois facility.
Regardless of what country the helmet is made, the helmet still has to be tested before receiving accreditation as being safe.
How long does a Bell helmet last?
All helmets have an end of life date, 5 years after buying the helmet. Helmets are said to degrade over time from being in the elements such as UV light which is known to reduce the effectiveness of adhesives and some polymers.
It goes without saying if you have an accident, you need to replace the helmets without delay. Dropping the helmet can cause hairline fractures, and the helmet needs to be replaced.