Icon Helmets Review – 2021 Complete Round-up

| Last Updated: January 17, 2022

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Striking the perfect balance between safety and style is a ridiculous concept, but for motorcycle riders, this problem is very real.

Riders want assurance that their gear will hold up during a collision, but they also want to look good.

To satisfy both needs, many riders have turned to Icon for their helmets.

Here, we’ll examine the best Icon helmets to help you decide if this product is right for you.

Comparison of the Best Icon Helmets

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • Integrated EPS air channels help reduce shield fogging
  • Removable and washable HydraDry interior
  • Wind tunnel tested, strong, refined anti-lift visor
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  • Best for the Money
  • Adjustable vents maintain ideal temperature
  • Strength and durability offered by polycarbonate shell
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  • Best Icon Airflite Helmet
  • Polycarbonate shell is lightweight but strong
  • Multiple oversized exhaust and intake ports
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  • Best Icon Bluetooth Helmet
  • Inner sun shield is fog-free for summer wear
  • Injection molded, strong polycarbonate shell offers strength
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  • Best Icon Airframe Helmet
  • Removable breath deflector prevents fogging
  • Low-profile vents offer airflow throughout the shell
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  • Best Icon Alliance Helmet
  • Rear exhaust ports help prevent heat buildup
  • Removable and washable HydraDry interior
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  • Best Icon Women Helmet
  • Easy adjuster switch for superior vent air flow control
  • Removable breath deflector prevents fogging
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What Makes Icon Products Stand Out From the Competition?

Icon has mainly produced full-face helmets since its conception. Although its competitors offer at least three-to-four different styles, Icon has still grown into one of the most popular brands. The company offers a ton of graphic and color varieties, which is what separates Icon from its competitors – it understands that riders prefer a stylish helmet.

Review of the Best Motorcycle Helmets by Icon

Let's take a look at this year's top picks.

Best Overall:
Icon Variant

PROS

  • Industry-leading multi-inlet ventilation design
  • Oversized eye port for increased optical clarity
  • Durable fiberglass/Dyneema carbon fiber shell
  • Sophisticated oval design is wind-tunnel tested
  • Detachable and washable HydraDry moisture-wicking interior liner

CONS

  • Relatively noisy
  • No weird or wild graphic design choices

Weight: 3.79lbs

Shell Sizes: Three 

Shape: Intermediate oval

Style: ADV touring/Street

Review

It’s obvious to see why this model is in such high demand. Designed to be the ultimate crossover helmet, the Icon Variant merges street and trail performance in one product.

Its design is aerodynamic, the fit is comfortable, and the visor is both optically correct and fog-resistant. The energetic style looks good with any type of motorcycle. The helmet also comes in a few different color options but lacks Icon's typical wild graphic art designs. But even without these style perks, this helmet is the best helmet Icon has ever made.

Bottom Line

The Icon Variant helmet should be at the top of your most-wanted list if you’re looking for a mix of style and functionality. It blends these two aspects perfectly and packs all the typical Icon features while maintaining a cost-friendly price tag.

Best for the Money:
Icon Airmada Helmet

PROS

  • Great price tag
  • Meets all the big safety standards
  • Top-of-the-line intake and exhaust ports for increased cooling
  • Fog-free ICON optics shield and PROLOCK shield locking system
  • A completely redesigned shield system helps widen the visor's field of view

CONS

  • Can be loud at times
  • Visor scratches easily

Weight: 3.71lbs

Shell Sizes: Four 

Shape: Long oval

Style: Street/Performance

Review

Very few helmets can match the price, comfort, and quality that the Icon Airmada helmet boasts. Its outer shell finish is attractive, the visor is tough, and the ventilation is above average. Riding with the Airmada is smooth thanks to the improved aerodynamics that makes it less demanding on your neck and shoulders.

It can be noisy and the visor can be easily dinged, but we had no other issues. In fact, I had zero problems while using the test model for a three-day camping trip.

Bottom Line

You won’t find a better helmet for the Icon Airmada’s price. It’s not surprising that it’s sold out at most retailers. Don’t hesitate if you have a chance to pick one up.

Best Icon Airflite Helmet:
Icon Airflite Rubatone

PROS

  • Built-in sun visor
  • Three-way adjustable chin vent
  • Moisture-wicking HydraDry liner
  • Big eye port for more peripheral vision
  • Simple and straightforward visor swapping

CONS

  • Wind noise is a tad loud
  • The outer shell can scratch easily

Weight: 3.79lbs

Shell Sizes: Four 

Shape: Long oval

Style: Street/Performance

Review

 The Icon Airflite Rubatone is more of a hybrid creation, combining features from both motocross and street helmets.  Its combination of a moto chin bar and street-styled visor looks fantastic.

The Airflite’s shell consists of the customary Icon polycarbonate blend, which meets all major safety standards. Some of the helmet’s perks include a built-in sun visor and an adjustable chin bar vent.

