Schuberth C5 review | Honest helmet road test

Date reviewed: November 2024 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: From £519.99 | bikerheadz.co.uk

What a difference a few tweaks can make! The Schuberth C5 on review here was arguably the most important helmet released by the German company back in 2022. I reviewed the first one in the UK and loved it… until the visor got loose and started dropping, even at low speed.

But that’s been fixed now, and the part can be replaced if anyone else has an issue with earlier models. This review has been completely rewritten based on the revised model, and will, as always, be constantly updated.

While the previous Schuberth C4 Pro addressed many of the issues with the C4, the damage had been done and Shoei’s long-established Neotec II took the crown for many riders, myself included.

The C5 was a complete redesign, looking – and feeling – nothing like the range before it. I’ve now used it on a variety of bikes in all weathers for many thousands of miles…

Outer shell

First impressions when you pick up the Schuberth C5 are that it’s a quality bit of kit; gone is the plasticky, rattly feel of the C4, with the glass-fibre main shell being well-finished and the plastic chin bar locking securely into place with one hand whether it’s on or off your head (some helmets can have an unreliable lock when worn).

My only slight grumble with the finish is that the logos are vinyl sitting on top of the paint, though I haven’t had them peel. On the other hand they can be removed if you want the de-badged look. These logos are reflective though, as are the subtle black stickers just above the visor, which apparently wouldn’t have worked so well had they been under lacquer.

The shell shape is distinctly different to previous Schuberths, looking more like a ‘normal’ lid with its flatter front. I much prefer it, and there’s still plenty of space for my chin and nose.

The C5 is homologated as both P and J, meaning it can be worn open or closed while riding; there’s a small red tab on the left to lock it open, but I’d be surprised if you ever felt the need to use it as the chin bars stays up securely on its own.

Prices start at £519.99 for the matt blue on review here, as well as matt black, gloss white, gloss silver and gloss black. ‘Concrete’ grey and fluorescent yellow are £539.99, while graphics are £589.99.

The ECE22.06-certified C5 scores 4/5 in Sharp testing, let down by slightly reduced impact performance at the sides. However, the chin guard stayed securely locked during 100% of testing.

Weight

Weighing 1,695 grams in this medium (it’s claimed 1,640 +/- 50g), the C5’s about the same weight as the C4 Pro, and a little lighter than the Shoei Neotec 3. To be honest, the weight of any helmet is pretty much academic; while some dealers will love to pass you them one-handed or two handed, depending what impression they want you to get – and side by side some do feel heavier in the hand – what really matters is how they drag in the wind. You’d have to have a pretty weak neck to worry about the few hundred grams difference between most lids, but what matters here is that the aerodynamics of the Schuberth C5 are excellent, with very little resistance directly into the wind, or when turning your head for a shoulder check.

The Schuberth C5 includes the speakers, wiring and antenna for the optional integrated intercom system, so its weight is all the more impressive.

Ventilation

The C5’s ventilation is excellent. The chin has two vents – one that feeds up inside the visor and up to your brow, the other that directs air flow straight to your mouth via a removable filter. Moving to the top of the lid you’ll find a two position and closed slider that opens two ports directing air down onto the top of the head, flowing back to the rear exhaust and down, out of the rear neck skirt.

Brilliantly, this top vent can be removed for cleaning, and has a mesh cover that stops large bugs getting in. Having had a horsefly find its way into another helmet’s vent when riding, I appreciate this.

The lining has a flap that can be flipped over to cover these two ports inside, while still allowing air in and to flow across the top of the material. It doesn’t block air entirely; some moves to the sides of the upper head. It’s a neat idea and works well in winter when you want air to move, but not be quite as powerful.

Ventilation is also provided with a ‘city lock’ position on the visor – open it up then close it down without latching it and it leaves about a 5mm gap around the bottom edge for more airflow. This is handy for lower speed riding, but once on the open road at higher speed it does tend to close down.

The top vent can get stiff to operate as road grime builds up beneath it, but popping it off by sliding it forwards (and replacing it by sliding it forwards again from the rear) allows you to rinse it thoroughly and apply a little silicone lubricant if necessary.

Visor

Unusually, a Pinlock 120 (the maximum performance of anti-fog insert) is included ready-fitted to the visor; you normally have to put them in yourself. It also covers the full width of the visor, making for excellent peripheral vision.

I love that the visor has a thumb-tab on either side for opening, meaning it doesn’t matter if you’re holding the clutch in and want to open it, plus the fact that the visor returns to the same position when the chin bar is opened then closed is a very clever design.

While working at the NEC for the bike show in December 2022, I had a soaking wet and freezing-cold ride home of an hour and a half; during this the sides of the visor at the rear thoroughly fogged up – showing just how much moisture was there – but the Pinlock resisted well, just letting a little damp in at the bottom. What impressed me most during that ride was how little I had to keep opening the visor to reduce the fogging on my glasses. I still had to do it occasionally of course, but anyone who wears specs will appreciate the excellent chin vent.

The first model later managed to completely overwhelm the Pinlock on a particularly cold and wet ride. I haven’t had it happen since, and Schuberth says this has also been addressed, but I will of course keep this review updated.

On the left is the original C5 visor mechanism, with the new one on the right. Note the increase in width of the tabs that press against the visor’s ratchet. The small bit of red you can see under the original mechanism is the 3D printed fix I made.

