What is Arai?  (excerpt from www.araiamericas.com)
20 years ago, there was a big difference in helmets, so it was much easier to separate the good from the bad. Today, although more helmets look the same, there can still be a major difference between them. For example, people look basically the same on the outside. But this tells us nothing about the person on the inside. It's the same with helmets. They're all round, hard and shiny. And most carry many of the same certification standards that have now become the only way for many to judge a helmet's worth. However, even though these helmets may carry the same decals certifying that they passed the minimum criteria for a given standard, it doesn't tell you anything about what's inside. The fit, the comfort. The quality. But Arai is different. Arai designs the best helmet we can for comfort, fit, and a host of other criteria. Then we submit it for safety standards acceptance (which we pass with room to spare). In other words, Arai designs its helmets first for you, the rider — and second to pass a standards test. Some helmet companies have their priorities wrong and do it the other way around.