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Top 10: The Best Bell Helmets To Suit All Your Riding Needs!

Bell Helmets make some of the best lids on the market, but which ones are the best?

A Selection Of Bell Products

Bell Helmets make some of the sturdiest, most reliable, and most comfortable motorcycle helmets on the market. Over the last 60 years, the brand has built tough protective helmets for street racers, track racers, dirt racers and regular riders all over the world. While Bell Helmets are easily one of the most recognizable brands out there, they’re also one of the safest too – with a proven track record for ultimate protection, innovative design, and unparalleled quality. They just happen to be pretty damn cool lookin’ too. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite Bell helmets. These are the best of the best from the brand that offer the best protection, the best value for money, and the best comfort and aesthetic too. If you want to buy an all-American lid from Bell Helmets, choose one of these.

Top 10 Best Bell Helmets For All Riders

#10. Bell Qualifier DLX Blackout – $149.99

It’s cheap, it’s cheerful, it ticks all the right boxes, and it keeps your head safe. The Qualifier DLX Blackout is a new product for Bell Helmets, and it’s a great budget option – but it comes with a load of extra features too. Built around an aerodynamic, polycarbonate shell and lined with contour padded innards and moisture wicking textiles, this fully Snell and DOT certified helmet has also been built to accommodate Bluetooth technology, boasts an anti-fog, anti-scratch and UV protected shield, and weighs in at a mere 3.34 lbs. Not bad for a helmet with such a small price tag…especially when it comes with a five year warranty too. Consider the Qualifier DLX for a versatile and economical lid.

#09. Bell Custom 500 Chemical Candy Open Face – $159.95

Just because something is cheap, doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Next on our list, we’ve got the Bell Custom 500 Chemical Candy helmet, an open face lid which retails for a rather paltry $159.95.  Based around the already well-established and famous Custom 500 lid, this one is pretty much the same but with some very important upgrades. Now, the original Custom 500 is a great helmet but we’ve got this one on the list instead because it’s just better – and the price-raise isn’t that significant. Boasting a composite shell with a multi-density EPS liner, the upgraded version of the Custom 500 has a better fit than ever before that sits lower on the head, and gives you a smaller profile too. Naturally, this Bell Helmet also comes with DOT and ECE certification and a five year warranty.

#08. Bell Riot Open Face – $199.95

Essentially, what we have here is the Custom 500 (like the one mentioned above) but without all of the unnecessary retro styling. This is a helmet for the rider who want to have a good quality Bell helmet but doesn’t want to be pigeonholed into the “beard and coffee and Triumph Bonneville” clique. It’s essentially a modern version of the Custom 500…complete with a proper shield that you can miraculously lift up and down at your leisure. No more permanently “snapped on” face shield for you. Complete with an anti-bacterial liner, an anti-fog, anti-scratch and UV protected shield, and available in three colors too: black, matte black, and white. For $199.95, that’s a cheap, efficient and cool looking helmet.

#07. MX-9 Adventure MIPS RSD Helmet – $219.95

Next up, we have the Bell MX-9 adventure MIPS RSD helmet. The Bell MX-9 range of helmets consist of motocross helmets, but they’re built and designed for both on and off-road riders in mind. We’ve chosen this model because it has a great design, innovative technology, and a reasonable price point – not to mention that long-time Bell collaborator Roland Sands Design had a hand in putting this one together. First off, it’s a great versatile helmet ideally suited to those who ride on and off road regularly. It’s offers fantastic protection, decent ventilation, and all the usual comfort things like removable and washable linings etc.  Next, it comes with the MX-9 Adventure MIPS system – Multi-Directional Impact Protection System – which improves rotational impact energy displacement in the event of a fall. Finally, it looks pretty damn awesome too, thanks to the RSD design element. DOT and ECE certified, this is a great helmet to consider buying – if you can find one in stock that is, because it’s so popular that it sells out pretty fast. It’s excellent for dirt bike riders.

#06. Bell Moto-3 Stripes – $349.95

The Bell Moto-3 helmet is one of the most iconic full face helmets out there. This version, the Moto-3 Stripes, is a more modern representation of that classic lid. While it may look almost identical to its predecessors, this Bell helmet has been updated with modern materials and technology woven into the design. It’s now made of a modern fiberglass composite that provides ultimate protection without compromising that retro-cool look of the helmet. Equipped with an EPS liner, a fully removable and washable anti-microbial terrycloth interior, a snap on visor, and five years of warranty, this DOT and ECE certified helmet is a steal for the incredible price of $349.95. It’s a bit hip, we admit that. But Bell Helmets are always in fashion for one sub-culture or another…so it’s a sound investment, really.

#05. Bell Moto-3 RSD Malibu – $349.95

Essentially, this is exactly the same helmet as the one listed above, but this one has the added bonus of being designed by Roland Sands Design…and amazingly, Bell didn’t think to up the cost because of it. That’s something to be admired, actually, considering that anything with the RSD stamp of approval on it usually warrants an unnecessary price hike. We like this one a little bit more than the “Stripes” listed above for no other reason that the way it looks. It’s got a cool retro vibe that really makes it more of an objet d’art rather than a protective helmet…but we like it just the same. It comes highly recommended, as it’s one of the sexiest lookin’ motocross helmets that dirt bike riders could be seen wearing.

