All you need to know about the Bell Broozer motorcycle helmet.
The Bell Broozer’s an interesting concept from Bell. Yeah, it’s a super aggressive looking streetfighter helmet. But unlike lots of the other streetfighter helmets you’ll find on our coolest helmets pages (looking at you Scorpion Combat and Shark Drak!) the Broozer’s actually a modular helmet with a proper, removable, chin bar that’s designed to offer real protection.
So now you can look great on your bike in full face mode or catch the breeze in open face mode – all from the same helmet. Nice.
OK, it’s not the first helmet to offer this – the Nolan N44 does this and even more.
But if you like the look of the Broozer and love the concept, then you might have just found your ideal helmet because there’s not much other competition out there.
Most similar looking helmets have a non-protective face guard or can’t be converted into an open face helmet.
So, if you’re interested, here’s all you need to know about the Bell Broozer.
- Thermoplastic modular helmet
- Open face/full face convertable
- Clear/dark face visors included
- Micrometric strap
- 3 Shell sizes
- Light – around 1.36Kg (3lbs)
- Sizes XS-XXL
- Expect to pay £160-£220
Best places to buy a Bell Broozer?
Please click below to visit the Bell Broozer helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Overall/Summary
OK, I think it’s fair to say that the Bell Broozer is a budget helmet: it’s made from thermoplastic and it’s not the most feature-laden helmet in the world.
But to focus on price and features is very much missing the point. With it’s aggressive good looks and ability to transform from a full face to a open face helmet (like the Nolan N44) it’s offering something new to the market.
It’s ECE rated (and DOT in the US) rated and that chin bar is simple to take off and slot back on.
It comes with a tinted visor as well as clear and, while we’re not sure how great the venting system is going to be, early word is that it’s a comfortable helmet with no known problems.
So, if you’re after a basic convertable helmet that works well in both configurations and that makes you look great while riding, then the Bell Broozer should be well worth a try.
Safety
(more about helmet safety)
OK there’s two main things about safety on the Bell Broozer.
First, it can be worn in full face mode so you get a helmet that should give decent face protection, but can also be converted into a open face open face helmet if you like riding with the wind in your face.
It goes without saying that you ought to wear it as a full face to maximise protection.
The Broozer’s been designed from the ground up to offer protection – so when the European ECE version was tested, they’ve given it a P rating for protective chin guard as well as J for open face. Which means when you want protection, it’s there.
Secondly, it’s got a thermoplastic shell, made from something called LG PC/ABS. LG is actually the same LG as the folks who make TVs – but in this case it’s LG Chem. The PC stands for polycarbonate and ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene if you must know) – but they’re both thermoplastics and have been blended together to form the shell of the Broozer.
Not sure if there’s any safety benefit to doing so (probably more a manufacturing process thing?), still thermoplastic helmets can offer excellent impact protection. And in the Broozer, Bell’s added a dual density EPS liner.
Duals tend not to really be cutting edge these days – some have tri-density and some even more – but there’s no reason to suspect it won’t do its job.
The Broozer’s both ECE and DOT rated, but it’s not been SHARP tested yet (or Snell in the US).
If we look at Bell Helmets SHARP test data to give us a steer on how well the Broozer might perform, the only Bell thermoplastic helmet that’s been tested so far is the Qualifier DLX and it scored 3 stars out of five. Actually, it was tested twice: the original launch helmet and the MIPS version – and both scored 3 stars.
That’s an OKish score but it’s also Bell’s worst score in years (most Bells have scored 5 stars).
And don’t forget, with a modular helmet, you’re never quite sure how strong the chin bar is or how likely it is to unlock: or more likely in the case of the Broozer, tear off.
And apart from knowing it conforms to ECE standards, there’s not much other data to go on.
OK… so far, so unsure. However, if you’re an open face rider who wants better protection from time to time, it’s gotta be better than no face protection at all, right?
See the chin bar section below to find some modular helmets where you can trust in their chin bar strength.
