Schuberth S3 review | ECE 22.06 full-face touring helmet

Date reviewed: January 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £429.99 | bikerheadz.co.uk

The Schuberth S3 on review here is a premium full-face motorcycle helmet designed primarily for touring riders. As such, it’s competing directly with the £499.99 Arai Quantic reviewed here and the £539.99 Shoei GT-Air 3 reviewed here. That’s a big difference in price, but Schuberth has had more than its share of issues over the years, so it’s got ground to make up. I’ve been wearing the S3 on a 2019 BMW R1250GS, 1999 Kawasaki ZX-63 and a Zontes ZT350-T for several months to find out if it can really compete with the two Japanese leaders…

Outer Shell

The Schuberth S3 has a carbon-reinforced fibre-glass shell with two densities of expanded polystyrene (EPS) liner. Perhaps helping to keep the cost down relative to the competition, the S3 has just two different outer shell sizes – one covering XS to large (I’ve got a medium), the other for XL to XXXL. That simply means that an XS or an XL might look a little bigger than you’d expect, though I’d bet that Schuberth has looked at what are the most common sizes purchased, and saved on the tooling cost of having three outer shell sizes, like those offered by Arai and Shoei. Still, those also only go up to XL and XXL respectively.

On the other hand, the Schuberth already includes the microphone, speakers and antenna required for its own comms system, which must add to the manufacturing costs

The cheek pads have quick-release pull-tabs that work very well. Hopefully you’ll never need them, but they allow emergency responders to easily pull the pads out when the helmet’s on your head, which then makes it a lot safer to remove without disturbing the neck. There’s also Schuberth’s ‘Anti-Roll-Off’ system, which tethers the chin strap to the rear of the helmet to help reduce the chance of it being pulled off your head in a crash.

The S3 starts at £429.99 for plain gloss white or matt black colours, rising to £444.99 for plain ‘Concrete Grey’, £499.99 for graphics like this ‘Storm Blue’, and £539.99 for some of the newer designs.

Finish is, as you’d expect, very good with a deep gloss top-coat. There’s no metallic or pearlescent shimmer in this model’s design; the graphics are accurately applied, and while maybe they might be considered a little budget-looking by some, I like the style. Compared to the Shoei GT-Air 3, the base coat is a similar plain white, but the Shoei’s metallic graphics certainly look more premium. Perhaps this is another way for Schuberth to keep costs down relative to the competition.

The Schuberth S3 is certified to the ECE 22.06 standard (which is tougher than the previous ECE 22.05), but is not yet featured on the SHARP database.

Weight

This size medium weighs 1,661g on my scales, which is 73g heavier than the Arai Quantic and 17g lighter than the Shoei GT-Air 3.

Most ECE 22.06-certified helmets I’ve tested are around this weight and certainly haven’t caused me any issues. As someone undergoing treatment for upper spine problems, I still maintain that in almost 30 years of riding and testing bike kit, I’ve never found a helmet that’s too heavy in use.

What does matter is aerodynamics, which can cause significant strain on the neck. While this is also affected by your bike’s fairing, I’ve found the S3 to be very good, with only a small amount of drag evident when turning the head sideways for a shoulder check.

Ventilation

The Schuberth S3’s ventilation is excellent.

At the chin there’s an open/closed mouth vent that blows straight through a removable coarse mesh foam filter. Above that is another open/closed vent that feeds up across the back of the visor to the brow of the head. You can feel this moving air well, and while it can get a little chilly in the summer, as a glasses wearer I do appreciate how easy it is to switch between settings when things get a bit stuffy. It can also help to get rid of excess moisture in particularly bad weather, which can otherwise eventually overwhelm the Pinlock.

On the top of the helmet is a two-stage and closed vent that does a great job of blowing air down onto your head, across the top and out of the always-open exhaust at the rear, and out of the base. This vent can get a little stiff to operate, but it’s fully removable for cleaning, so getting any road dirt out and giving it a light spray with silicone soon frees it up. There’s also a mesh guard under the top vent, to stop any larger bugs getting in. Having had a wasp get in a helmet before, I appreciate this!

The top lining also has a flap that can be flipped over to stop the air from blowing straight onto your head, but still allowing it to flow over to the rear. This is a great option for winter, and really does add to the versatility of this helmet.

The main chin skirt is permanently fixed in place, but there’s an additional part that can be removed. The S3 is well sealed when you want it to be, but can also open up for an extremely impressive amount of ventilation. Overall, I’m very impressed.

Visor

One of the issues with previous Schuberths (including the earlier S3s and C5s) was a visor mechanism that started out fine, but that became loose after regular use, allowing it to drop down shut at speed. Some stores wedged felt or O-rings in, but I did design a more effective 3D printed fix for the loose Schuberth visors, which you can download here. Schuberth seems to have solved this with the revised visor mechanism featured on the helmet I have, and will also replace the part for anyone who has issues with the old one.

The visor has thumb-tabs on both sides for easier use with either hand, and no awkward locking mechanism. There’s a just-cracked-open city position, followed by five smooth ratchet stages. The city position does tend to close itself over about 40mph, but the chin vent is very effective when needed. I’ve had no problem with the visor staying fully open at speed.

A Pinlock 120 anti-fog insert is supplied already fitted to the visor, and it’s set well out to the sides to minimise interference with peripheral vision.

