Who makes the best...

[DJS_imp]

I don't have any but just out of curiosity why no Joe Rocket? I see a lot of guys wearing it and my wife has one jacket she's never had an issue with

i had the 1st generation joe rocket mesh pants. they melted way to easy.
i recently got a joe rocket nova jacket, not worn much and the stitching on the closing seam is coming apart.
wife had a joe rocket mesh jacket, and after upgrading to something else she commented on the better quality of the new one.

[CB1100DLX_imp]

I'm not going to go out and say that these things are the *best* because I don't have enough experience with other brands, but I'm happy with my current ensemble:

Helmet: Shoei RF-1100
Jacket: River Road leather, ~$400
Gloves: Oakley Factory Pilots, carbon fiber knuckle plates, ~$80
Pants: Prefer not to wear any
Boots: Oakley Standard Issue ~$90
Suit: Sonny Crockett's

Lol, agree on Sonny Crockett!

[EGAlvarez_imp]

Over 30+ years, I've tried a ton gear, both "value priced" and high end stuff. I finally sold everything and purchased a custom made Motoport Kevlar mesh suit.
After much research I concluded that it's the most protective motorcycle gear any amount of money can buy.

Helmet: Schuberth ($700)
Jacket, Pants: Motoport Marathon, Kevlar mesh, two piece ($1800 with liners and all upgrades/options)
Gloves: Motoport Kevlar ($170)
Boots: Sidi Adventure Gore-Tex ($499)
Reflective gear: Built into gear

[4 Paws_imp]

Helmet: modular flip up by HJC. Orig broke - ratchet mechanism, at 30 months - replaced immediately with no grief.
Gloves - icon summer, Lee parks other. Several options available in nice fitting leather gloves, try then buy.
Heated gear - rocks! Gerbings heated armored pants very comfortable and fit well for 3 seasons riding and if you plug them in you can't tell you're outside.
Mesh pants - love. Find a pair that fits. Good over work clothes for commuting.
Jeans - good quality material bit longer than normal with extra pockets.
Armor - have some Bohn body armor "tights" that I wear under jeans for peace of mind and body.
Boots - yep. Go to are a 20 yo pair of army parachute boots, Vietnam era with double leather in numerous places. Summer - BMW brand vented street bots - bought on sale
Best - shop well, name not critical but quality is. Be patient. Try on.
Shop goodwill.com can be amazing!

[Wisedrum]

Helmet: HJC, a cheap jet helm which fits my needs, it feels very comfortable
Boots: Daytona GTX, somehow expensive and they run out rubber solewise
after a few years, but I two times consulted a shoemaker and they last
Jacket: a good membran textil one made by Gerricke
Trouser: Pharao with flexible membran, good for dry summers and other seasons
Leather cloth: Made by Held, a now slightly older jacket and trouser
they don't offer anymore
Gloves: Wether Rukka or Held winter gloves or a cheaper textil model
that is waterproof for summer in addition to simple leather glooves
I use in warmer seasons
Sunglasses: Easy and cheap ones, cause I wether loose them or they don't last that long.

Wisedrum

[NickS_imp]

I'm a helmet nut, but I'm also lazy so in summary:

The "best" brand is Schuberth but they seem to fit... no-one? Seriously, nobody I know has a Schuberh noggin'. For me they feel like a disgruntled employee put a pingpong ball under the forehead padding of every $700+ helmet they make.

Then I would say Arai, but since I have a Shoei head shape I have been with Shoei lately. Arai's are sometimes quirky with their brow vents and visor locks, but nothing to be totally put off by. Some may actually prefer Arai's 'features'. Shoei are typically simpler in design (not to be confused with low quality, they are still very high end) and seem to be catching up to Arai and in some ways surpassing them. For example comparable Shoei models may not vent as well as an Arai but they are quieter and less cumbersome to open/close vents while wearing gloves. Shoei have started putting thicker visors which deflect less when opening / closing and therefore operate smoother. Arai are setup better for communication devices (deeper and larger speaker pockets), but are less effective than Shoei's smaller cutouts because wind noise above 35 mph becomes excessive which necessitates blasting yourself with distorted and pure treble speakers (I'm using Sena S20). For myself, Shoei is the clear winner.

HJC and Bell are suitable for those on a budget, just don't get a poly one... Make sure it's fiberglass/kevlar/carbon fiber.

Never cared for Nolan, as a whole they're heavy, squeaky, bulky and typically aesthetically unappealing.

Then you have everyone else... except Simpson, for which their motorcycle stuff is overpriced junk. I've seen more defects on Simpson than on any other brand. I really wanted to like them but after 3 helmets purchased, 2 defective and one shipped with a visor for a completely different model... I gave up.

I've fitted 30+ helmets and owned 6 within the last 2 years. My ultimate advice is to learn how to properly size a helmet, then try on as many brands/models in various sizes as possible and keep them on your head for a minimum of 15 minutes per helmet. Notable discomfort within 15 minutes means no-go for me.