Helmet Selection- snell or ece?

[Jewcati]

Looking at new helmets. I have narrowed it down to 3 helmets 2 (Arai and Shoei.) are both snell, the AGV is ece only.

Any feelings or input on the level of protection provided by ECE vs Snell?

[ZX-12R]

Your noggin will be safe in any of those helmets. For a quick overview of the differences between M2010 and ECE R22-05, Arai has this on their website: http://www.araihelmet-europe.com/rx7...impact_01.html

[Jewcati]

From everything I have read, there is some debate as to which is better, even though it appears that snell should have the edge.

[ZX-12R]

Through M2005, the Snell standard allowed for greater forces to be transmitted to your head than ECE. With M2010 and now M2015, the max G's for smaller helmets matches the 275G limit of ECE but larger helmets get a tougher standard as low as 243G for XXL helmets. The velocities for testing are marginally higher in the current Snell standards.

[Jewcati]

So essentially the same?

[golden chicken]

They all fit differently, so the one that fits the best is the safest. AGV tends to be long oval and Shoei tends to be round oval and Arai's fit depends on the model.

[mell0]

The biggest difference is their philosophical approach. Snell, founded on preventing car related injuries, performs best against multiple impacts in the same location (think head on a roll cage) and excels in penetration testing. ECE is a bit more moto-centric, ideal for dispersing energy to prevent concussions.

So what does this mean? Snell helmets have harder, (usually) thicker shells and will have a slight weight disadvantage. ECE helmets will have thinner, softer shells, being notably lighter than their Snell counterparts.

It's impossible to say which is best. most MotoGP riders are rocking ECE helmets FWIW. The Corsair V and X-12s they are using are more often than not European models which have the ECE rating over their US Snell compadres.