The drop-down sunshield is easily-operated with a slider on the left of the neck line, but while it’s got a little lever to set its bottom position at one of two levels, even at its lowest I find there’s a gap of light along the bottom edge and above my nose. This is a bit distracting at times, and while it’s far from the worst I’ve tried, it’s definitely lacking when compared to the class-leading sunshield fitted to the Shoei GT-Air 3 / Neotec 3.

Lining

The S3’s lining is one of the most complex I’ve disassembled, but it’s definitely not the trickiest to put back in, and Schuberth has dropped the brittle pins in the ends of the neck skirt too. There are a lot of parts, but they’re well retained, and it comes together in a very comfortable, snug-fitting package.

Fastening

The Schuberth S3 has an eight-position micro-metric ratchet strap, which makes sense in a touring lid. Offering a good range of adjustment (once the strap length is first set), this design is far quicker and easier to use than a double-D, but still very secure.

Fit

Fit is entirely subjective, and I’d always urge anyone buying a helmet to do it in-store, and to get some help checking the size and shape. Regardless of how long you’ve been riding, or your experience of any brand, it’s vital to get a good fit; not only for safety (a worrying number of riders are in helmets that are too large for them), but also because a small pressure point can become agony after an hour in the saddle.

An important point to note here is that, due to the very good seal around the neck, the S3 can feel very tight when you pull it over your head, but don’t worry – once on it’s a different story.

I found my usual size medium a good, comfortable fit once on. However, I tried the optional ‘Comfort’ cheek pads, which are 10mm slimmer than the standard ones, and that took it from being a good fit, to a perfect fit.

Replacement pads aren’t supplied to stores by the importer for free, but it’s worth asking your dealer about swapping them if needs be, as some might offer a discount or even be able replace them at the time of purchase free of charge. Understandably, those I’ve spoken to can’t exchange them after buying (though you can buy them), which is why it’s so important to get the right fit in store.

The cheek pads can be changed in the Small to XXXL sized helmets, with the following thicknesses available:

Schuberth also has an ‘Individual Program’, that offers different pad thicknesses in the top lining for different head shapes, though it’s only available for M, L and XL sizes:

Ultimately, you might not need to change the fit of the S3 at all, but it’s good to know that it can be done, and shopping around will get you the best deal.

I have no problems fitting my glasses inside the Schuberth S3.

Schuberth S3 - Noise

Schuberth has always made a lot of noise about its helmet’s lack of noise, and claims 85 db(A) at 62 mph on a naked bike. The tight fit around the neck skirt and chin will definitely reduce wind noise, but ultimately this is incredibly hard to quantify in the real-world as the fit of your head inside a helmet will have a massive effect on how noisy it is, not to mention the shape of your bike’s screen and fairing, and your height.

Open the vents and the noise increases, but the S3 does seem to have a good start. All I can tell you is that I didn’t notice any undue noise, and that – like every other helmet – over about 40mph you need to wear earplugs.

For more information on why earplugs are vital with any helmet, and advice on which are the best, click here.

Can I fit my own intercom to the Schuberth S3

The S3 comes with speakers, microphone and antenna already fitted ready for the company’s own Sena-based SC2 integrated intercom system, and impressively there’s a new SC Edge system coming, which uses Cardo technology, so owners can choose based on their preferred brand and what their mates have for easier Mesh connectivity. There’s also an ‘SC2 Standard’ model promised for around April that will be a Bluetooth only, cheaper option. We hope to review them soon.

If you do want to use your own comms though, there’s plenty of space on the side for an adhesive mount, and you can remove the existing speakers to fit your own in the recesses, as long as they’re not more than 40-42mm in diameter.

As with other brands, if you buy any intercom at the same time as the helmet from most stores, you’ll not pay VAT on the comms system, saving 16.66%.

Three alternatives to the Schuberth S3

There’s no doubt that the S3 is being pitched at the premium touring end of the market, and there’s some stiff competition…

• Shoei GT-Air 3, from £539.99 | The excellent drop-down sunshield really stands out on this helmet, and compared to the Schuberth it also simply looks more expensive. But the extra cost doesn’t bring better ventilation, and the Pinlock is annoyingly narrow. A custom fit is available for free as standard, and it is a very good helmet. Read the full review of the Shoei GT-Air 3 here. ECE 22.06 | SHARP: 5 stars

• Arai Quantic, from £499.99 | An absolutely brilliant helmet with great comfort and bench-mark ventilation, some people will ignore it due to its lack of a drop-down sunshield (Arai firmly believes that it compromises safety). Read the full review of the Arai Quantic here. ECE 22.06 | SHARP: 4 stars

• HJC RPHA 71, from £399.99 | A good value alternative with a great finish and powerful (but not as controlled) ventilation, we had some reservations about the visor, but if you’re in this price range, this is a helmet well worth trying on too. Read the full review of the HJC RPHA 71 here. ECE 22.06 | SHARP: not rated

These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the helmets we’ve tested here  and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.

Schuberth S3 Review - Verdict

Sit this Schuberth S3 next to the Shoei GT-Air 3 in the ‘Realm TC-10’ graphics and it looks cheaper. But it is. £150 cheaper to be precise. If the non-metallic graphics don’t matter to you, then besides the not-quite-as-good-as-the-market-leading-Shoei’s sunshield, I’m finding it very hard to find anything wrong with this motorcycle helmet. In fact, the ventilation is superb, and now the visor mechanism has been tweaked I’ve got no hesitation in recommending the Schuberth.

What helmet you choose must come down to fit, but this is an excellent lid that, while far from ‘cheap’, does offer a lot for the money.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.

Do you own this helmet? Tell us what it’s like, or ask us questions about it at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.