When you are shopping for the right motorcycle helmet, there are a lot of things that you need to look out for. Some of your top priorities are no doubt going to be
- Safety
- Visibility
- Comfortability
- Quietness and sound insulation
- Cost
And in an overall sense, something that you enjoy wearing. If you happen to be in the market for a new helmet and are looking for something that checks most of your boxes and comes in at a fairly reasonable price, we recommend taking a look at the Bell Qualifier. The Bell Qualifier offers a ton of great features that almost any cyclist can appreciate. You can easily spend multiple times what you would on this helmet, to get the same features that you would get on a pricier or more popular choice.
Also Read: Best Cheap Motorcycle Helmets in 2022 (Reviews and Comparison)
Because of the value that this helmet offers for the price, it is hard to pass this one up while you are shopping. With plenty of adjustable ventilation, contoured cheek pads, and a collar that fits nicely around the back of your neck, this helmet offers a lot in terms of comfortability. It has a fairly neutral head shape which makes it incredibly versatile when it comes to fitting rounder heads, heads that are long and narrow, and everything in between.
In all honesty, there are very few shortcomings with this helmet, especially when you consider the price point. One of the bigger drawbacks that we can see to this is that it is really loud, and doesn’t suppress noise well. Other than that, the hinges that move the shield make it feel kind of cheap and clunky. The action on sliding it up and down definitely isn’t as smooth as shields that you are going to find on more expensive helmets in higher price tiers.
With those points aside, this is a solid all-around helmet that won’t hurt your head or your wallet. Here are some of the key features and takeaways that we got from taking a closer look at the Bell Qualifier.
Ratings
Comfort:
Visibility:
Ventilation:
Quietness:
Specifications
Outer shell material : polycarbonate
Shell size : XS,SM,MD,LG,XL, 2XL, 3XL
Liner : moisture-wicking lining
Weight : 1.56Kg
Pinlock : No
Strap System : Double-D ring
Safety Ratings
DOT : Yes
ECE : Yes
SNELL : No
SHARP : 3 stars
Shape and materials
The Bell Qualifier is made out of a light polycarbonate and an ABS composite shell, which offers both a lightweight and durable construction. Something that many riders like about this particular model is that it isn’t too heavy. With many helmets (regardless of price point) you can find helmets that feel heavy or cumbersome. The weight of the helmet can fatigue your head and neck when you are wearing it for long periods of time.
You don’t get that on the bell qualifier. Weighing in at 1.56 KG, (about 3.4 pounds) this helmet feels lighter than air. We will say however that the lightweight materials and the level of comfort that this helmet provides makes it comfortable and so that you don’t have to worry about straining your neck while you ride.
Things I liked
Overall comfort
As you can see, the Bell qualifier brings all of the aspects of an ideal, safe bike helmet to the table. Bell didn’t stop at safety, performance, and functionality. This helmet is also incredibly comfortable for all riders. We have seen the issue with so many helmets before that they can either be too round or too narrow. In either scenario, there are going to be a lot of riders that are uncomfortable in a helmet that caters to a very specific fit. There is nothing worse than going out for a road trip or a relaxing ride on the weekend to get rushed and scuffed-up by your helmet.
Thankfully, the Bell Qualifier has a perfect round shape and enough space that makes it comfortable for heads of a variety of shapes and sizes. They also come in a large range of sizes from extra small to triple extra-large so that they can fit comfortably and safely on all ridres.
The padding on the helmet makes it sit very comfortable on the face and neck. You aren’t going to get uncomfortable and continually have to adjust your helmet while you are riding. The helmet is incredibly light too, so this helmet provider ample amounts of protection without straining your head or neck while you are driving.
This helmet comes with solid protection and lots of desirable features at a price that isn’t going to break the bank.
Visibility
One of the biggest concerns that you have when riding at high speeds is the amount of visibility that you have. Whether you are driving directly into the sunlight, down a foggy road or canyon, or with high winds that are kicking up dust, visibility is one of the biggest preventive safety procedures when it comes to riding your motorcycle.
Another aspect of this helmet that we really appreciate is the level of visibility and clarity that you get when looking through the visor. The shield has built-in anti-fog and anti-scratch technology that keeps the visor nice and clear while you are riding.
Quietness
Noise and controlling or suppressing ambient noise is something that every rider worries about. You want to make sure that you hear well enough to be aware of your surroundings, but you need some insulation to muffle the noise of your bike as well.
Unfortunately, quietness and sound insulation didn’t appear to be high at the top of Bell’s list when making this helmet. With cheaper helmets like this one, you can expect that you are going to inevitably find holes somewhere in the design. With this one, it is with the level of quietness that you aren’t going to get with this helmet.
Ventilation
Superb Velocity Flow ventilation that will keep you nice and cool while you drive. It also has a padded wind collar that offers both protection and breathability while you are riding. You have optional vents that you can open up on the chin bar and just above the forehead of the helmet.
There are four exhaust ports on the back as well to make sure that you get plenty of air and ventilation over the sides, top, and through the back of the helmet. This gives you a nice, cool airstream while you are riding in hot or humid weather.
Safety
Once again, safety is going to be one of your top priorities when you are shopping for any bike helmet. Having a helmet that is not only comfortable but also has high safety ratings is something that every cyclist should be on the lookout for.
The safety ratings of this helmet aren’t as impressive as other helmets in the same price range or others that are priced just above it. Though this helmet doesn’t rank as high in terms of safety ratings, it is DOT rated and durable enough to keep you safe while you ride.
That being said, we completely understand that safety should be one of your top priorities, and if this one isn’t up to your standards, you may have to pass on this one. We recommend that you always keep safety as one of your highest priorities when shopping for the right helmet for yourself.
Conclusion
If you are looking for getting a great value helmet for under $200, the Bell Qualifier would be near the top of our list. With a host of great features that other, more expensive helmets offer for a fraction of the price, this is definitely a difficult purchase to pass on. The lightweight and comfortable construction of this helmet make it really easy and enjoyable to wear, along with the optional ventilation that keeps you nice and cool while you are riding.
The design of this helmet makes it easy for heads of all shapes and sizes to wear, which is another great perk that most helmets don’t offer. It seems like many helmets fit some head shapes well while being incredibly uncomfortable for others.
This helmet has a lot of great, promising features with very few shortcomings. If you can be assured by the safety rating and overlook the clunkiness of the shield and the noise of the helmet, this truly is a great value.
Where to buy this helmet :