The first decision is the type of helmet, not the brand: an adventure helmet with a peak and goggle room, a modular that flips open, or a full-face for mostly highway riding. The second is fit, which matters more than any spec on this page.
This guide compares six helmets across those types, from the $250 Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS to the $890 Arai Tour-X5, explains what ECE 22.06 changed (and what it didn’t), and covers how to check fit. None was tested by us; specs come from the makers and retailers, judgements from reviews and owner reports.
Why ADV Helmets Are Different from Road Helmets
A pure road helmet is engineered for highway speeds, aerodynamic stability, and noise reduction. An adventure helmet adds three requirements: compatibility with motocross goggles, a peak/visor that shades the eyes off-road, and ventilation that works at low speeds (because off-road riders spend a lot of time below 30 km/h / 19 mph).
The trade-off: the peak creates lift at high speed, the goggle channel adds turbulence, and the ventilation that helps off-road also makes the helmet noisier on the highway.
That last point is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a comfort footnote. Research measuring the motorcyclist’s acoustic environment found wind noise becoming the dominant sound source at around 40 mph and climbing steeply from there, and acoustics consultants put the improvement available from helmet-side fixes at only a handful of decibels — which is why no helmet on this page is hearing protection, and why a good pair of earplugs matters more than picking the quietest lid.
ECE 22.06: The Standard That Now Matters
ECE 22.06 was published in June 2020 to replace ECE 22.05, and manufacturers could begin approving helmets to it from January 2021. The date that actually matters to a buyer is January 2024: since then, a manufacturer can only obtain approval for a new design under 22.06. By 2026, almost every premium new helmet carries it. The new standard tests:
Impacts at higher and lower energies, not just one speed. Rotational acceleration (closely linked to traumatic brain injury). More impact points across the shell. Visor optical quality and abrasion resistance.
What that rule did not do is empty the shelves of 22.05 helmets. The UK government’s SHARP programme states plainly that ECE R22-05 helmets remain compliant, offer excellent protection, that riders do not need to rush out and replace one, and that they are still available in shops. So the practical takeaway has two halves: a 22.06 helmet is the better default for a new purchase, and a 22.05 helmet at a genuinely large discount is a considered trade rather than an unsafe one. Since discounted stock skews heavily toward the older standard, that distinction matters most in a sale — helmet and intercom deals covers how to tell which one you are being offered.
The Shoei Hornet ADV was the long-running exception here, staying on 22.05 while the rest of the premium field moved. Its replacement, the Hornet ADV 06, arrived in mid-2026 with ECE 22.06 approval and revised internals, at a UK list price starting around £529.99 for plain colours. One caveat if you take a large size: it launched in XS to L, because the biggest sizes needed an entirely new shell to meet 22.06 and were not part of that first release. If you wear XL or XXL, check availability before you plan around it.
DOT certification (the US standard) is less demanding than ECE 22.06, with no rotational test, so it shouldn’t be the only safety check on a serious helmet purchase.
Full-Face vs Modular vs Adventure Style: Which for You?
Full-face: best protection, best aerodynamics, lightest weight in any given price bracket. Best for highway-focused riders and aggressive off-road riders who don’t need goggle compatibility.
Modular (flip-up): best for touring riders who do long days with frequent stops. Open the chin bar at fuel stops, eat without removing the helmet, talk to people without shouting. Slightly heavier and slightly less protective than equivalent full-face designs, but the convenience is real.
Adventure-style: best for genuine off-road riders. Peak shades the eyes, goggle compatibility lets you wear MX goggles in dust, low-speed ventilation works when you’re at walking pace. At highway speed the peak catches the air: Arai’s own XD-5 manual says its peak is not suitable for high-speed use and tells owners to work out, starting slowly, the speed at which it should come off. That’s a real downside for highway-heavy riders, and our windshield buffeting guide covers where it fits in.
Riders who can afford it often own two: an adventure helmet for dirt days and a modular for touring. If you’re buying one helmet to do everything, the adventure-style is the more flexible choice for true mixed-surface riding.
The Six Helmets
Six options that cover the price and use-case spectrum. Published weights vary by size and by source, so we only quote one where the maker or several retailers agree; most full-size ADV and modular helmets land somewhere around 1.5-1.8 kg, and the carbon Krios Pro is at the light end.
