Halo Master Chief Motorcycle Helmet – Your Options (and One to Avoid!)
Evan Rally
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Let me tell you a little secret.
Sometimes I ride without a helmet. I know the dangers, so I ride extremely cautiously. Like my baby son is sitting on the gas tank.
The funny thing? If I put on a piece of crap full face helmet, I ride like a banshee. Because I feel like I’m protected. My riding style changes subconsciously. Overall, I believe this situation is much MORE dangerous than no helmet at all.
The Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet from NECA is one of those unsafe helmets that causes overconfidence. Yet many Halo fans are enticed to buy it simply because they love the Halo video games and think it’s a legitimate DOT approved helmet that will keep them safe.
Thankfully, motorcycle riders have other options to get that Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 look.
First, I’ll walk through my review of the Halo helmet from NECA that took the internet by storm several years back. Then, I’ll show you a few other helmets that look the part while also protecting your head.
Let’s get into it.
Quick Verdict: How to Copy the Master Chief Look
The NECA helmet is not a motorcycle helmet. Let’s just get this straight. It’s a foam bucket at best.
Pick one of the options below if you’re serious about safety, and then paint it military green and slap on a reflective visor for that Halo helmet look.
Here are a couple adventure helmets that will get you started:
Budget 
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Mid-Range 
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Treat Yourself 
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4.0 |
4.2 |
4.9 |
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$174.95
| $284.95
| Check Price |
- MIPS liner
- Large visor
- Removable peak
- Modular
- DOT and ECE approved
- Big visor
- Badass
- Lots of large vents
- Removable peak
- Can use with googles
- DOT and Snell approved
If the color just isn’t right, follow our guide on how to customize a motorcycle helmet to get that green color you’re after.
Want pictures and more details? Read on.
My Honest Review of the Master Chief Helmet from NECA
The Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet from NECA looks spot on. Exterior features are perfect. It’s a detailed replica of Master Chief’s headgear, formed into a motorcycle helmet. But it gets worse from there.
Let’s start with safety, and move to cost.
NECA stands for National Entertainment Collectibles Association. Do you think they know how to build a safe motorcycle helmet? They sell replica swords and action figures for LARPing, not safety equipment for 60mph slides on pavement.
I can hear you now, “But Evan, it’s a DOT approved motorcycle helmet!“
Maybe you’re new here, but DOT doesn’t mean a thing. Many half helmets get DOT approval, meaning DOT standards only look at the top skull cap section of each helmet. NECA’s Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet looks like a full face, but all it’s really providing is some cheap plastic and foam over the top of your head.
It’s also HUGE, a good 2-3 inches wider than your average full face lid. That’ll give the mushroom head look to anyone but Arnold Schwarzenegger in his golden years.
Another terrible design element? The peak of the helmet lifts up with the visor. In order to crack the visor for some air, you have to lift a giant plastic sail. And you’ll need to crack it to keep your head cool, since there are no front air intakes or rear exhaust vents.
Try doing that above 30mph and tell me how it feels.
Check out this honest review of the Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet. See how it cracks and pops when he applies any force? How weak the plastic is? How terrible the cheek pads feel? You will not be the lone survivor if you think this Halo motorcycle helmet will save you on the streets.
And that glove friendly opening mechanism? Yeah it’s pavement friendly too.
You could get safer helmets for $50 on Amazon. How much does this helmet cost? FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. And that’s IF you can find this limited edition helmet on sale anywhere.
But all is not lost if you want a Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet. I’m here to provide you with some hand picked alternatives.
Each of these helmets has a similar shape to Master Chief’s iconic helmet. A detailed replica is only a few weekends away with some sweat or a talented artist. I’ll show you how to get a perfect Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet done. Your own limited edition helmet can be a run of 1!
Get My Favorite Gear: Get yourself in something better than this excuse for a Master Chief helmet. Here’s what I wear every day on the motorcycle, from helmet to boots: My Gear
The Best Halo Helmets to Get You in the Fight
Don’t compromise on safety with NECA’s helmet. It’s not worth it. The hospital bills and agony of a head injury cost FAR more than all of these Halo helmets combined. TRUST ME.
My picks for Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet in the making mostly come from the adventure riding world, since these sport a nice peak. All of these helmets are extremely versatile – working just as well off-road as on the street. And they each have plenty of front air intakes and rear exhaust vents to keep your head cool, unlike NECA’s hotbox.
I’ll work my way up from Budget to High-End. Then I’ll show you how to customize each helmet to make it resemble Master Chief Petty Officer John-117’s iconic look.
