The Best Motorcycle Helmets for Beginners Under $500

About Our Selections

When it comes to recommending gear, we consider everything from safety certifications to ease of changing out a visor, and everything in between. To make it on this list, a helmet has to provide the best protection for its price above all else, with considerations given to ventilation, head shape, weight, and the like.

However, there is no "magic formula" that definitively says "Buy this helmet and disregard the rest." These selections are made with educated opinions, sometimes even on-head time with a review, but the best way to find which helmet works for you is to head down to your local gear shop and try a few on.

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HJC i10

One of the best budget helmets out there. Period.

Bell Custom 500

The latest evolution of the helmet that started it all

HJC RPHA 71

A helmet that is a jack of all trades in the full face marketplace

Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS

One of the best ADV helmets for years, now improved with MIPS

Scorpion EXO-AT960

A superb modular ADV helmet that Scorpion sells at an unbelievably low price, now evolved for 2023

Bitwell Gringo SV

A classic style helmet with way more protection than any classic helmet could provide

Bell Bullitt

Modern day materials and protection, 1960s style aesthetic for cafe racers means one seriously retro helmet

EVS T5

It may seem "cheap," but intelligent use of materials and superb protection make this helmet an amazing bargain

HJC C91

Straight to the point, no fuss, no frills, just a superb budget friendly modular helmet that gets the job done

Shoei RF-SR

Put simply, one of the best value, safest, most advanced helmets under $500 in 2023