Some reviews include a numerical editorial score; others use a reasoned verdict without one. Neither format is a laboratory safety rating. This page explains the criteria and limits.
What the score is (and isn't)
Our score is an editorial assessment: we build it from the manufacturer's official technical sheet, homologation documents, published pricing, and a comparison against direct competitors in the same category and price range. It also draws on specialised press coverage and rider feedback where we cite it.
It is not the result of an in-house physical test with measured mileage, lab equipment or a test bench — we don't claim hours on the road or kilometres logged unless we say so explicitly and cite where that data comes from. If a claim in a review comes from a specific test (ours or someone else's), we link the source.
What we weigh
| Criterion | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Protection & homologation | Exact approval and permitted configurations, official safety documentation and published independent tests. Shell material alone does not establish superior protection. |
| Ventilation & comfort | Number and type of vents, interior padding, listed weight, fit reported by the brand and by owners. |
| Build & finish | Materials list, included accessories (Pinlock, drop-down visor...), manufacturing origin when published. |
| Value for money | Price against the direct competitive set in the same segment, not against the whole market. |
| Intended use | Whether it's built for track, touring or urban riding — some helmets get two scores when they're clearly better suited to one use than another (for example, a race-replica helmet scores differently for track use than for daily commuting). |
The criteria guide a qualitative editorial judgement; they are not a weighted laboratory formula. Vent counts and published weight do not measure comfort or cooling. We distinguish manufacturer specifications, third-party tests and our interpretation, and use an unscored verdict when a number would suggest unsupported precision.
What each range means
- 9.0 - 10: Editorial reference in its category; read the use-specific limitations in the verdict.
- 8.0 - 8.9: Highly recommended, with minor caveats worth knowing before buying.
- 7.0 - 7.9: Solid option with at least one limitation that matters depending on your use case.
- Below 7.0: We only publish a review with this range when it's clearly the right call for a specific use case (see the dual-score cases above) — we don't currently publish reviews of products we consider a poor buy outright.
How we read noise (dB)
We do not apply a universal quiet/noisy scale to measurements from different tests. Compare only when the source and conditions are known: speed, motorcycle, screen, size, fit and equipment. A number without that context cannot establish a reliable ranking; checking older reviews remains ongoing.
Shoei's official FAQ explains that noise depends on rider, motorcycle and airflow conditions. We have not measured these products ourselves and do not attribute acoustic tests to SHARP.
When we update a score
If the price changes significantly, the manufacturer updates the model, or we get access to better information (an official recall, a corrected spec sheet...), we revise the review and the score, and we note the update date.
Disagree with a score?
If you own the product and your experience differs, tell us — genuine owner feedback is exactly the kind of source we factor in when we revisit a review.