Budget: LS2 Drifter Helmet (Perfect Look)
FYI: This is a very new helmet, so take ratings with a grain of salt!
The LS2 Drifter Helmet is almost a spitting image to the Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet. But it’s also a great helmet.
The LS2 Drifter in Military green looks like a piece of kit from the Halo Universe, and it’s about as advanced as that world’s gear. It’s both DOT and ECE approved for safety, which is rare for an open face helmet like this. And yes, it’s open face… the chin bar is removable for more airflow.
It’s light at just 1300 grams, due to that removable chinbar. And the shell is made of KPA material, a lightweight polymer that distributes impacts better than the classic polycarbonate (AKA plastic).
It’s also VERY affordable… pick one up today and get back to riding.
With customizable muzzle, this ECE approved helmet open face / full face helmet is light on the neck and on the wallet
- Affordable
- Removable chinbar
- ECE safety rated
Budget: Bell MX-9 Adventure Mips Dash Helmet
Bell is a serious helmet manufacturer – not a novelty collectibles company.
The Bell MX-9 costs less than half the price of the NECA Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet, but looks just as good. And it’s actually a useful motorcycle helmet.
A small peak mimics the Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet look while protecting your eyes from the sun. A large visor provides ample space to view the road ahead. A strong and stable chin bar prevents front impacts from affecting your face. Any defects are handled by the stellar five year warranty from Bell.
This lid is also cutting edge in safety, with the integrated Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. MIPS lets your head rotate independently from the helmet’s shell. It’s a $15 piece of plastic for Bell, but lowers the rotational strain on your brain during a crash by up to FIFTY percent.
That’s a helmet that’s worth its weight in gold. Roll around like Master Chief with the Bell MX-9.
A helmet that punches way above its weight with large visor, removable peak, and integrated MIPS liner.
- MIPS liner reduces rotational force in crash
- Large visor for great visibility
- Removable peak for touring and off-road look
Budget: Scorpion EXO-AT960 Helmet
Another safer and higher-quality alternative to the NECA Halo Master Chief Motorcycle Helmet is the Scorpion EXO-AT960. This adventure style helmet provides ample protection on and off the road.
It’s also a modular, meaning you can slide up the chin bar to speak to your buds off the bike or take a sip of a drink. The peak and drop-down sun shield provide shade and a distinct Master Chief look.
From the safety side you get dual density EPS foam and a lightweight polycarbonate shell, plus an EverClear No-Fog Face Shield. That means protection from knocks and a clear view in all conditions. The KwikWick anti-microbial liner keeps you cool and dry in any weather, and the pads are grooved so you can wear eyeglasses without squeezing your temples.
Follow our steps to repaint this lid in green and you have something that looks straight out of the Halo games.
A do-everything helmet, it's as comfortable on trails as the highway. Shocking for a modular, it's DOT and ECE approved.
- Modular chinbar
- DOT and ECE approved
- Big visor
- Affordable price
Budget: Scorpion EXO Covert X
This one is for you street riders. Looking like it came out of the declassified Spartan II project, the Covert X is intimidating and flexible. While this DOT approved motorcycle helmet lacks a peak like Master Chief’s headgear, it has a convenient modular design that I’ll get in to.
The smooth, matte surface of this helmet makes it easy to repaint out of the box. The drop down sun visor already looks very similar to the Master Chief visor, which is more upright than most motorcycle helmets. And that visor will give you UV protection.
The Scorpion Covert is no novelty helmet, despite its cool looks. The Ultra-TCT fiberglass and Aramin shell gives better impact absorption than more common polycarbonate shells. It has only three front air intakes, but who needs them when you can open the whole face?
You can mix and match the front face shield, visor, ear covers and rear neck sleeve to make this helmet a full-face, open face or half helmet. Pieces are easy to mix and match with a magnetic snap mechanism.
That’s a lot of helmets for only $300!
This helmet combines advanced materials for shell impact absorption usually only seen on pricier lids. Its versatile design allows it to be worn as a half helmet or full face.
- Lightweight, strong TCT-Ultra shell
- Comfortable, ventilated design
- Versatile: full face, open or half helmet
- Small visor
- Only DOT rated
Mid-Range: Nexx X.WED3 Helmet
This Nexx lid’s exterior features struck me with its flat front and relatively short peak. That makes for a profile that looks very similar to the Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet. This lid just launched as an iteration of the WED2, which came in a beautiful olive / military green that matched the Halo Master Chief helmet look. Our Senior Editor JM Staelens recently had the opportunity to take this helmet for a spin in Portugal. In short, he absolutely loves it. More on his impressions below.