The Broozer comes with a regular clear visor and a dark tint visor in the box – both fully close off the front of the helmet in full face mode so are great if you’re riding fast or there’s lots of dirt in the air.
The whole thing’s held on your head using a metal micrometric fastener. They’re super quick to use and as long as you check they’re adjusted from time to time, they should be safe and secure.
Helmet Noise
(more about helmet noise)
Obviously, the level of helmet noise you get from the Broozer is gonna depend on which config you’re running.
Either way, because it’s a fairly basic helmet, we don’t expect it to major in quietness – and early adopters suggest that it’s quite noisy once the pace hots up.
Most conventional modulars are pretty noisy though so we suggest if you’re looking for the quietest helmet, early indication is that you should give the Broozer a miss.
Having said that, if you can keep the speed down and/or shove in some decent ear plugs, we don’t expect noise to be too much of an issue.
Ventilation
(more about helmet ventilation)
If you look at the front of the Bell Broozer, in terms of venting, it looks much like any other full face or modular helmet you’ll find on the market.
There’s a central chin vent slider and another slider on the top of the helmet to open/close the vents up there too.
And the word is that they’re both pretty easy to find and operate in gloves – and both involve sliding the switch to open or close the vent. So far, so normal.
Slightly weirdly, despite making it so you can close off the chin vent, Bell has also added a pair of always-open vents in the chin bar too. So you can only actually close off some of the venting. Um OK.
A couple of useful links…
– Coolest & Meanest Helmets –
– Flip front helmets top 10 –
Those top vents pull air into the helmet and there’s some generous front-to-back venting channels inside to let the air circulate around before exiting out the… wait a second… there’s no exhaust vent!
Just like we saw inside the Scorpion Combat, there’s nowhere for the warm, moist air to exit the helmet out of the back of the helmet. So while you might feel a bit of a breeze coming in, I can’t imagine your head’s gonna keep too cool inside there without somewhere for it to escape, so it might get a tad yucky in there when it’s hot. Eew.
Thankfully, it’s got a removable lining you can pull out and wash.
Visor
(more about visors)
The visor on the Bell Broozer works in the same way as most modular helmets: it’s not fixed, so you can raise and lower it and you’ll find both a clear and dark tint visor provided in the box.
It has a double opening tab on either side of the bottom of the visor (a good thing) and, while it’s a pretty basic visor in some respects, it is also quick-change. So, you can pull down the visor a bit further than normal which then allows you to pull it out to very quickly swap it out or clean it.
It’s also got Bell’s NutraFog II anti-fog coating on the back of both visors.
We found owners of the current Bell DLX and old Star helmets (which both have NutraFogII visors) tended to rate them anywhere from pretty poor to OK, so expect the Broozer’s anti-fog to be similar: i.e. not the greatest antifog solution in the world but OK in some circumstances (but expect it to fog up in particularly cold/humid weather).
If you’re riding in the Broozer without the chin bar in place and the visor down, expect wind to get up inside and buffet around at anything above 30mph. Though obviously it’ll still give some eye protection against flying debris and direct impacts so it’s still worth using.
Chin Guard
(more about chin guards)
The chin guard on the Broozer is made from the same plastic as the helmet shell. It’s a pretty basic affair – I guess in line with the ethos of the helmet really – but it has been designed (and ECE homologated) to offer protection.
Unlike most modular helmets where the chin bar unlocks, lifts and stays attached to the helmet, the chin bar on the Bell Broozer actually detaches fully from the helmet.
It’s quick to pull off, but it does mean if you’re doing it out on the road, you’ll need to find somewhere to stow it.
To remove, there’s a couple of grey tabs at the underside of the helmet. Pull those down and you pull off the chin bar – really easy. And once you get the hang of it, you can do it while still wearing the helmet (no, NOT while riding!).
We’re not entirely sure how much actual protection the chin bar will give until it’s independently tested.
Yes, it’s done a good enough job to get ECE certified in Europe, but it does leave me with the question mark as to whether it’ll stay attached to the helmet if the helmet flexes during an impact.
