Comfort and Safety Collide at $900: Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet Review

My 95-year-old grandpa is often the toughest, smartest guy in the room. He raced motorcycles across the Mojave Desert and flat-bottomed boats across the Missouri River, survived Rocky Mountain snowstorms on horseback, and even built a house at age 60. The man valued reliable gear and taught me the adage, “You get what you pay for.”

But even with that wisdom, I initially scoffed at the price tag of the RENEN x BELL Moto-10 “Krone” motorcycle helmet: $900!

After 3 years and thousands of miles on dirt of wearing the Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet across California, Oregon, and Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, how’s that sticker shock treating me? I’m very sure now: You get what you pay for.

In short: The Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet is a premium motorcycle helmet for off-road riding. It packs upgraded Spherical MIPS technology to minimize rotational impact forces, a premium and rare safety feature. With attractive finishing touches and magnetic jaw pads, a cooling liner, ventilation ports, broad field of vision, and sleek, aerodynamic shell, this helmet is an excellent investment for the long haul.

Read the full Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet review below or compare it to our other top picks in the Best Motorcycle Helmets buyer’s guide.

Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet Review

My expectations for this motorcycle helmet were sky-high — as they should be. You should expect an elevated experience from the jump at this price point. Fortunately, Bell delivers.

For years, I wore this motorcycle helmet during late-season snowstorms in Oregon, all over Eastern California, and extensively in Baja, Mexico.

On the hottest days, I found the airflow and liner better than other helmets. The ample air intake ports and exhaust ports really keep the air moving over your head. The Bell Moto-10 Spherical was among the coolest helmets I’ve ever worn, and I really wished I had had it on my ride across Africa a few years ago. 

When I first received this helmet, I was blown away by everything, from the packaging to the product. It arrived in a plush, velvet-lined carry bag. The carbon finish and subtle graphics were stunning. I was thoroughly impressed, and I hadn’t even put the helmet on yet!

Upon pulling it on, I found the fit consistent with other Bell helmets in its off-road line. The adjustable visor is integrated and sleek. The jawpads connect via magnets. The chin strap has a magnetic keeper, too. The liner is soft, smooth, and redesigned from the Moto-9 to distribute pressure more evenly across the top of the head.

While it’s heavier than some of the other carbon offerings from other manufacturers, this model feels light and certainly lighter than my old Moto 9S Flex (Bell’s previous high-end carbon offering). In contrast, the fit and finish are superior in every measurable way. All that is well and good, but we buy helmets to be safe.

Overall Fit

Bell Helmets fit me well. I wore a Moto-9S Flex for a month-long ride across the best dirt Africa offers. I was generally happy with that helmet aside from the liner that has a pad right at the top of the head that caused a slight pressure point — but that’s more about my weirdly shaped head than the helmet.

Furthermore, the helmets within Bell’s offerings each fit a bit differently. For example, the size measurements for the Bell MX-9 Adventure helmet differ from the Moto-9 and Moto-10 models. So, check the size chart whenever you’re picking up a new lid.

I say all this to drive home the point: if a helmet doesn’t fit you, nothing else matters — fitment over features, fitment over price, or fitment overall.

MIPS Goes Spherical: Safety First

Bell’s Moto-10 Spherical earned safety ratings from all the major safety certification bodies: DOT in the U.S., SNELL, and ECE in Europe. I’ll avoid the rabbit hole of which ratings are better for real-world riding. (OK, it’s ECE, in my opinion, which shows through ECE helmets being significantly lighter.) But Bell covered its bases and achieved safety marks from everyone, which avoids the debate and nuance altogether. 

MIPS has become a household name at this point, licensing its technology to manufacturers of helmets for all kinds of sports. When Bell was developing its new flagship model, it partnered with MIPS to raise the bar of protection even further, launching Spherical MIPS technology with this helmet. 

