Ultimately, it’s up to you where you choose to store your motorcycle helmet, as most of these storage methods are equally good in terms of being practical and safe places to put your helmet. However, regardless of how exactly you store your helmet, it’s always a better idea to store it inside as opposed to outside.
What Difference Does It Make Where I Store My Helmet?
This probably won’t come as a surprise, but storing your helmet inside will help it last longer than leaving it outside. Motorcycle helmets are built pretty tough and the actual safety of your helmet won’t be compromised from leaving it in extreme temperatures, but some of the softer materials such as the lining can become damaged when exposed to prolonged heat over a period of time.
Obviously, leaving your helmet outside can literally cause mold and mildew to start growing in it, which can be a health hazard. In general, it’s better for your helmet to be kept inside if you want it to remain pristine.
As long as you’re storing your helmet inside, that’s the most important thing – away from direct sunlight. However, there are numerous ways you can store a motorcycle helmet indoors. In the end, the place you should choose to store your helmet depends largely on your personal preference; none of these ways are the “wrong” way.
With that being said, here are some of the ways you can store a motorcycle helmet:
1. Motorcycle Helmet Bag
A motorcycle helmet bag is one of the most practical ways to store a motorcycle helmet, if not the most stylish. These bags are usually padded, so they provide ample protection for your helmet.
You should probably acquire a motorcycle helmet bag anyway because if you’re riding your motorcycle a lot there’s a good chance you’ll need somewhere to store your helmet somewhere that isn’t your home.
A helmet bag is also a good place to put your riding glasses, gloves, or other motorcycle riding gear you fancy.
A perk of using a bag is that you can store your helmet wherever there’s room for it including all of the spots on the rest of this list.
2. Motorcycle Helmet Rack
While a helmet rack is obviously less portable than a helmet bag, it’s a slightly more stylish way to store a helmet. Having a helmet displayed on a helmet rack instead of in a bag is, frankly, kind of a cool look.
Helmet racks also offer the advantage of letting your helmet air out when you’re not using it. If you use your helmet a lot, leaving it somewhere where it can get enough air circulation can help prevent it from getting smelly.
In addition, helmet racks are pretty easy to mount, so even though you won’t be able to move it around you still have a lot of options for deciding where to put it.
3. Shelf or Helmet Bay
A similar option to a helmet rack is to just get a shelf to put your helmet on. A shelf offers basically the same degree of functionality as a helmet rack, although your helmet may look a little cooler when stored on a helmet rack.
You can also get a helmet bay if you want your helmet to be a little more secure. A helmet bay is essentially the same as a shelf, except it has raised sides along the edges of the shelf to stop your helmet from sliding off. Helmet bays also tend to have some extra built-in storage for gloves, goggles, and the like.
Wall-mounted shelves and helmet bays are available, but you can also find free-standing shelves and helmet bays which are obviously a lot easier to set up (since you don’t actually have to set them up).
4. Storage Cabinet
If you feel like maybe you need a little extra security for your helmet, you might want to consider getting a storage cabinet or a locker to keep your helmet in. Keeping your helmet in a storage cabinet can also stop it from getting dusty, especially if you plan on keeping it stored for a while.
It can keep your helmet safe, and if you find yourself not riding for an extended period it will keep it fresh in that absence, too.
5. Mannequin Head
Finally, if you want a really unique way of storing a motorcycle helmet, you can always get a mannequin head, like the kind you sometimes see being used to display wigs. Using a mannequin head for this is a fun and visually interesting way to store a motorcycle helmet, or a helmet of any kind.
When storing a motorcycle helmet on a mannequin head, however, it’s important you use a head that doesn’t fit too snugly inside the helmet. This can cause the material inside the helmet to become overly compressed, which means it might end up not fitting you correctly.
If you can find one, a child mannequin head is probably going to be the best way to store a motorcycle helmet.
6. Specific Helmet Hanger
A specific hanger just for the helmet can be cool to hang your helmet (collection) on, and it will keep the padding in good condition, too.
They are wall mounts with a hook designed to fit the mold of the helmet, so they are quite safe.
This is a nifty one from Etsy, and here is a link to a DIY version using industrial pipe.
How Not to Store Your Motorcycle Helmet
By now we’ve talked about some of the ways you can store your helmet, but what about the ways you shouldn’t store your helmet? If you want to keep your helmet in the best shape possible, you should try and avoid the following:
- Don’t use just a nail stuck in the wall to hang your helmet up, as a nail can damage the interior padding of your helmet or damage the helmet strap if snagged by repeatedly removing and placing it back.
- Don’t leave your helmet next to a hot object like a furnace or a hot water pipe, as the heat can potentially damage some of your helmet’s components.
- Don’t hang your helmet over your bike’s handlebars, as the weight of the helmet itself can sometimes compress the padding in the helmet a little too much. Plus it is more likely to fall off which could damage the interior protective layers that you really can’t see.
- Don’t leave your helmet on the ground, as this leaves it more susceptible to getting damaged like by kicking it on accident.
- Don’t leave your helmet upside-down on any surface, as you may end up scratching it. This won’t make your helmet any less safe, but a scratched-up helmet obviously doesn’t look as nice.
- Don’t leave your helmet anywhere where animals could potentially get at it. You wouldn’t want to leave your helmet somewhere only to find that mice have chewed up the inside of it.
Extra Helmet Love
If you need to take care of that helmet, don’t forget to give it a wipe down or a full-fledge cleaning from time to time. You’ll find tips to clean your motorcycle helmet (quick & easy).
There comes a point when you DO need to replace your helmet no matter how well you store it. Read more about when to replace your motorcycle helmet here.