And as we’ve seen with quite a few SHARP tested conventional modulars – most chin bar locks do show some weakness over repeated testing, with it being pretty rare for a modular to stay locked across all 32 impact drops.
FYI – currently available modulars that managed 100% chin bar scores in all SHARP tests (and which scored 4 or 5 star ratings overall) are:
Having said all that, if you like the idea of having a open face lid that can easily convert into a full face when you need to pile the miles on (or vice versa) then the Bell Broozer now gives you a great option to do just that.
Comfort and Sizing
(more about comfort and sizing)
The Bell Broozer is a medium oval helmet, so should work well for most regular head shapes.
Inside, it’s a fairly basic liner but it is fully removable so you can whip it out and clean it.
Bell says the Broozer’s eyewear compatible as there are ‘eyewear arm pockets’ sown into the liner. And they’ve added padding to the chin strap which should make it comfortable down there too – that’s a bugbear of quite a few riders so Bell’s obviously been listening.
Weight shouldn’t be a problem. Because it’s a fairly basic helmet, even with the chin bar fitted it weighs around 1.36kg (3lbs) which should make it a comfy to wear even after long days in the saddle.
As for long HOT days in the saddle, with no rear air vents, the jury’s out on how comfy that’s gonna make the Broozer.
Finally, Bell makes the Broozer in 3 helmet shell sizes. Not only is that a good thing in safety terms but it means that the size of the helmet will be more visually optimised and look more compact on your head – so you don’t ride around looking like a bobble-head.
Looks & Graphics
There’s a ton of different graphics available for the Broozer – as long as you like your helmet BLACK!
As you can see from the helmet photos, at the time of writing, every helmet is black. Whether it’s gloss or matt black or black with a highlight such as the Arc, Cranium or Free Ride – they’re all dark helmets with subtle graphics.
The good thing is they’re all very cool and should work well with a huge range of rides.
I can’t believe that Bell wouldn’t release some different colours over time though – and by the time you’re reading this you might be able to see some by clicking the links to our recommended stores below.
Best places to buy a Bell Broozer helmet?
Please click below to visit the Bell Broozer helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Bell Broozer Video
Fairly posh bloke shows you round a Broozer Cranium in a 5m video.
Other stuff – audio, warranty
If you want to use a bluetooth headset with your helmet, the Broozer doesn’t have any speaker cutouts inside the helmet. Having said that, the cheekpads do leave space for speakers and we’ve had word of some people fitting them without a problem – including with a Sena smh 10.
Like all Bell helmets, the Broozer comes with a nice long 5 year warranty.
Crash Helmet Buying Guides & Top 10s
For (hopefully!) other useful information to help you when buying your next helmet, check our various Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guides - or have a look at our Top 10 best helmet lists where we've got the top 10 best rated helmets overall along with Top 10 Best Budget/Top 10 Safest/Top 10 Best Full Face/Top 10 Best Modular/Flip-up/ Top 10 Best Sportsbike/Track helmets.
Good Alternatives to the Bell Broozer?
For a more regular style of flip-front helmet, you might wanna check out the Simpson Darksome. Not only does it look very cool but it’s practical, comfortable, comes with a sun visor and has a more advanced composite fibre shell – or carbon fibre if you really want to push the boat out.
The Scorpion Exo-Combat is a mean looking lid but it’s really only a open face helmet – that face guard will protect from the weather but that’s about all. It has got a sun visor though and you can find it on sale for less money than the Broozer.
The Italian Nolan N44 is a really flexible modular that can be worn in 6 different configurations including open face helmet (with or without visor). It’s also got a sun visor, is dual homologated like the Broozer and is great value for money.
For lots of other options, you might want to check out our coolest helmets, top ten modular helmets or safest helmets.
Best places to buy a Bell Broozer?
Please click below to visit the Bell Broozer helmets pages at our recommended stores. And if you buy from one, we get a small sum from the sale at no extra cost to you – a massive THANKS! (it’s how we finance the site).
Hi I just want to know if this Bell Broozer manufactured in China?
yes