Which helmet certs do you like the most? And why?

I'm in the market for a new lid and after reading some material put out by different websites and organizations, it seems to me that there's a lot of misinformation out there a out which standards are better.

Specifically, Snell (m2010) vs. ECE (no. 22) vs. DOT FMVSS No. 218.


What cert do you look for and want on your lid? What kind of crash are you preparing for when choosing your lid?


Discuss. Go!

 

M2010, DOT and ECE are getting closer to the same standard. My old helmet was a Snell and my current is an ECE. My helmets have been - and always will be full face. No half helmets, no modular. My one big accident I went headfirst with initial impact on the chin guard. It was a Snell M2005, and I lived (albeit with a pretty good concussion - was knocked out for about 15s).

Honestly, the fit of the helmet and subtle differently skull shapes should probably be the deciding factor when comparing quality helmets.

 

The reason why I started this discussion is that I always thought Snell was the best because it had "the toughest" standards, and thus, it must be the better helmet. As it turns out, from reading some different articles, it appears that if I were to crash at street speeds, my noggin would be better served to be wearing an ECE or DOT helmet. On avg, helmets that meet those standards show less G's transferred to the head in most cases at street speeds than a Snell helmet. However, if we're talking crashes 100mph and up, the Snell is your best bet because those helmets have stiffer shells and EPs. So, it explains why racers would wear them and why they may not be the best bet for a street rider.

Things I don't like about the DOT are that it's done on the honor system and not necessarily tested before those helmets are brought to market.

I know Snell2010 changed to become more like ECE, but ECE proponents say that it's still a world of difference and Snell is still not as safe for the street as their standards.