- Arai Tour-X5 / XD-5: premium ADV, ECE 22.06, intermediate oval fit
- Klim Krios Pro: carbon ADV with a Koroyd liner (about 1,450-1,540 g)
- Shoei Neotec 3: Shoei’s premium modular for touring
- Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS: the budget ADV pick
- Nexx X.Vilijord: a modular with an ADV peak
- HJC RPHA 91: the value modular
1. Arai Tour-X5 (XD-5 in US)
The benchmark adventure helmet. Around $890. ECE 22.06 certified. Hand-finished shell, intermediate oval fit, and a peak and goggle port designed together. The build quality and Arai’s consistency of fit are what you’re paying for.
The fit is famously head-shape specific. If you’re not an intermediate oval, the XD-5 will give you hot spots. Try it on. The Arai dealer experience is the right way to buy this helmet.
Disclosure: some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Shop Arai Tour-X5 / XD-5 on Amazon →
2. Klim Krios Pro
Around $879. Carbon fibre shell with a Koroyd energy-absorbing core, ECE 22.06 and DOT certified. Retailers list it at roughly 1,450-1,540 g depending on size, which is light for a full ADV helmet. Designed specifically for riders who split time between pavement and dirt.
The fit runs slightly more intermediate-to-long-oval than the Arai. The low weight and the Koroyd liner are the reasons to pay for it: on a long day, less weight on your head is less work for your neck, especially standing on the pegs off-road.
The Krios Pro isn’t sold on Amazon US, so there’s no button here. Buy it from Klim directly or from a Klim dealer, which is also where you can try it on before you commit.
3. Shoei Neotec 3
Shoei’s flagship modular. Around $799. ECE 22.06. Internal sun visor, intercom-ready, and pitched by Shoei on quietness to rival its full-faces. Like any modular it carries extra weight in the chin-bar mechanism, which the touring features earn back on long highway days.
Not an off-road helmet. No peak, no goggle compatibility. For riders whose ADV time is 80% pavement, the Neotec 3 is often a better choice than a true adventure helmet.
Shop Shoei Neotec 3 on Amazon →
4. Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS
Around $250. Sold in ECE 22.06 and DOT versions, MIPS-equipped. Bell’s intermediate oval shell suits the most common head shape, which makes it an easy helmet to recommend before you’ve tried anything on — but try it on anyway.
The materials are less refined than the premium helmets and the polycarbonate shell is no lighter than they are. But the certification and the rotational-impact system are the same kind you pay far more for elsewhere, which makes it the sensible first ADV helmet.
Shop Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS on Amazon →
5. Nexx X.Vilijord
Around $550. One of a handful of modular helmets with an ADV peak (Schuberth’s E2 is another): the chin bar flips up like a touring modular, but the helmet keeps the peak and goggle compatibility.
The trade-offs of a modular show up in weight, noise and aerodynamics. For riders who want one helmet that handles long touring days plus occasional off-road, the X.Vilijord is one of the few options that doesn’t force a choice.
Shop Nexx X.Vilijord on Amazon →
6. HJC RPHA 91
Around $499. Modular touring helmet, ECE 22.06, internal sun visor, intercom-ready. Effectively a value alternative to the Shoei Neotec at about 60% of the price.
Shoei’s finish is generally rated higher, but both carry ECE 22.06. For riders who don’t want to spend $800 on a modular, the RPHA 91 is the right pick.
Fit First: Why This Matters More Than the Brand
A helmet that fits poorly is dangerous, distracting, and short-lived. The right approach:
Try the helmet on in person before buying. Walk into a dealer with at least an hour to spend. Try multiple sizes in multiple shapes. Wear each helmet for at least 15 minutes. The pressure points that develop over time don’t show up in the first 30 seconds.
The three head shape categories:
Round oval: short front-to-back, wide side-to-side.
Intermediate oval: slightly longer front-to-back than round; the shape most helmet makers centre their ranges on.
Long oval: noticeably longer front-to-back.
Shapes vary between models from the same maker, so check the manufacturer’s fit guidance for the specific helmet rather than assuming a brand fits one way, and confirm it on your own head.
A $700 Arai that doesn’t match your head shape is worse than a $200 Bell that fits perfectly. Brand snobbery in helmet purchasing is how people end up with expensive headaches.