The closest color match you’ll get with the Nexx X.WED3 is their “Matte Forest Green” colorway, which is a bit more Japanese-tuner-pearl-green than military fatigues, but there’s always the option of repainting it yourself to nail the look. There’s also a full-carbon version of the helmet in Matte Green / Silver which looks nice.
After using this helmet to ride both on and off-road in Portugal, our Senior Editor JM Staelens commented on how solid and well-built this helmet feels. The entire thing is assembled in Portugal, which makes it (maybe the only?) helmet entirely made in Europe.
This helmet is definitely a premium lid, at a mid-range price. All the basics of a high end helmet are there, from the fiberglass and Aramid carbon fiber shell to the seven intake vents keeping you cool whether you’re on the highway or in the jungle. The adjustable peak is easy to pop off, making this a suitable touring helmet as well. The sun shield slides down with a simple mechanism right along the left edge of the peak. And even the lining has a quick release system for paramedics that goes beyond the simple red cheek pad pull tabs (which it has too!)
However you also get some extras I haven’t seen on any other helmets: like a rubber lining between the EPS foam layers and between the shield and helmet to reduce vibrations. You also get crash bumpers along the chin to absorb smaller impacts should you come off doing hard enduro, for instance. And finally Nexx included action camera mounts already installed at the top, side, and chin. Awesome.
I love that the visor on this helmet is GIGANTIC – meaning plenty of visibility both left-right and down to the road below you. Pick this up in Matte Green and you’re ready to pull off Master Chief.
This helmet is ready for the integrated NEXX X-COM Bluetooth system to be installed, which JM also had a chance to test. He loved the speakers, the slimness of the unit and the battery life, however the brow-mounted mic picked up a lot of wind noise during his tests. The standard X-COM 3 is around $170 with the X-COM 3 Pro about twice that. The standard is equivalent to a Sena 5S while the Pro is equal to the Sena 50S with Mesh intercom.
Beware this helmet is so popular that it’s often out of stock, in all variations and colorways! Nexx has a winner here. The prior generation X.WED2, however, is on sale across the web! Pick up either below.
Our Pick 
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Second Best 
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Primary Rating:
4.9 | Primary Rating:
4.5 |
Description: A premium helmet at midrange price: advanced composite or full carbon fiber shell, flexible ventilation system, integrated comms, and versatile street + off-road design that doesn't require tools to switch. | Description: Comfort of a touring helmet with aggressive style and functionality for street and off-road. One helmet to do it all. |
Pros:
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Cons:
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A premium helmet at midrange price: advanced composite or full carbon fiber shell, flexible ventilation system, integrated comms, and versatile street + off-road design that doesn't require tools to switch.
- Big eyeport
- Lightweight
- Anti-vibration system
- So popular it's often out of stock
Comfort of a touring helmet with aggressive style and functionality for street and off-road. One helmet to do it all.
- On closeout sales!
- Wide eyeport
- Premium build
- Less ventilated than WED3
High-End: Arai XD-5 Helmet
Now we’re at the cream of the crop. This might be Noble 6‘s helmet. I cannot confirm or deny.
Arai is the top of the food chain. The Great White Shark of motorcycle helmets.
The XD-5 is Arai’s premium adventure helmet. It features a removable sun-protecting peak and more rear exhaust vents than a Manhattan avenue. The front and profile mimic the Master Chief look.
I won’t bore you with the basics: this Arai lid basically packs all the best safety and comfort technology in to one lightweight package. It’s one of few adventure-style helmets to achieve a Snell safety rating.
What’s special about it? Facial Contour Support cheek and temple pads that allow you to peel away 5mm to customize the fit. Compare that to the cheek pads that barely touch your face in the NECA Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet.
This Arai lid is for the rider that’s serious about their safety. The premium price is nothing compared to the hospital bills you might save on by wearing this helmet.
The sequel to the legendary XD-4 helmet, this lid improves in every way from its round shell design to flexible shield that always fits, goggles or not.
- Lots of large vents
- Removable peak
- Can use with googles
- DOT and Snell approved
Custom Painting a Halo Helmet
Alright, you have a helmet in hand from the list above. How do you take it closer to the Master Chief helmet, with its distinct military green and reflective sun visor?
Paint it green and rough it up with some grey. Follow my step-by-step guide to painting a helmet here. If you’d rather trust the paint job to a professional, go with one of the trusted vendors I listed out here.
For a golden reflective shield, see if your lid has an aftermarket visor on Revzilla or Amazon.
Get creative with paint, a visor, and some foam blocks. You can build a perfect Halo Master Chief motorcycle helmet without sacrificing your safety.