Bottom Line

The Icon Airflite Rubatone is the total package. It meets safety standards, it has quality ventilation, the liners are comfortable, and the built-in sun visor is the cherry on top. Even with Icon’s notorious high noise levels, putting on the Airflite is a joy.

Best Icon Bluetooth Helmet:
Icon Airflite Battlescar 2

PROS

  • Safe and comfortable
  • Fog-free inner sun shield
  • A legendary “Master Chief” helmet design
  • The finish has a rugged and first-class feel
  • Removable and interchangeable aerodynamic back spoiler 

CONS

  • Relatively heavy
  • Loud noise level

Weight: 3.79lbs

Shell Sizes: Four 

Shape: Long oval

Style: Street/Performance

Review

The Icon Airflite Battlescar 2’s appearance will undoubtedly garner a few long stares on the roads. Its similar appearance to the well-known “Master Chief” helmet, from the famous “Halo” video games series, is awesome. The Icon Airflite Battlescar 2 also features Bluetooth capabilities.

Additionally, the face shield has a remarkable visual appearance because it stretches all the way over the chin bar. It also comes in a variety of colors that are interchangeable with other Airflite helmet models.

Bottom Line

The Icon Airflite Battlescar 2 has a unique, badass look while also being aerodynamic, stable, comfortable, and offering excellent airflow. Its only issues are its heavy weight and noise level.

Best Icon Airframe Helmet:
Icon Airframe Pro

PROS

  • Unique and trendsetting style
  • The liner is beautiful and comfortable
  • Meets both DOT and Snell safety standards
  • Aerodynamic thanks to the radically abridged shell profile
  • High-tech fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Dyneema composite shell

CONS

  • Ear pockets not very deep
  • A couple of tiny imperfections under the clear-coat finish

Weight: 3.61lbs

Shell Sizes: Four 

Shape: Long oval

Style: Street/Performance

Review

The Icon Airframe Pro is very impressive. It offers superior quality, a comprehensive feature set, and meets both DOT and Snell safety standards. The top-notch fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Dyneema composite shell are about as durable as you can get.

Additionally, the Airframe’s finish looks gorgeous. The sleek and aerodynamic design also reduces the amount of wind drag while providing a wider field of view than other brands.

Bottom Line

The feature-packed Airframe Pro exudes quality, from its functionality to its overall style. It’s outstanding.

Best Icon Alliance Helmet:
Icon Alliance GT

PROS

  • Includes a drop-down sun visor
  • Excellent aerodynamic properties
  • Twin-channel super vent for advanced cooling
  • Thick cheek pads for better comfort and cushioning

CONS

  • Very snug fit
  • Has stability problems at higher speeds

Weight: 3.69lbs

Shell Sizes: Four 

Shape: Long oval

Style: Street/performance

Review

The Alliance GT fits in well amongst Icon’s top-notch helmets. It’s a great choice for both hardcore and casual riders due to its superb safety certifications, strong outer shell, and comfortable interior line.

We’re confident in saying this might be one of the best-ventilated Icon helmets we’ve ever tested. Long-distance riders will appreciate the strong, smooth, end-to-end airflow. Though many other Icon helmets incorporate these types of vents, they seem to work consistently better on the Alliance GT.

Bottom Line

The Alliance GT is an affordable, elegant choice for folks who want a sleek, understated motorcycle helmet. It has just enough features to provide comfortable and safe riding.

Best Icon Women Helmet:
Icon Airmada Scrawl

PROS

  • Attractive look and unique art design
  • Plenty of airflow throughout the helmet
  • Face shield locking mechanism and mounts are easy to use
  • The injection-molded polycarbonate outer shell is safe, strong, and stable
  • Class 1 anti-fog, optically correct, UV-resistant, and anti-scratch face shield

CONS

  • Super tight fit
  • Heavier and nosier than other types

Weight: 3.71lbs

Shell Sizes: Four 

Shape: Long oval

Style: Sport/street

Review

The Icon Airmada Scrawl is a highly recommend helmet for women. Racers who tend to ride in a more crouched position will appreciate the helmet’s narrow front and wider back, which provide solid stability when traveling at high speeds. The ventilation also provides comfort while the shield locking and shield mount machinery are user-friendly.

What really stands out is the Airmada Scrawl’s white-and-black design, which features a dagger going through a rose surrounded by snakes on top, bald eagles on the sides, a winged skull on the chin guard, and a tiger’s face on the back. It’s epic.

Bottom Line

Although it’s loud and tight, the Icon Airmada is affordable, aerodynamic, and easy to both wear and operate. Plus, its safety features are reliable, and the design and color scheme work.