Intercom Compatibility
For 2026, intercom compatibility is a baseline requirement for any touring helmet purchase. The Cardo Packtalk Edge and Sena 50S are the two dominant systems and both have published integration lists for major helmet brands. If it is Sena you are leaning towards, which Sena to buy separates the models that are genuinely different from the ones that only look it.
Modular helmets generally have better speaker pockets and chinstrap routing for intercoms. Adventure helmets with peaks can be more finicky for action camera mounting because of the curved shell geometry.
For deeper comparison of the intercoms themselves, see our best motorcycle intercom systems guide.
Who Should Buy What
You ride 80% pavement with occasional dirt: Shoei Neotec 3 or HJC RPHA 91. The modular convenience earns its weight back on long highway days.
You ride 50/50 pavement and dirt: Klim Krios Pro or Arai XD-5. The dedicated ADV design is the right tool.
You ride 80% dirt with occasional highway: Klim Krios Pro or Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS. The off-road ventilation and goggle compatibility matter.
You’re buying your first serious ADV helmet on a budget: Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS. Real protection, real ventilation, $250.
You want one helmet to do everything: Nexx X.Vilijord, the closest thing to it, at the cost of some weight and noise.
Related Guides
Shopping a sale rather than buying at list? Helmet and intercom deals covers what a discounted helmet is actually giving you — including how to tell a colourway clearance from older-certification stock, and why the discounted sizes are the ones nobody wanted.
For helmet-related accessories, see our best motorcycle intercom systems guide, the best motorcycle & helmet action cameras comparison, the Klim Badlands Pro jacket review, and the matching best adventure motorcycle gloves roundup.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. If you buy gear through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes a recommendation, and nothing here is sponsored.
A note on the prices: these are indicative US retail figures as of August 2026, not live quotes. Gear pricing moves constantly and varies by region and retailer — the figure on the linked product page is always the one that counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ECE 22.06 and why does it matter for adventure helmets in 2026?
ECE 22.06 is the current European helmet safety standard, published in June 2020 to replace ECE 22.05, with new approvals available from January 2021. The date that matters to a buyer is January 2024: since then, manufacturers can only obtain approval for new designs under 22.06. The standard tests impact at higher and lower energies, tests rotational acceleration (linked to brain injury), and tests more impact points across the shell. What that rule did not do is clear 22.05 helmets off the shelves — the UK government's SHARP programme states that they remain compliant, offer excellent protection, and are still available in shops. So a 22.06 helmet is the better default in 2026, but a discounted 22.05 helmet is a considered trade rather than an unsafe one.
Are MIPS helmets actually better for motorcycle riders?
MIPS adds a low-friction layer between the shell and the liner that allows about 10-15 mm of movement in an angled impact, to reduce the rotational forces on the brain. It does well in independent bicycle-helmet testing, but there is no equivalent independent rating for motorcycle helmets, and ECE 22.06 now includes a rotational test of its own. Between two helmets that fit you equally well, the one with a rotational-impact system is the reasonable pick; the Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS is the budget ADV helmet that has one.
Full-face, modular, or adventure-style helmet — which is best for ADV riding?
Depends on riding style. Full-face offers the best protection and aerodynamics — best for fast highway and aggressive off-road. Modular offers convenience for long touring days (fuel stops, eating without removing the helmet) at a small protection compromise. Adventure-style (with peak and goggle compatibility) gives the off-road feel and works with MX goggles, but the peak catches the wind at high speed. Riders who can afford two often keep an adventure helmet for dirt days and a modular for highway touring.
How much should I spend on an adventure motorcycle helmet?
$250 buys a genuinely good helmet in 2026 — the Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS is well-reviewed and ECE 22.06 certified. Around $500-900 buys lighter weight and better materials: the Shoei Hornet ADV 06 starts around £530 in the UK, and the carbon Klim Krios Pro is about $879. The Arai Tour-X5 sits at the top at around $890. A $250 helmet that fits perfectly is better than a $900 helmet that fits badly.
Why does helmet fit matter more than brand?
A poorly fitting helmet shifts on the head during impact, allowing more direct contact between skull and shell, and is more likely to come off entirely in a crash. It also distracts the rider through pressure points, hot spots, and noise. An $890 Arai that doesn't match your head shape is a worse helmet than a $250 Bell that fits perfectly. Head shape categories — round, intermediate oval, long oval — vary by brand, and fitting in person before buying is non-negotiable for new rider helmet purchases.