Schuberth, the motorcycle helmet and safety giant, is sliding into 2026 with two new lids that feel like they were designed for riders who know exactly what they want: the featherweight S3 Carbon full-face and the C5 ANC modular, which quietly rolls up with its own noise-cancelling system. And it’s a very Schuberth move, as one helmet is built for the rider chasing clean airflow and minimal weight, the other for the rider who’d rather turn the volume down on reality while commuting across three state lines.
Just take a look for yourself.
The S3 Carbon is pretty much what it says on the tin: a full carbon-fiber shell, ECE-R 22.06 certified, and aimed squarely at anyone who appreciates sport-touring performance without the race-replica attitude. Schuberth’s been refining this category for years, so the promise here isn’t reinvention, it’s refinement. Lighter, safer, more stable at speed, all the predictable hallmarks of a company that doesn’t release gear until every engineer signs their name in metaphorical blood.
And if you’re the type who cross-references spec sheets for bragging rights, the carbon version sheds up to 200 grams (about 0.44 pounds) compared to its fiberglass sibling, landing around 3.32 pounds for a size medium. It’ll also land at $1,099 in the U.S., firmly in premium territory.
Then there’s the C5 ANC, which feels like the more experimental sibling.
Schuberth’s first modular helmet equipped with active noise cancellation baked into the shell. The tech claims to knock down wind noise greatly at highway speeds, which is pretty significant for anyone who’s ever forgotten earplugs or spent six hours listening to some assembly of turbulent “helmet jazz.” It also comes prepped for Schuberth’s new SC Edge ANC system, a unit with second-gen DMC mesh, Bluetooth 5.2, Natural Voice activation, OTA updates, and enough range (up to 1.6 km or just under a mile) for riders who actually stay in formation.
If it works as advertised, it’ll make longer days in the saddle genuinely less exhausting, especially for upright or naked-bike riders who get the full blast of wind off the front. Pricing slots it above the S3 Carbon. The full C5 ANC setup will run about $1,449 in the U.S.
What’s interesting here is less the “new products” angle and more what these helmets say about where the brand thinks riders are heading. One lid for the rider obsessed with feel, weight, and stability; one for the rider who wants technology to solve the universal problem of wind-induced tinnitus. Schuberth has always had the touring and commuting crowd dialed, but this split approach hints at a broader strategy: meet riders where they are, rather than funnel them into one idea of what a premium helmet should be.
But does all this tech actually make us meaningfully safer or more comfortable… Or are we just giving our helmets new and creative opportunities to malfunction? It’s hard not to wonder whether we’re chasing innovation for innovation’s sake—another excuse to open our wallets—or whether a yet-to-be-confirmed decibel drop in wind noise genuinely changes the way we ride. I’ll have to put in some real miles before I can speak to that with a straight face. Until then, Schuberth’s latest creations will speak for themselves when they hit the market in 2026, and you’ll get to decide whether the upgrade is worth the leap.