Best Icon Full Face Helmet:
Icon Airflite Peacekeeper Rubatone

PROS

  • Fog-resistant visor
  • Attractive and unique design
  • Above-average fit and weight
  • Minimal wind noise and very comfy
  • Several large intake and exhaust ports

CONS

  • A little small around the cheeks
  • Overall look not universally appealing

Weight: 3.79lbs

Shell Sizes: Three

Shape: Long oval

Style: Street/performance

Review

People were staring in admiration everywhere we drove with the Icon Airflite Peacekeeper Rubatone.

In addition to the eye-catching look, the Peacekeeper is simple enough for novices while offering enough features for more experienced bikers to play with. Plus, the polycarbonate shell is safety certified and the interior padding is soft and skin-friendly.

It can be difficult to put on and take off due to the narrow opening, but it doesn’t feel too tight or uncomfortable once it’s on.

Bottom Line

The Icon Airflite Peacekeeper Rubatone is one of our all-time favorites. It looks excellent, has great ventilation, and possesses a quality visor.

Best Icon Airmada Helmet:
Icon Airmada Wild Child

PROS

  • Epic design
  • Plenty of ventilation
  • Comfortable padding
  • Effective construction
  • Very spacious around the head

CONS

  • Swapping visors is a little tricky
  • The latch on the visor can be hard to grip

Weight: 3.79lbs

Shell Sizes: Three

Shape: Long oval

Style: Street/performance

Review

The Airmada Wildchild helmet is equipped with all the safety and comfort features you’d expect from an Icon product. The design and colors are beautiful, and the price tag is fair. Its abundant airflow and reasonably low noise levels make for a pleasant ride in any weather.

The Wildchild works well for any riding position and is relatively easy to operate. Its fit is somewhat tighter than usual but it’s not uncomfortable to wear. The visor can also be difficult to raise with gloves due to the small release peg.

Bottom Line

The Icon Airmada Wildchild is a lot of fun to wear. It fits comfortably, has good airflow, and the artwork is eye-catching. However, we got so fed up with the visor lock that we removed it. But overall, it’s a great helmet for any type of rider.

What is Icon Motorsports?

Icon Motorsports has made a large impression on the protective gear industry in a very short period. Established in 2002 in Portland, Oregon, Icon Motorsports designs and develops helmets, vests, shoes, jackets, gloves, and pretty much anything else you’d want or need when speeding down the road.

What Makes a Great Icon Helmet?

Icon doesn't just have products that are beautiful on websites and in catalogs – their helmets are absolutely stunning in person, both inside and out.

Experience

Icon helmets are designed and built in-house by experienced riders. They have firsthand knowledge of what works and what doesn’t.

Quality

Icon’s products are well-constructed, durable, and reliable. They meet or exceed all appropriate safety ratings and look fantastic, separating themselves from the competition.

Comfort

Photo credit: Behance.net

Motorcycle helmets tend to get hot, sticky, and are generally uncomfortable, especially when you must sacrifice comfortability for safety. Icon helmets haven’t eliminated these issues, but they’re more comfortable than many other brands.

Material

Icon's Hydradry and foam liners are crafted with a soft and breathable material, creating an effective mix of comfort and safety that few other brands can match.

Icon Helmet Size Chart

The helmet size chart below will help you with your Icon helmet purchase. Measurements must be as accurate as possible to avoid an uncomfortable fit and ensure optimal safety.

Types of Motorcycle Helmets by Icon

Icon makes both full-faced and dual-sport motorcycle helmets geared toward the street- and sport-performance riders. Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from each type.

Dual Sport

  • Dual-sport helmets like the Icon Variant Pro are a combination of an off-road and a full-face helmet. Specifically, Dual-sport helmets incorporate a larger visor and lower chin bar, as well as comfort perks like thick interior padding.

  • The large visor on dual-sport helmets is designed to be a bit more curved to improve aerodynamics while also increasing the rider’s field of vision.

  • The chin bar is smaller and doesn’t stick out as much as a true off-road helmet. This allows for better noise reduction because it cuts through the wind a bit better.

  • It’s great for mixed terrain; use the visor in the down position on the street to the trail, and then snap it up for goggles and maximum airflow.
  • Photo credit: Chapmoto.com

    Full Face

    • The full-faced variety is Icon's most abundant style. It’s made specifically for street and sports motorcyclists. They’re typically safer as they protect the head, neck, jaw, and chin. That’s especially important as the chin and jaw account for about half of the more serious motorcycle head injuries.

    • Full-face helmets also feature ventilation to help reduce visor fogging, disperse sweat, and keep the body cool. Additionally, they come equipped with Bluetooth speakers and unique visors.

    How Do Icon Helmets Compare?

    Here are a few breakdowns so you can see how Icon stacks up next to some of the other top brands.

    Icon vs Scorpion Helmets

    Similarities

    • Both companies’ designs and functionality cater to the street/sports market.

    • The price tags are both moderate.