The drop-down sun-shield is operated by a slider on the lower left of the shell, with a small tab that can be rotated out to limit its travel. I have it at its lowest position and it doesn’t hit my nose; if anything, I’d like it to go down a little more to reduce the line of light that persists. While I prefer a dark outer visor for sunny days, when you get caught out by bright sunlight it’s a relief to have an additional shield like this, and while the Neotec 3 (and GT-Air 3) have what I consider to be the best sunshields for shape, the C5 is still very good.

Removing and refitting the visor is simple thanks to two levers and no need for any force.

Lining

While the Schuberth C5 has one of the most complex linings I’ve encountered, with no fewer than nine individual parts, it’s surprisingly easy to remove and refit. And it’s a hell of a lot simpler than the previous Schuberths thanks to a redesign of the easy-to-snap pins that featured on the old models’ neck skirts, and cheek pads that are much quicker to remove now, despite the straps that run to the rear to help prevent the lid rolling off in a crash.

Much of the lining is customisable, with the importer offering various different sizes of cheek pads, brow cushions and more. A good dealer will carry stock of these and be able to help you find the perfect fit.

I tried fitting a Cardo intercom to the first C5 I tested

Can you fit any intercom to the Schuberth C5?

Brilliantly, and a first for integrated comms, Schuberth is offering a CHOICE of Sena or Cardo systems for the C5. The Sena version is available as the ‘SC2 Standard’ Bluetooth-only model based on the Sena 10S, or the ‘SC2’ that’s Mesh as well (based on the Sena 50S). Or you can opt for the ‘SC Edge’, which is based on the Mesh and Bluetooth Cardo Packtalk Edge.

This really is a fantastic move by Schuberth, and one I hope to see from other helmet manufacturers in the future as it gives riders the choice they deserve.

There can be no argument that having the intercom built into the lid has some big advantages, not least that there’s no wind noise caused by a device stuck on the side. The SC range also use a remote button set that should make it far easier to control than the older version, but I’ll hopefully be able to update this review soon after trying the new Cardo device.

You do have to question the expense of these integrated systems when compared to a standard unit that you could swap between any helmet, especially when you consider that the speakers came with the C5 already, but buy it with the helmet and you should save the VAT on the comms.

There will be people who want to use their own choice of intercom though, and I can confirm that it’s possible to fit one as long as the speakers aren’t much bigger than 40mm. 45mm ones might go in, but I was only able to test Cardo and Sena versions – the largest I tried were oval JBL Cardos, being 40mm in one direction and 45mm in the other. I rode with these in with no problems.

Fastening

The Schuberth C5 uses a micrometric ratchet fastener, which is exactly what I’d expect of a touring helmet. This convenient style needs setting once, then gives a decent latitude to ensure you get a good, tight fit every time. And unlike a double-D, you can operate it while wearing gloves.

Fit

Overall I find the Schuberth C5 to be very comfortable, the package coming together well to fit securely, while remaining all-day-comfortable. My only issue is that after a long ride I can find the cheeks to be a bit tight, but this could be sorted by your dealer at purchase, and I hope to try some different size pads to update this review in future.

Of course, we’ve all got different-shaped heads, but I’d be surprised if most people couldn’t find a good fit with the level of customisation available in a decent store. I should point out that I usually get on well with Arai, HJC and Shoei, but have struggled with Schuberths in the past; this one is almost perfect.

My glasses fit easily into the Schuberth, so no problems there either.

Noise

Schuberth is famed for its wind-tunnel testing, so it’s interesting to hear that the C5 is rated as being fractionally noisier than the C4. But… like weight this is a little irrelevant as it’s the fairing on your bike that causes the buffeting and resulting noise, and all helmets from all brands are tested on naked bikes.

In my experience, the C5 is very good, and one of the quieter lids I’ve worn thanks to the good seal around the neck and well-proportioned fit. The fact that it’s a modular flip-front – with the resulting joins in the sides – makes it all the more impressive.

I’d say it’s quieter than the Neotec 3, and just better all round than the C4 or C4 Pro. Like all, it still needs earplugs though.

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

Three alternatives to the Schuberth C5

This is a top-of-the-range lid, so it’s priced accordingly, but here are some other options…

• Shoei Neotec 3, from £589.99 | The Neotec 3 is the obvious and very worthy competitor here, and it’s a superb helmet. It’s more expensive, but what will matter most is the fit. Read the full review of the Shoei Neotec 3 here.

• AGV Tourmodular, From £449.99 | A significant improvement over the Sport Modular, this is a great helmet that’s definitely worth trying on. Read the full review of the AGV Tourmodular here.

• LS2 Advant X, from £299.99 | We haven’t tested the new LS2 flip-over helmet yet, but it’s certainly a great price! Expect a full review soon.

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 C5 review: Verdict

When I first reviewed it, I declared the Schuberth C5 to be one of the best helmets I’d used, and it replaced the Neotec II as my favourite all-rounder.

Then I had issues with the visor mechanism, so took down the video review and updated the written one. And once the Shoei Neotec 3 was released, that became my best ‘go anywhere, do anything’ helmet. I fixed the C5’s loose visor with my own 3D printed insert, but it became a lot harder to recommend, despite still being a good lid overall.

Now Schuberth has tweaked the visor mechanism, and having tried a new one it’s very much back in my good books. It’s well-styled, it’s comfortable and it’s relatively quiet.

Schuberth says the fogging issues of old have been fixed and I haven’t encountered them at the time of writing, so the C5 is, once again, an excellent and thoroughly recommended modular helmet.

Schuberth C5 first impressions

First impressions of the C5, which stand again now that the visor mechanism has been updated