Are Carbon Helmets Worth-it ?

[Runnin1ife]

Well its been said already like 5 times, but CF helmet, if you want to look cool and have the $ sure I guess. Even if I had a G to drop on a helmet I wouldnt get a carbon fiber one. If you get DOT and or SNELL on there it does not really matter. Unless your talking about quality of say Bilt internals and cheek pads compared to Arai, then there is a difference but the protection is still there. Maybe a bit more cumfy, and a fog free visor is a plus, and venting is something to think about.
For me I currently wear a Bell Vortex matte black I got on sale for 150 down from 179 then I got 10% off because I was in the Military. the next helmet I want is either the Bell revolver evo (modular) or the Bell RS1, still under 400.
Just my .02

 

[kuhlka]

I recently upgraded from a regular Bell Star to the Bell Star Carbon and it's a night and day difference in weight. My head gets blown around less. Less strain on my neck when I turn my head. It seems to deflect/ignore heat better than painted plastic... Helps that I got mine on sale for $360.

If you can afford it, the Bell Star Carbon is well worth the price. Can't say the same for ALL carbon helmets as some are just a carbon overlay and there isn't much of a weight difference *cough* Variant *cough*. Kind of defeats the purpose of paying the extra hundreds of dollars for carbon when it's just a few layers over fiberglass and other textiles. http://www.rideicon.com/products/?productGroupId=87183

If they don't brag about the carbon version of their helmet being ounces lighter than the regular lid, it's not worth buying unless you're some fashionista more interested in looks than performance. I just tried searching for the weight comparison between the Variant and Ghost Carbon Variant and it's not listed anywhere on the Icon website or any other major websites like Revzilla. Doing a more thorough search, it turns out it's 47 grams lighter. The Star Carbon is 59 grams lighter than stock. The aerodynamics difference is huge, though.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

The difference is worth it to me. I prefer it and feel it offers more protection from noise which is something that one deals with on every ride.
My carbon fiber helmets are about 250 grams lighter than the fiberglass/plastic modular I have.
About 1360 (3 lbs) vs. 1628 grams (3 lbs 9.4 oz), if I calculated that correctly.

While that is nice and means less neck strain at every stop/ start what I really like is that it's also much quieter than other helmets in my experience.
However that may be due to other factors, not just the carbon fiber shell.
For example the CF helmet has a lot more internal padding and has fewer things sticking off of it (like vent scoops and fins, etc.) which I think contributes to wind turbulence and noise in general when moving above 30 MPH.

I'm actually working on a video review of the helmet.
I never thought to include the weight. I'll shoot a bit where I'm placing it on the scale now.

Back to the original question - As long as you are really paying for higher quality/ higher value, not just an expensive brand (or as mentioned a helmet that looks like it's carbon fiber but is really a standard helmet with a superficial overlay), regarding "expensive things" I tend to think:
• It's only expensive once. It's always high quality. (For example, every start & stop is lighter. Every ride is quieter. Always. You only paid the extra premium once.)
• It's only inexpensive once. It's always lower quality. (For example, every start & stop is more strain on your neck and back. Every ride is noisier. Always. You only saved money once.)

Is it worth it?
That's up to each person depending on what they want.
For me the extra money is long since spent. Hey, I was going to spend it anyway, trust me! I'm still loving the helmet.
For me it's worth it.