Just find a helmet that fits properly then buy that. Don't look at the price tag or graphics, just find one that fits, then filter from there.
Helmets are not supposed to feel all relaxed and loose like a poorly fitting construction hard hat. They're supposed to be fairly tight and secure. It doesn't have to crush your brains out or rip your ears off however it should not be all floppy comfortable either. The helmet should not move much when it's on your head. The more secure the helmet, the less you get your brains rattled in a crash. My helmet is tight enough that it takes two hands to get it on and off and I can't push the chin bar back against my nose. If you move my helmet, my head moves with it...THEN I secure the chin strap.
This is how I buy helmets especially when looking for something new that I haven't had before:
FF only, everything else is unconditionally rejected right from the start.
You can't fit a helmet online no matter what the reviews or size chart says. It just can't be done. You have to have it in your hands and stick it on your head and try different sizes to fit it properly.
Never buy the first one you stick your head into. That may be the right one however try others first. You need the sampling to get an idea what truly fits best.
Unless you know what generally fits and that you want, try on everything. That means everything from the $59 questionable one to the $1000 really nice one that has everything.
When you find one that fits properly, wear the helmet around the store for 20-30 minutes. A 20 second fit won't tell you if there are tight points that drill a hole in your brain later. Don't worry about people laughing at you or thinking you're weird. Anyone that has a problem with it has never fallen off a motorcycle; and it's your head, not social standards that count here. Motorcycle shops understand this as long as you don't walk out the front door with it on.
Once I have several that fit properly, and fit is everything, I then filter that group of helmets on color and accessories and features as desired.
Often shops have a limited selection of colors. I prefer screaming yellow and they often want 3-4 weeks and another $50 to get that. So I note the helmet and size that fits and go online and order that one in screaming yellow and it arrives within 2-3 days at the most and it often costs less for the same exact helmet from the same exact supplier.
Price? When I bought my RF1000, the first time I looked at the price was when I placed the order. Keeping my head intact is the goal. No amount of money sitting in a bank account somewhere else can do that.
I try to support the local business IF they are a mom and pop type place and not a regional or national store chain. That said, if they don't have what I want that my research indicates is readily available, I have no ethical issues whatsoever with using their wares to test fit then walking out the door and ordering online. This is about safety, not social standards.
Again, you can't really go wrong ordering from newenough, um, motorcyclegear. (same company, same people, same ethics standards, they just recently changed the sign on the front of the building and most of us still call them newenough that's all) It's a top rank mom and pop mail order operation. Here's my review on it from a while back:
http://nighthawk-forums.com/index.php/topic,2521.0.html