    • Icon and Scorpion are both seen as having some of the best helmets available.

    Differences

    • Icon mainly makes full-faced helmets, while Scorpion produces modular, three-quarter, and half-helmet types in addition to full-face models.

    • Scorpion uses the intermediate oval fit for pretty much all its helmets. Icon likes to incorporate round, intermediate, narrow, and long oval shapes.

    • Scorpion also offers half-helmet, scooter, modular, adventure touring, and retro-style models. Icon doesn’t.

    • Icon's full-face helmets outperform Scorpion’s in functionality, comfort, and style.

    • Icon helmets use carbon fiber for some of their helmets while Scorpion doesn’t.

    • Scorpion offers 11 different helmets while Icon only has five.

    Icon vs Shoei Helmets

    Similarities

    • Icon and Shoei both offer full-face intermediate oval-style helmets.

    • Both are Department of Transportation approved.

    • Both have excellent safety records and loyal customer bases.

    • Shoei and Icon share a focus on street-/sport-style helmets.

    • Both share many of the same basic features and use similar types of materials for the outer shell.

    Photo credit: Hiconsumption.com

    Differences

    • Shoei helmets are more expensive.

    • Shoei has been in the protective gear industry for much longer than Icon.

    • Icon’s helmets are considerably more artistic and stylish.

    • Icon helmets tend to be a bit heavier and noisier.

    • Icon helmets typically fit better.
    • Shoei helmets have superior aerodynamics thanks to their sleeker, narrow design.

    • Shoei offers more helmet styles.

    • Shoei mainly focuses on intermediate oval-shaped helmets while Icon offers more sizing options.

    Bell vs Icon Helmets

    Similarities

    • Bell and Icon helmets both have similar price tags and above-average safety certifications.

    • Both brands make quality, well-reviewed products.

    • Both companies refine their helmet technology by experimenting with bold new ideas.

    • These two brands have similarly colorful artistic helmet designs, though Bell’s style is usually more retro.

    Differences

    • Bell has been in the motorcycle helmet business for much longer than Icon.

    • Bell has significantly more types of helmets available for purchase.

    • Icon and Bell have different interior pad thicknesses sizes and outer shell shapes.

    • Bell offers plusher and tighter cheek pads, while Icon’s are thinner and have a silkier feel.

    • Icon’s helmets are more stylish and attractive.

    • Icon has more unique color and print choices.

    • Icon focuses more on sport and street motorcycle helmets while Bell mainly offers dirt and cruiser models.

    Photo credit: JPCycles.com

    Each of the aforementioned brands is considered to be among the best in the business. Though they differ in many ways, none of them are drastically inferior. The important thing is finding a helmet that fits you.

    Who Shouldn’t Choose an Icon Helmet?

    Icon helmets are mainly tailored toward street and sport motorcycle riders. They’re not suitable for those who prefer an off-road model.

    Icon considers how a person will sit on their bike when designing their helmets to properly place the visor and chin guard, among other characteristics. Choose a helmet that’s tailored for you, whether you sit upright or crouch forward. Otherwise, your helmet might not have the appropriate visor, chin guard, or ventilation to function optimally.

    Conclusion

    The most important thing to look for in a motorcycle helmet is fit. Icon helmets can comfortably fit about 80% of people's head sizes. Make sure to find one that comfortably fits you.

    People Also Ask

    Here are our answers to the most asked questions regarding Icon.

    Where Are Icon Helmets Manufactured?

    Icon’s helmets are manufactured in South Korea.

    Who Makes Icon Products?

    The Hong Jin Crown Corporation, better known as HJC, makes Icon-branded products. 

    Who Owns Icon Motorsports?

    The U.S.-based LeMans Corporation owns Icon Motorsports.

    How Long Has Icon Been Around?

    The Icon brand has been around since 2002.

    Are Icon Motorcycle Helmets Good?

    Icon helmets are widely considered some of the best motorcycle helmets available.

    Photo credit: RideIcon.com

    What Kind Of Warranty Does Icon Offer?

    All Icon products have a one-year warranty from the date of purchase against any material and workmanship defects.

    Are Icon Helmets Legal In Australia?

    Icon helmets don’t have an Australian-standard safety compliance certification. Therefore, using an Icon helmet warrants the same $550 fine you’d receive for wearing no helmet.

    Are Icon Helmets Safe?

    Yes. Less than 10% of crashes involving an Icon helmet user resulted in serious injury via impact to the head.

    Are Icon Helmets Snell Approved?

    Dominion 2 is the only Snell-approved Icon helmet.



    Hi, my name’s Troy. I started riding motorcycles with Clay mid-2020 and soaking up his vast knowledge of bikes. I have been writing for a few years and decided it was a good time to start writing about what I’m passionate about - motorcycles. No matter how bad your day is, a bike will always make you feel better, that’s my motto.