7 Best Budget Helmets in the Philippines 2024 | Spyder, Caberg, and More

As the name suggests, full-face helmets cover the entire head as well as the chin area. It’s what most people think of when helmets are discussed. Well-loved for its sturdiness and all-around protection, this is your best option if safety is your priority. The only openings are at the neck and another one at eye level, where a retractable, transparent visor is placed.

It’s important to note, though, that while modern designs have incorporated measures to keep the rider comfortable during long rides, these helmets are still bulky, hot, and heavy. There’s also a chance of the visor fogging, so try to wear a mask to avoid reducing visibility.

An open-face helmet is similar to a full-face one without the chin bar. Structurally speaking, it offers the same level of protection around the top and side of the head but remains vulnerable in the front. This openness, though, allows you to enjoy the rush of the wind as you cruise along the road. 

Modern designs have a variety of designs to choose from. Some, for instance, have a retractable visor, while others feature closable vents for extra airflow. 

However, their open design makes them undesirable for highways and high-speed travel. The lack of facial cover not only makes you prone to injury, but it also leaves your skin exposed to the air, dust, and bugs. Instead, this is best used in an urban setting or for calmer rides like bicycles, scooters, and skateboards.

Modular helmets are the lovechild of the prior models. A movable chin bar means that you can choose between the all-around protection of a full-face or the comfort of an open-face as per your need. For touring riders, this means you won’t have to repeatedly take your helmet on and off whenever you take a break during a pit stop.

Currently, you can choose between a modular helmet where the visor and chin bar both lift as one piece or where only the chin bar does. The former can usually be lifted only up to the forehead, while the latter can be flipped to the back of the head. Both offer the same level of protection, though, so it will all be up to your preference.

Praised for its ability to combine price, hardness, and weight, fiberglass is your choice if you want an inexpensive but effective option. It’s also lightweight if you prefer your helmets on the comfier side.

Just remember that these are not as rigid as carbon fiber and have less ability to absorb energy. As such, it’s important to choose a helmet with adequate inner padding, so your head doesn’t get injured in case of an accident. 

The main appeal of polycarbonate and ABS—a combination of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene—is their ability to disperse energy. Essentially, force is distributed across the materials such that no part of your head takes the brunt of the impact. 

The downside is that you’ll need more of the materials for them to fully do their job. This makes for larger, bulkier helmets. Also, while their force distribution is good for low to casual speeds, they break down during high-velocity collisions, so we don’t recommend this if you’re a racer.

While they may be old, D-ring straps are still one of the most common and best fasteners you’ll find in modern helmets. They’re often made with solid components that don’t break under friction, such as metal. These straps are also resistant to pulling, as trying to remove the helmet tightens the strap against the rings.

The downside is that they’re not user-friendly. Securing and removing them can be difficult if you’re new to them. In addition, they don’t retain their adjustments, so you’ll have to redo the process for every usage.

The ratchet strap is relatively a newcomer to helmets. Despite this, it has cemented its position as a favorable option for those who prefer convenience. This is because this strap uses a curved strip with wedges on one end and a corresponding slot on the other. A spring-loaded ratchet attaches the two parts together with a simple press, making the helmet easy to remove and reuse.

However, your level of adjustment is limited to the length of the ratchet. In most cases, this is only about an inch of leeway. It’s also prone to wear and tear, so the amount of tightness decreases over time. So, when you feel that the helmet is looser, it’s best to fasten the buckle to make sure it doesn’t come off during rides.

As its name suggests, an anti-glare coating on your visor protects you from sudden bursts of light such as from the sun or incoming cars. This helps you see better in bright environments, reduces eyestrain, and ultimately reduces the likelihood of blinking.

However, these coatings are not perfect. Aside from being more expensive upfront, they also need regular maintenance. Because the coating is not resistant to scratches, it can get worn out over time. The damaged spots can then compromise your vision, so it’s important to buff out your equipment regularly.

Daytime riding means that you're subjecting yourself to the harsh rays of the sun. This becomes all the more pronounced if your visor refracts the light directly into your eyes. To prevent this, get a visor with an anti-ultraviolet coating that virtually blocks all the harmful radiation from reaching you.

Similarly, a tinted visor, while not as effective at blocking ultraviolet rays, does help shield you from bright lights. They're especially useful when traveling around noon when the roads are stark-white because of the sunlight. However, because they do darken what you see, they can be dangerous in night settings since they can reduce what you see.

As we mentioned, helmet visors are notorious for fogging up in cold weather. While there are anti-fog coatings available, these tend to be unreliable and easily worn out. Instead, a more long-term solution is to get a pinlock-ready helmet.

A pinlock is a removable shield with moisture-absorbing material like silicon. This creates a pocket of air between the visor and the shield, keeping a stable temperature and ultimately creating a better, more efficient anti-fog system.

Not all helmets can fit a pinlock. Usually, you’ll have to pay extra for the feature. That said, it does offer future-proofing, as you won’t need to buy a separate helmet once the weather cools down. Instead, you can just go out to buy the pinlock itself, which can be cheaper in the long run.

Even a few minutes of wearing a helmet can build up sweat and bacteria, especially in hot, humid weather. Unfortunately, the inner foam soaks all of these up and, over time, can smell pungent and sour. Worse is that your nose is in direct contact with it, so there’s no escaping the stench.

If you want to smell the fresh breeze againーas well as maintain better hygiene in generalーget a helmet with removable inner pads. This allows you to regularly replace or clean them, keeping the inside of your helmet odor- and germ-free.

The inside of a helmet can be hot, stocky, and humid, especially for full-face models. If you tend to ride during warm hours, it may benefit you to look for a multiple vent design. Not only do these let in airflow better to keep you cool, but they also keep the temperature inside your helmet similar to the outside to lessen the chances of your visor fogging up.

When choosing your ventilation system, try to get one with openable designs. This way, you can close them at will during the chilly months. In addition, more vents don’t necessarily mean greater airflow. While they do certainly help, it’s still more up to the design of how well they let air pass through.