Best Helmet for Motorcycle Passenger

I received an email requesting the best helmet for motorcycle passenger. Well, when you start picking up people, it is important to have a passenger helmet; you can’t give out your helmet to passengers while going bare head. What if…? Of course, motorcycles crash unexpectedly!

The email message reads:

I have been riding motorcycles going to 3 years, and it has been a great experience. Now, I feel I have the experience to ride people home from school, events, etc. For a while, they’ve had to use my helmet, while I go bare. I know it’s not smart to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, so recommend the best passenger helmet to use. Most male passengers have their helmets, but the females never do. Thanks.

Does a passenger on a motorcycle need a helmet?

Yes. A passenger on a motorcycle needs a helmet for head protection during a crash (why would anyone ask this in the first place?). In some states, 21+ or older passengers are allowed to ride on motorcycles without a helmet. Regarding the rider, 18 states and the District of Columbia, however, have universal motorcycle helmet laws that require all riders to wear helmets.

Read: Is heavy motorcycle harder to ride?

Best Helmet for Motorcycle Passenger

best helmet for motorcycle passenger

This compilation is based on personal use and other consumers’ preference. I’m not any manufacturer’s

cheerleader going about recommending bad products that put a rider’s safety on the line. Anyways…

Below are the best helmets for motorcycle passengers:

  1. ILM Half Helmet

I bought this affordable half-face helmet after my pack was stolen, including a passenger helmet and gloves. I still had mine on though, but can’t afford to gamble with passengers riding on the bike bare.

This helmet makes the passenger’s chick look b*da*s. It comes with flip-down (slide-down) sun goggles. You can also remove it if you want and they are quite awesome. It also comes with a quick-release button.

If your passenger has eyeglasses, they can wear them under. This passenger helmet tends to give that distressed and pre-scuffed look anyway—and you don’t have to worry about the first scratch.

What I don’t really like

Overall, it’s excellent on passengers but feels a little loose, though the passenger’s bandana will help. The size is true—however, the mediums are a tiny bit loose on passengers with smaller heads and the small ones tend to cause headaches.

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  1. ILM Full Face Motorcycle Helmet

I’ll be very clear with this review. Before getting this helmet for my bike’s passenger, I had a 1Storm helmet with an awesome design, and the shape of the helmet feels like an extraterrestrial ride around the bike. I used this for some weeks before switching to my primary helmet.

Asked my biker friend who rode on the bike and his review was no different from mine. I got the matte black and had the tinted visor installed. Honestly, it feels so sick for just around $60.

What I like

  • The inside is soft
  • It has a quick-release strap
  • Breathable on the inside and does not feel sweaty (even in Arizona heat).
  • The finish and design are near perfections

When I say “tinted visor” I mean “really tinted” and not one of those silly smoke colors everyone sells. If you stay in scorching Arizona, you’ll agree that “sunny weather is not fit for rides”. With this helmet, however, once your passenger drops down that tinted visor, they forget it’s sunny.

You’d think a dark visor reduces visibility, especially in the evenings. That’s not the case here—the vision is HD-clear and not dark on the inside at all.

What I don’t like

You may like it but I think the zipper idea is off for passengers. It doesn’t feel like any passenger would feel comfy with a zipper around the base of their neck. Nonetheless, the zipper is discreet and not bad at all.

Speaking about the price, this is super cheap for what it does. However, just make sure you don’t drop it, or else you’ll have to buy 1-3 each year.

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Meanwhile, you might be interested in how to recover an impounded dirt bike.

  1. AHR Motorcycle Dual Visor Modular Full Face Helmet

Normally, you’d pay more for Arai and Shoei helmets, which cost about $1,000+. But a DOT-rated passenger helmet at an even lower price does more of the same job!

Let’s face it—a rider’s head is saved by the foam lining in a motorcycle helmet. Besides, any helmet is done after one crash. The thumb rule is to replace your helmet every 5-10 years. You probably won’t do that with a thousand-dollar helmet.

This passenger helmet is sturdy and light and fits well. It feels a little hard around the edges on the forehead at first but it gradually feels comfortable after a few days of use. It also comes with an integrated sun visor and an easy-release chin strap.

What I don’t like

It seems the rubber breath shield falls out often. Contacted AHR for a replacement. Also, there’s no D-ring for locking this on the bike due to its quick-release chin strap—you’ll still prefer the quick-release though.

Overall, it has everything your passenger needs in a helmet and is highly recommended. One more thing: the XL is a little tight, but still wearable. If your most frequent passenger has a bigger head, look elsewhere but this is okay for everyone else.

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  1. LS2 Helmets

For its price, this is the best helmet for your money. If you’re legally blind and have Coke bottle glasses, they will fit underneath the glasses shield perfectly.

A passenger can see clearer with these as it has really HD-clear lens. Everything else about this helmet feels rad. It’s light and has no mushroom head compared to other DOT-rated half caps.

