Do you like the way I've challenged you're NEED for a premium helmet right in the title..? (lol).
First things first, ALL HELMETS ARE SAFE as long as they have a DOT sticker. I've said it a thousand times, and it still holds true today. By the way, that's a DOT sticker ONLY helmet.
Arguing about safety standards is honestly a waste of breath. Simply, they're all good, and yes, there's always room for improvement. DONE.
Premium helmets like Arai are in a league all by themselves. Handmade, human tested (4 times in the case of Arai) and only the finest materials are used. Workable if budget isn't your only concern.
Explaining the difference between an entry level helmet, and one these beauties can be a challenge. Overcoming the cost difference is never a walk in the park. Plus, comfort is unique to everyone. Combine this with the lack of Dealers with a honest grasp of the basics, many feel lost.
Then comes the fitting process...
Have you ever put on something; a pair of shoes, jacket, and thought it was tailored to you, ALONE.
I like to use the custom golf club story. Lets say you play golf every weekend, and LOVE it. It's your passion. You're not bad; shooting in the low 90's. One day you show up at the course, and your buddy, who you typically beat, pounds you into the grass by 8 strokes. On the 19th hole you find out that he spent $500 having his clubs professional fitted by the ex-PGA guy, at the swanky club you can't bring yourself to play because of the high green fee's...
That $500 knocked 10 strokes off his game.
If you're a golfer, shooting a lower score is the ultimate, frustrating, goal of golf. Less strokes (lost balls) equals more fun. Those green fees start to look more and more affordable the lower your score drops...lol
How much more fun would you have on that 40 minute commute to work, multiday ride, or the annual cross country ride, if your helmet fit amazing? No more stops to "give your head a break". No more sick feeling when it comes time to put your helmet back on.
I've been there, and speak from experience.
Once you pull the trigger and buy a premium helmet, it (properly fitted) becomes part of the ride, in a positive way. You wear it because you WANT it on your head. Your thoughts are focused of how the helmet will save you from a bug strike, not how your head is going to ache in 30 minutes.
True comfort... for which many believe is as elusive as the lower golf score, is centered on shape. If you find a helmet is the correct shape, comfort will follow.
Comfort has more to do with SHAPE than size. A square head, in a round helmet will never be comfortable. Much like fitting a set of clubs involves more than adjusting the length of the shaft. The fitting pro will watch your swing, and adjust several angles to match. Like your head, your golf swing in unique.
Matching the shape of the helmet, directly to the shape of your head, dictates what SIZE you will wear. If your head is longer oval, and you stuff it into a bowling ball round helmet, your tendency is to go larger with the helmet to compensate for the shape mismatch. This is the WRONG approach, but unfortunately the norm.
Arai has always understood this, which is why they're the ONLY manufacturer who makes multiple shaped shells. Everyone else, one.
I've fit customers, who've insisted they were a size large, into small Arai's. How? I was able match their head shape perfectly with the Arai helmet, and in turn, fit them in a smaller helmet. Smaller helmets also equal less weight. Less weight, equals more comfort. Less helmet, less surface area. Less drag, less neck strain. Oh and if you combine these, it equals greater safety if you were to crash. Every additional ounce rolling in one directing is going to be tougher to stop.
Are Arai helmets for everyone? Lets face it, not everyone can afford an Arai helmet. Most of the customers I come into contact with have purchased other products in the past, and eventually found their way to my store. The number one reason? They're simply tired of being uncomfortable. Years of wearing entry level helmets effectively pushed them to opening their wallets a bit wider.
Personally, I think it's important to take this step. How else will you know how great you have it in an Arai, unless you go through those growing pains? Of course, there are those that want to start right at the top... A word of warning. Once you wear something thats comfortable, everything else will never live up...lol.
You're forever ruined and subjected to only premium stuff..
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