HJC’s budget polycarbonate full face helmet

HJC are known for producing lower-priced motorcycle helmets that offer good value for money. And as we’ve seen with lots of their releases in the past (such as their awesome IS-17 and FG-ST), they often do a pretty good job of delivering!

The CS-15 is their entry-level full face. On the face of it, it’s another low-price polycarb helmet. And looking at the spec sheet, it’s very no-frills – meaning it’s not got many of the latest features on many of the latest features.

So, if you’re in the market for a new full face helmet with about a ton burning a hole in your pocket, this is what the HJC CS-15 will give you for your money.

• Sports-tourer full face
• Polycarbonate shell
• SHARP 4 star safety rated
• Micrometric fastener
• Sizes XS-XXL
• No frills helmet
• 1.45Kg weight (slightly lighter than avg)
• Expect to pay around £100

Best places to buy an HJC CS-15?

Please click below to visit the HJC CS-15 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).

Safety

There’s no safety data available on the HJC CS-15 just yet and it hasn’t been SHARP safety tested so far.

As usual, to be on sale in the UK and EU, it will have to be ECE 22.05 certified – and for more information on this or any other terms, check out the links in the right hand side panel (right at the bottom of the page for mobile users – sorry!)

HJC has a mixed history when it comes to SHARP safety rating of their helmets. Of their last three tested polycarbonate helmets, one scored four, another five (maximum) and another two stars. So we were struggling to second guess where the CS-15 will come in.

Well, second guess no more, because the testing bods at SHARP did get their paws on the CS-15 and they scored it an excellent 4 stars for safety (remember the max is 5 stars).

That’s an awesome score for an entry level, low-tech helmet and means it should give you excellent levels of protection. And let’s face it, that’s numero-uno requirement for a helmet, right?

There’s not a mass of other safety features incorporated into the HJC CS-15. But you’ll find it has a micrometric fastener (fabulously easy to use and safe as long as it feels nice and tight) and the helmet’s being produced in two shell sizes.

Micrometric fasteners are great while just two shell sizes aren’t ideal but are what you’d expect from a lower-priced helmet. Click the link to find out more info on why more shell sizes = better.

Ventilation

HJC do make a bit of a ‘thing’ about the ventilation on the CS-15.

It has a single chin vent and a pair of crown vents – all operated with a single (slightly small for gloved hands?) slider.

HJC call this ACS or Advanced Channelling Ventilation System – meaning the crown ventilation will channel air through the channels in the inner EPS lining, around the scalp, then out of the twin rear exhaust vents.

But even though the HJC blurb makes something of this ventilation config, this type of system is actually very common on most full face helmets these days, mainly because it’s an effective solution.

There’s not much information around the web on how well the ventilation of the CS-15 works; suffice to say we’ve yet to find an HJC helmet that isn’t somewhere from average to great when it comes to keeping your head cool and well vented, so there’s no reason to suspect the CS-15 won’t provide decent ventilation too.

Visor

The visor of the of the CS-15 is quick-release, Pinlock anti-fog ready (though there’s no Pinlock in the box) and is anti-fog treated. The fact that it comes already anti-fog treated but Pinlock-ready possibly points to HJC not being over-confident in the ability of the anti-fog treatment! A Pinlock will typically set you back around £30-£40.

HJC visors are usually decent quality and work well. This one has the opening tab on the left hand side – which is just where you want it.

Comfort & Sizing

The CS-15 is made in two shell sizes with the smaller shell size covering fitment sizes XS-M and the larger shell sizes L-XXL.

It has a Nylax removable and washable lining. Nylax is a soft-touch brushed polyester which HJC have been using in quite a few of their helmets (such as the IS-Max II and CL-Y) for a few years now. It’s washable, comfortable and wears well.

The CS-15 also has glasses grooves in the sides of the lining to accommodate the stems of glasses and stopping them pressing into the side of the head.

Like any helmet, the key to getting a helmet that’s both comfortable and safe is buying one that fits correctly in the first place. Check our fitment guide to make sure you order the correct helmet – and always buy from a retailer that offers no-quibble returns.

Looks & Graphics

The HJC CS-15 comes in six graphics options as well as solid/plain gloss/matt black and gloss white.

Of the fancy graphics versions, there’s the Songton, Treague, Space, Sebka, Rafu and Velenta – and you can find examples of most of these up and down the page, though there’s usually at least a couple of colour options available.

Best places to buy an HJC CS-15?

Please click below to visit the HJC CS-15 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).

HJC CS-15 Video

Here’s a quick 1m look around a solid matt black CS-15.

Other stuff – weight, glasses, chin curtain, warranty

The HJC CS-15 comes with a breath guard & chin curtain in the box.

HJC advertise that the size medium weighs in at 1.45Kg which is a good weight – especially for a polycarbonate full face helmet. In fact, it’s way lighter than the average polycarbonate helmet and just a smidge heavier than the average carbon fibre helmet (!) – so you shouldn’t have a problem with the helmet feeling heavy when riding.

Finally, it comes with HJCs paltry one year warranty which is a bit feeble. 5 year warranty’s are becoming the norm these days so click here to find a helmet that comes with a 5 year warranty.

Overall/Summary

The HJC CS-15 looks a decent – if basic – package.  But then again, you can have one sitting in your garage for a reasonably basic amount of money!

When you buy an HJC, you typically get a good quality helmet at a low price. The CS-15 is aimed at riders who’re looking for an ‘all rounder’ helmet – one that’ll work if you’re head-down and going for it on the twisties or bimbling through town on your way to work. It doesn’t have anything fancy like a sun visor or Pinlock, but we’d expect the HJC CS-15 to be a decent helmet to live with, helped by that attractive buy price.

One particularly great feature of the CS-15 is that SHARP 4 star safety rating. As we always say, if you’ve gotta wear a helmet, you might as well one that’s going to give you the best protection.

And since it’s now been verified by SHARP that the CS-15 will do just that, then that makes it a much more desirable helmet in our eyes.

All in all, it’s a basic helmet but it covers those basic features well and is a great value full face helmet for anyone looking for a lower priced all-rounder helmet.

Alternatives to the HJC CS-15

First off, there’s MTs SHARP five star safety rated MT Revenge – that’s another polycarb helmet that weighs about the same as the CS-15 and is pretty basic in terms of features. But if you’re after a lower priced helmet to protect you in a spill, this is a great tried-and-tested helmet to go for.

The LS2 FF352 Rookie is another SHARP 4 star rated lid but it’s even cheaper than the CS-15 and Revenge – and the Rookie is even lighter than both and comes with an optically-correct visor. Wow!

But if you do want an HJC full face and are OK with spending a bit more, then the HJC FG-ST is an outstanding helmet. It’s SHARP 5 star and comes with a Pinlock anti-fog insert in the box. Well worth a look this one.

Best places to buy an HJC CS-15?

Please click below to visit the HJC CS-15 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).

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.

More HJC crash helmet reviews/info?

Visit our HJC page to quickly browse all our HJC helmet reviews including all the latest safety-rated full face and modular/flip up helmets.