Like other helmets with MIPS, the Moto-10 Spherical is designed to limit the impact of rotational forces on the brain. Spherical technology takes this even further by allowing the shell and outer layer to rotate around an inner layer in a crash. This offers another layer of protection compared to the standard MIPS platform (often a simple inner liner that slides). Paired with the Spherical MIPS system is a dual-density liner that has you covered for high- and low-speed impacts.

Unique to the Moto-10 is what Bell calls the NMR (no missed races) bumpers. This is a softer EPP material that extends down on each side below the shell. The purpose of this material is to protect your body (specifically, the collar bones) from being impacted by the helmet in a crash. I’ve thankfully never had to test this feature, but I’m thankful it’s there! 

Additionally, Bell offers magnetic cheek pads that can easily be removed in case of a serious crash. This is also a great convenience when removing cheek pads for cleaning or installing a communication system.

Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet Review: Excellent Airflow & ‘Cooling’ Liner

The outside of the helmet has a segmented 3K carbon fiber woven shell. This allowed Bell to create channels within the helmet that maximize airflow. 

They call this its “Thermal Exchange Airflow System,” which is a fancy way of saying that this helmet keeps air moving over your head. It’s actually been designed to take in the air coming in the front and suck the hot air that your sweaty head is producing out the side and back exhaust ports.

A lot of companies make claims like this about moto helmets — but I can attest to how cool this helmet felt in the hottest of conditions. But don’t take my word for it: multiple pro championship-winning supercross and motocross athlete Cooper Webb says that when he wears the MOTO-10, “I can feel the sweat running down my forehead then getting pushed across my brow and away from my goggles.” 

Another factor that helps this helmet excel in hot weather is the Virus CoolJade Liner, which utilizes recycled jade to create a natural cooling effect. Some big claims say that this reduces your skin surface temperature by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m not sure I believe that claim, but the liner is premium-grade, moisture-wicking, and did its job well.

I’ve used this motorcycle helmet many times in hot desert conditions, and I’ve always been thankful for the airflow and cooling it offered!

Aerodynamic Shape, Broad Lens, Magnetic Pads

On my most recent ride in Baja, one of our go-to routes had been gated and locked. Our pleas with the ranchero owner were unsuccessful, so we re-routed by taking a 30-minute jaunt on the highway.

Often, on a multiday dual-sport trip, you’ll find yourself in these situations, so it’s nice to have a helmet like the MOTO-10 that performs well at high speeds. The combo of the segmented aerodynamic shell and the integrated visor provides super low drag for a helmet in this category. 

Bell calls the goggle port on this helmet “panoramic.” And I think it’s aptly named. Paired with my go-to goggles — the Amrega from 100% — the viewing experience out of this helmet was clear, wide, and unobstructed. The last thing you want to worry about is a chin bar or visor being a distraction when you’re focusing on the road ahead. 

Though the helmet doesn’t have specific cut-outs for ear speakers, I’ve been running a Cardo system, which worked well and was easy to install. I was grateful for the magnetic cheek pads in this helmet, especially when I needed to make quick micro-adjustments to the speakers to ensure correct positioning.

This is another example of how Bell thought of features for this helmet that I didn’t know I wanted until I had them!

Bell Moto-10 Spherical Helmet Qualms

One of my few complaints with this motorcycle helmet is its weight. It is almost half a pound heavier than full carbon offerings from other manufacturers. Now, did I know this until I looked it up? No, I never noticed the extra grams while wearing this helmet, which I’ve done nearly exclusively for the last couple of years. Am I curious to see what one of these super-light helmets feels like now? Yes, I am. 

The other issue I have with this helmet is noise. The downside of having such incredible ventilation is that I got quite a bit of wind noise at high speed. I run earplugs whenever I ride, but it was still noticeable compared to other off-road helmets I’ve tested.

Conclusion: Who Should Buy? 

Bell has more than 100 years of helmet-making to its name. The Bell Moto-10 Spherical feels like the culmination of that legacy. It’s a premium helmet that will keep you safe and cool when riding hard, whether on the motocross track or down your favorite back roads.