What is the difference between a half helmet and a three-quarter helmet?
4 Answers
Three-quarter helmets cover more parts of the head, generally extending to the neck and covering the ears, while half helmets leave the ears exposed. The following is an introduction to helmet-related content: 1. Safety helmets: Safety helmets can only provide certain protection for the top of the head. When riding an electric bike, one might encounter wind, sand, or flying catkins, requiring a windshield to protect the eyes. Additionally, safety helmets cannot effectively protect the back of the head, so they cannot replace electric bike helmets. 2. When purchasing: Carefully check the product name, certification, manufacturer's information, and execution standards, and ensure CCC certification is present. Low-quality helmets not only fail to provide the necessary protection for the head but may also cause parts to shatter upon impact, leading to other secondary injuries to organs.
I usually commute by motorcycle and have worn both types of helmets. The most obvious advantage of the half helmet is its lightness—it weighs only about two-thirds of a three-quarter helmet, making it especially cool in summer, and the back of the neck doesn’t get sweaty. However, it only covers the top of the head and the upper part of the ears, leaving the back of the head and lower half of the ears exposed. Last time my friend crashed, the half helmet didn’t protect his ears at all, and he ended up scraping off a patch of skin. Although the three-quarter helmet is heavier, it fully covers the back of the head and ears, and has a transparent visor to block wind and insects. Especially on rainy days, the visor lets raindrops slide right off, making it much more practical than the half helmet. Now, I use the half helmet for short grocery runs, but for my 10+ km commute to work, I always choose the three-quarter helmet—safety comes first.
In terms of protection, there's a significant difference. A half helmet is like wearing a bowl on your head, only protecting the top of the skull, leaving the back of the ears and the lower part of the back of the head completely unprotected. I once saw a cracked half helmet at a repair shop, and the injured person had over a dozen stitches on the back of their head. A three-quarter helmet offers much more coverage, enclosing the entire skull up to the upper edge of the neck, with side ear covers that can cushion lateral impacts. The most practical feature is the flip-up visor—when riding, small stones hitting the visor just make a 'tick-tock' sound, whereas with a half helmet, they'd hit your face directly and likely cause disfigurement. However, three-quarter helmets also have drawbacks: they tend to fog up in winter, requiring frequent opening of the vents. Additionally, they weigh about half a pound more than half helmets, which can cause shoulder fatigue when worn for long periods.
Based on my experience as a motorcycle taxi rider, choosing a helmet depends on the usage scenario. Half helmets excel in convenience – you can easily slip one on when popping into a convenience store, and they fold compactly to fit under the motorcycle seat. Three-quarter helmets, however, approach full-face helmets in size, often requiring hanging space when parked. Ventilation-wise, half helmets are unbeatable with zero neck restriction, while three-quarter helmets accommodate Bluetooth headsets – crucial for order-taking. The protection difference is stark: accident scenes reveal scalp lacerations with half helmets versus mostly ear abrasions with three-quarter models. For short commutes, choose half helmets; for delivery work, opt for three-quarter – lessons learned through painful experience.
