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Aerodynamics. The easier a helmet slips through the wind, the quieter it will be. Some of the quietest helmets on the market are made by Schuberth. The German company is also the only helmet manufacturer we know of with a wind tunnel in its headquarters. Shoei is probably in second place when it comes to quiet helmets, that company is also heavily reliant on wind tunnel testing, even designing its own rig to move a helmet side-to-side and up and down in the tunnel to accurately recreate real world riding conditions.

The purpose of all this aerodynamic research is to determine the best way to deal with turbulence, which is what creates noise. That turbulence can be caused by an anything that disrupts the wind flow. Gap in your visor seal? Huge external vents? Air getting caught under your chin? That’s how a helmet gets noisy.

Addressing those things is how you make a helmet quiet – by starting with a shape that allows the air to smoothly reconnect behind the helmet and eliminating those trouble spots. If you want a quiet helmet, look for a clean, smooth, aerodynamic shape free of too many external vents and wings. Additionally, the helmet should feature a quality, adjustable visor seal and should close snugly around your neck.