Tried and tested: HJC C10 review

An all-new motorbike helmet for 2023, the HJC C10 is an entry-level model and replaces the CS-15. It is the first sub £100 helmet to meet the latest ECE22.06 safety standard, which replaced the previous ECE 22.05 regulation.

Is the HJC C10 comfortable?

It’s one of those fit-and-forget kinds of lids. The internal shape of the C10 feels similar to an Arai helmet in that it is fairly rounded and neutral, and for me there aren’t any pinch points on the brow.

The cheek pads are plump and haven’t shown any signs of flattening after 1000 miles of use, so it gives quite a snug feeling overall – but in a reassuring way, not excessively tight. The C10 is all-day comfortable.

The fabric used for the interior is claimed to be moisture wicking, although I haven’t had a chance to test this claim out yet. It’s reasonably comfortable against the skin – it’s by no means scratchy but it’s not exactly super-soft either. The cheek pads and skull cap can be easily removed for washing via internal press studs.

The C10 comes with a chin curtain as standard, which can be removed via internal press studs. Whilst this does a good job of keeping out draughts and reducing noise, riders blessed with a few extra chins may find they have to ride without it.

There’s an impressively wide range of sizes across four shells – starting at 3XS (for kids) and going all the way up to 2XL.

What’s the HJC C10’s visor like?

It’s super wide and provides excellent vison. The C10 has a 10mm wider aperture than the lid it replaces and gives an excellent field of view, both when riding upright bikes and also tucked in on sportsbikes too. The visor is Pinlock ready, although the C10 doesn’t come with one as standard, which isn’t unusual for a lid at this price point.

I’d strongly recommend getting one (£25) as the visor will fog up without it, unless you ride with the visor slightly ajar – which the 10-position visor mechanism will allow you to do, although it is a little stiff to open from this position.

When it’s fully closed, the visor seals against the helmet superbly meaning no annoying whistles or rain droplets.

There’s no drop-down sun vision, nor is there a dark visor in the box – again, this isn’t a surprise on an entry-level lid. If you do treat yourself to a tinted visor you’ll be pleased to know that the release mechanism is really easy to use, being very similar to that used by Shoei.

Does the HJC C10 have good ventilation?

Airflow is excellent and the three togglable vents are extremely easy to use. The chin vent is wide and flows a fair amount of air up the inside of the visor, and it’s extremely easily pushed open/closed. The two vents on top of the lid can be opened fully, part-way or closed via a slider, which is again easy to toggle. All three vent to an always-open vent on the rear of the lid.

Is the HJC C10 a noisy helmet?

I always ride with earplugs, but even so, this is one seriously quiet lid. I think the smooth shell shape and flush visor mechanism contribute to excellent airflow over the lid as there’s no hint of any noise from turbulence. It’s another contributing factor as to why this lid is such a comfortable place to spend long amounts of time in.

Does the HJC C10 look good?

It’s not pushing the boundaries of style, but I think that’s a good thing. Its shape is very middle-of-the-road, so it’s got enough style to look classy but is never going to make anyone look twice. There are 14 different graphic/colour options and in my opinion, most are fairly tasteful.

Is the HJC C10 good quality?

Impressive. Everything about this lid from the visor to the chin strap feels decent quality, and overall it’s really well made. After 1000 miles of use, it’s still looking and feeling as-new.

Is the HJC C10 good value?

Excellent value. This is a sub-£100 lid that doesn’t feel in any way compromised. It’s comfy, looks good, and is easy to live with – plus it has the added bonus of meeting the latest, more stringent, safety standards.

At the time of writing, there’s not yet another lid at this price point that meets ECE 22.06 and it could be argued that perhaps we’ll see the end of really, really cheap motorcycle helmets on the market as cheaper brands may well not be able to invest the money into the R&D required to meet the new standards.

HJC, being the world’s biggest selling helmet manufacturer, obviously doesn’t have this problem!

The next cheapest ECE22.06-rated rival is Scorpion’s EXO-491 at £129.99 – which has the added bonus of a drop-down sun visor, and also the Nolan N80-8, which has a drop-down visor and Pinlock too for £140.

The verdict

If you’ve got no more than £100 to spend on a helmet, you won’t be disappointed with the HJC C10. Although it doesn’t have many bells and whistles, as a basic helmet its performance is impressive.

It’s good quality, very quiet and looks classy. It definitely doesn’t feel – or look – like a cheaper lid. It’s also available in youth sizes which make it a really good option for a first lid.

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