Arai Contour-X
Arai's premium sport-touring lid is the new top-scored helmet on the leaderboard — and the first one that earned its Arai badge.
The Verdict
The Good
- Most comfortable helmet I've ever worn — tear-away foam lets you dial the fit to your exact head
- Six vent groups including visor vents you won't find on any other helmet
- Pinlock insert included in the box, unlike the XD5
The Bad
- Not as quiet as a Shoei RF-1400 — pack earplugs for long highway days
- Top crown vents open too easily under gloves; check before every ride
- Friction-fit cheek pads feel unusual coming from magnetic-click helmets
Designed for intermediate oval heads.
- Sizes
- XS – 2XL
- Shell sizes
- 4 — precise fit across the range
- Head size
- Fits most American rider head shapes
- Clear visor
- Pinlock insert
- Breath deflector
- Chin curtain
- Helmet bag
- Dark visor sold separately
- Peak / visor sold separately
Closer Look
Swipe to explore.
The one that earned the hype
Everybody talks about Arai helmets like they're some untouchable legendary tier. I've been a skeptic. After three weeks on the Contour-X, I'm done being a skeptic.
This is the most comfortable helmet I've ever put on my head, and I don't say that lightly. Arai builds the liner with tear-away foam. Any spot feels tight, you peel it until it doesn't, and what you're left with is a custom-fit helmet that was never supposed to need customizing. By hour three that matters. By hour six it's the only thing that matters.
Then there's the ventilation. Six vent groups: chin, brow, top, logo, visor, and rear exhaust. Visor vents are a thing I have never seen on another helmet at any price. Throw in a horizontal field of view that rivals a dedicated race lid, a Pinlock insert included in the box, and a Cardo install that once you find the liner trick plays music louder than your ears can handle, and $759 starts looking like the easiest piece-of-gear decision you'll make this year.
Who should buy this
You put real seat time in, long tours, long commutes, canyon days, and you've learned that comfort at mile 200 is worth what it costs. If you want a pure track helmet, look elsewhere; the Contour-X is sport touring and it's the best one on the market right now. Buy it once, ride it forever.