#04. Bell Star Classic Helmet – $399.96

If you can’t be doing with all of this retro and vintage nonsense and want something that looks a little more contemporary, then the Bell Star Classic helmet is one of the best full face helmets out there. It’s one of our favorite products from Bell Helmets and we’re not alone in that thinking. When the original Bell Star came on the scene, it revolutionized the idea of helmet safety… and this modern equivalent is no different. Armed with a smaller profile and greater aerodynamics, this is a helmet that will suit you if you’re into riding long distances. Built from a tri-matrix composite shell and lined with an X-static liner, the Bell Star Classic is one of the more comfy helmets we’ve reviewed, with thick cheek pads and great interior moisture wicking. This is also a great helmet for those who need to wear glasses under their helmet too – since it has been designed to accommodate a pair of frames. It’s Snell M2015 and DOT certified, and definitely well worth considering when you’re shopping for your next helmet.

#03. Bell Moto-9 Tagger – $399.95

The Star Classic might be the best Bell Helmets choice for long distance dirt bike riding, but what if you want one of the best full face helmets for thrashing through around the mountain trails? Well, if you’ve got to keep to a reasonable budget and if we had to choose a Bell Helmet that’s best suited for real trail riding that retails for under $400, we’d have to choose the Bell Moto-9 Tagger helmet. This is a pretty advanced helmet for the price, coming with the same tri-matrix shell mentioned above, but with some cool extras. Not only is it lightweight and easy to wear, it also comes with some cool helmet accessories, like a clever ventilation courtesy of the Velocity Flow Ventilation System, magnetic cheek pads for emergency removal (Magnefusion Emergency Removal System – MERS), a magnetic strap tidy, and a fully ventilated EPS liner. It’s Snell M2015 and DOT certified, and it’s easily one of the best Bell motorcycle helmet models currently on the market for dirt bike riders.

#02. Bullitt Carbon Chemical Candy Helmet – $599.95

This model is very much the pin up boy of the range – and for good reason: it’s a Bell carbon fiber helmet! To the untrained eye it might look like exactly the same helmet as the Custom 500 Chemical Candy helmet that came in at number 2 on our list, but it’s not. For a start, it’s much, much more expensive with a price tag of $599.95. It doesn’t cost more because it’s named after Steve McQueen’s Bullitt. It costs more because it’s made out of carbon fiber. Using a low-profile carbon composite shell twinned with a multi-density EPS liner, lined with micro-suede and leather, equipped with metal mesh, and re-enforced with 3D cut cheek pads that house speaker pockets, you can be sure that the Bell Bullitt Carbon helmet on your head is one of the safest in the Bell range. It’s retro, it’s cool, and it looks the part – but most importantly, this premium helmet is DOT and ECE certified, and promises to keep your head as safe as can be.

#01. Bell Moto-9 Flex Seven Series Rogue – $649.95

There’s no denying that the Bell Bullitt listed above is the most stylish helmet in the Bell moto helmet range, but style isn’t everything. The Bullitt offers great protection too. But again, that’s not everything. If you’re looking for a helmet that looks good, offers outstanding protection, and also gives you the benefit of versatility then you’ll be interested in the Bell Moto-9 Flex Seven Series Rogue helmet. It’s expensive with a price tag of $649.95, but it’s worth it in our opinion. This is one of the flagship motocross helmets from Bell Helmets – aimed specifically at dirt bike riders – and as such, it comes with all the trimmings. Equipped with a carbon shell and an industry-first three layer impact liner called “Progressive Layering Technology” that offers protection for three different kinds of impact, this helmet is ready for anything. Using three types of liner – Expanded Polyolefin (EPO), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), and Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) – this helmet can appropriately manage energy across a wide spectrum of crash scenarios.

On top of that, it comes with all of the best helmet accessories listed for the rest of the Bell Motorcycle Helmets range, including the Magnefusion systems, the intelligent ventilation systems, 3D cut cheek pads, removable anti-bacterial linings, and all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a premium helmet. If you hadn’t already guessed, this one is also Snell M2015 and DOT certified – which you should expect from a $649.95 helmet. It might be expensive, but it’s easily one of our favorite Bell helmets on the market. However, if you like riding at really high speeds, you’d probably be better off with something more like the Bullitt Carbon…or something without a visor on the top. Still, it’s one of the best Bell helmets for sale.

Bell Helmets Information

This is only a snapshot of our favorite Bell products. The company has a huge range of bike helmets on offer, from full face helmet models to open face helmets. They offer modular bike helmets for dual sport riders, small size open face helmets, full on motocross helmets for dirt bike enthusiasts, specialist auto racing protection, and a vast selection of helmet accessories too. They even do gift cards for those looking to send the perfect gift to a motorcyclist! On top of that, Bell has an incredible history of customer service, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with them if you have a query. One of the biggest questions we get asked is about Bell helmet sizing – so here’s a chart to help you all out. If in doubt, call customer service and they’ll give you the right measurements for your head size.





Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are Bell Helmets made in the USA?

A: Bell has manufacturing facilities in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Asia, and  Europe. Most Bell motorcycle helmets are manufactured at the company’s factory in Rantoul, Illinois. Genuine American made helmets are marked with a statement saying: “Assembled in the USA from components made in China and the USA.”





About Joe Appleton

Joe is a motorcycle industry veteran who has not only been paid for his words on the industry but also to throw a leg over a bike on the track. Besides riding, and occasionally crashing motorcycles, he also likes to build up older bikes in his garage in Germany. He says; "I like what I like but that certainly doesn’t make my opinion any more valid than yours…" We like Joe's educated opinion and hope you do too.

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