I could go on and on but even if you’re looking at a bike helmet that fits your passengers. This is a great buy and affordable. It also comes in children’s and youth sizes.

However, if you’re going to ride next to cars, you are better off with a DOT-rated helmet, especially if children ride on your motorcycle most of the time.

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  1. ScorpionEXO EXO-AT950 Helmet

I bought the matte black GLX of this helmet as a gift for someone based on reviews, and not necessarily the price. I prefer to buy more than one brand for the sake of, you know, testing out.

And as for the price, let’s be honest, we’re preparing for that slide or drop. So far, the review is positive and it comes right out of the premium packaging.

Handling it feels really lightweight and it’s quite durable. The fitment is a comfortable snug fit. There are that ventilation shafts a passenger can manually open and close. It also comes with a quick-release strap and two visors (a black visor and a clear visor).

Is it DOT approved? Yes! You’ll even find the DOT-approved sticker at the rear of the helmet.

If your most frequent passenger has a decent-sized coconut head, go with the XL—it fits snugly but really comfortable.

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  1. GLX GX11 Compact Street Bike Helmet

I’ll be a little detailed here. First, this helmet is quite decent out of the box. The build feels solid and premium for a 100-dollar helmet. However, the helmet instructions seem a little vague—the manufacturer should work on it.

The visor flips easily but a passenger will access the tab to lift on the left (that is the clutch side) which can be a bit of a problem.

The chin bar is easy to remove and install, you can do this even without removing the helmet. Let’s talk about the quick release! It’s just “nice”. It has a snug fit and runs small. The XL fits as snugly as an L from an AFX or Scorpion helmet. As with the rule of thumb, buy the size that will fit your most frequent passenger.

Speaking of the foam, it feels really solid and the liner is even softer. The ride impressions feel decent and going fast is not a problem for the passenger. However, the wind noise when you exceed 40 mph is not the best but this helmet is really stable at speed, even with the peak visor.

Speaking of the lens, it’s crystal clear like most reliable helmets with excellent visibility, even in the evenings. It’s also easy to wipe with your glove.

One downside I’ll like to point out is that this leaves no ear room for a speaker. Getting glasses on is not also very comfy but not bad anyways.

Overall, this is a great buy for the money and saves you more hundred bucks over a Shark or Scorpion helmet for your passenger.

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Passenger Motorcycle Helmet Standards

In Europe, it’s ECE 22.05 legal road helmet to get a passenger. There is also the SHARP rating scheme and helmet test. If you’re frequently on tracks with your passenger, the helmet should be ACU Gold approved. You can include a fitting full-face lid and necessary gloves at £150 if you reside in the UK.

The US has its certification; DOT approval. DOT is a baseline and may not be as great as other standards, but DOT-approved helmets have saved lots of lives. DOT can be self-administered.

Many helmets are DOT-approved but would still be great regardless of the DOT stamp.

What Helmet Should You Get a Passenger?

A standard quality helmet, between 100-150, is OK for a passenger. Moreover, consider a helmet with a flip-down visor to protect against the sun.

Depending on your most frequent passengers, get between a small and medium helmet. Bigger helmets can cause headaches, especially if the motorcycle crashes.

What to Look for When Buying Passenger Helmet

Consider the following when buying a passenger helmet:

  1. Flip Up/Down

If your passengers fancy wind on their faces, get a helmet you can flip up/down. It also makes communication easier, especially when the passenger makes/receives a phone call with the helmet on.

Compared to full-face helmets, flip-ups are a bit noisier and heavier.

  1. Visor

Get a passenger helmet that is pin lock-ready with a wide aperture. Moreover, the visor should be quick-change for cleaning to be easier.

  1. Ventilation

Modern helmets are designed for ventilation. Get a helmet with two forehead vents, a chin vent, and an exhaust vent to draw air in/over the scalp.

Ensure that the front vent is closable. Furthermore, the chin bar vent should pull enormous air across the visor to demist the passenger helmet.

  1. Chin Strap

If you go on track day with a passenger, get a crash helmet with a double-d ring fastener. They are ACU approved, and you may add the ACU hold sticker on the back.

D-strings are easy to use; however, kick micrometric fasteners are the trend.

  1. SHARP Rating

You can get a SHARP-rated helmet for a passenger to keep their skull intact during a crash.

Final Thoughts

Understand that the best helmet for motorcycle passenger is the bare minimum requirement for safety. Also, if the helmet does not fit your passenger, it isn’t protective enough. Thus, as per the rule of thumb, buy a helmet according to the head shape of your most frequent passengers.

The best practice is not to haul passengers on your motorcycle without a full set of gear. Passengers also require gloves to protect their hands because hands are the first part a passenger sticks out in a crash.

You can strap the passenger helmet to your motorcycle. If it’s an open face, leave it tied down; it’s better than no helmet. If a particular person rides on your motorcycle often, consider getting a sizeable helmet for them.

Meanwhile, if you ever feel like hijacking a motorcycle with your passenger, you might be interested in how motorcycles are stolen.

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