Commuting by bike is a specific job, especially in winter. These five helmets all have sun visors to eliminate time-consuming visor swaps, have Pinlock anti-mist capability and are available in high-viz colours.
Our top five commuter helmets are a mixture of full-face and flipfronts and all come in under £200 (in some cases, you’ll need to choose a plain colour to stay under the threshold).
If you’re particularly interested in flip-up helmets, click here for our guide to the best flips.
Nolan N87
Customer rating:
The N87 was voted a RiDE Magazine Best Buy and Sportsbikeshop customers love it too, giving it an average rating of 4.7 stars from the first 262 reviews. For less than £200, you receive a helmet with a four-star SHARP rating in two shell sizes – XXS-L/XL-3XL, that has an anti-fog treated drop-down sunvisor and a pre-installed Pinlock, which will both make commuting life significantly better than it would otherwise be.
Shark D-Skwal 2
Customer rating:
With an average of 4.9 stars from the first 49 reviews, many customers were happy with the snug and secure fit of the D-Skwal 2, which several customers noted also resulted in minimal wind noise. The D-Skwal 2 comes with a Pinlock Maxvision insert as standard, which several reviewers noted was easy to fit. The scratch-resistant internal sun visor provides protection from the low winter sun, with one reviewer happy with the coverage it provides.
Shark S900 Dual Special Edition - Matt Black
Customer rating:
Many of the first 373 customers to review the Shark S900 are extremely happy, resulting in an average score of 4.8 stars. Numerous reviewers mentioned the high quality feel of the helmet despite the price, and many were happy with how much wind noise the helmet keeps out. A small number of customers noted the internal sun visor could provide better coverage, so be sure to check you’re happy with this before you buy. Several customers noted this helmet is great for spectacle-wearers.
Caberg Duke II
Customer rating:
The Caberg Duke II is homologated as both a full face helmet and open face helmet with the chinbar raised. Many reviewers noted the easy to use flip-up mechanism, as well as the overall fit of the helmet. Overall, customers are pleased with the quality of the helmet, and many feels it has the quality of a more expensive helmet. The internal sun visor and included Pinlock insert will come in handy during the winter commute.
Scorpion EXO-490
Customer rating:
If you’re after a full-face helmet then you could do much worse than the Scorpion EXO 490, which has received an average of 4.9 stars from the first 53 reviews. Customers are happy with the comfort and quality of the helmet, with several also noting the good performance of the Pinlock in bad conditions. Customers are also happy with the ventilation, which does a good job on warmer days.