The matte Mayfer variant carries the same floral artwork as its gloss sibling, rendered here in soft, dusty pink tones over a matte black shell. Shark's own price-list colour code for this variant reads gold, but the actual finish shows no visible gold at all — a pale rose-pink palette instead, and this listing follows what the photograph shows.

Mandatory since January 2024

Every newly homologated helmet sold in the EU has needed ECE 22.06 since January 2024, and this helmet carries it. Against the 22.05 standard it replaces, 22.06 tests eighteen impact points instead of five, across multiple speeds, adds an oblique-impact test against an abrasive anvil, and scores rotational forces through a Brain Injury Criterion — all with the visor, Pinlock and a comms unit fitted. The certificate shows 2206 with no FIM suffix.

The visor's own specification sheet

Optical class 1. Vortex generator. Thickness 3 mm tapering to 2.2 mm. Pinlock 70, factory-fitted, tension adjustable. Anti-scratch coating. Central lock, no tools.

Limitations, listed without spin

This helmet skips MIPS, EQRS and tear-off posts, and does not offer an IRID photochromic visor (AERON GP, AERON and RACE R PRO only). It is certified to ECE 22.06 alone, no FIM suffix. SHARP's 'Shark D-Skwal' rating belongs to the 2018 original, tested under the earlier 22.05 standard — this D-Skwal 3 is a different, later helmet with no SHARP score of its own.

Sizing built for real heads, not one average head

Splitting the XS-XXL range across two shell sizes avoids the usual single-shell trade-off of overfitting small heads and compressing large ones. A removable, washable liner and glasses-friendly cheek pads round out the fit.

The Mayfer matte finish, in use

A matte shell mutes the floral graphic's contrast slightly compared with the gloss sibling's glitter coating, trading shine for a softer, more muted read of the same flower artwork — here in dusty pink rather than the gold the price list names, based on what Shark's own product photography actually shows.

The matte Mayfer runs EUR 269.99 too, identical to its gloss glitter sibling. Whichever finish is picked, shell, closure, visor and certification stay unchanged; only the coating and colour differ.

Two in, two out

Two intakes low on the chin let air in; two exhausts on the crown let it back out; all four are glove-operable. Over 1,700 test miles, a reviewer found that arrangement adequate for everyday riding temperatures, with genuine summer heat still calling for the visor cracked open at speed.

The middle of the range, on purpose

Positioned between the entry-level Ridill 2 and the LED-equipped Skwal i3 and Skwal Cup, the D-Skwal 3 is where Shark puts real aerodynamic development and a properly specified visor system within reach of a rider who does not need — or want to pay for — a brake light built into the shell.

A helmet ready for accessories

Sharktooth and SENA intercom units fit without any shell modification, which matters for a rider planning to add comms later rather than at purchase. The internal drop-down sun visor and the tool-free quick-release outer visor round out a feature set built for regular use.

What a few hundred grams does over a ride

The gap between a 1,300 g helmet and a 1,700 g helmet rarely registers in the first minute, but it adds up hour by hour as neck muscles carry the load. Shark's 1,540 g figure for the D-Skwal 3 applies to its first, smaller shell size (larger sizes on the bigger shell run a little more), sitting mid-range within the roughly 1,250-1,800 g typical of road-legal full-face helmets.

Buying for the long term

A helmet is only as good as its long-term support, and Shark's dedicated visor spares collection — naming the D-Skwal 3 alongside the Skwal Cup, Ridill 2 and Skwal i3 — is real, confirmed evidence of that support.

A closer look at Mayfer, in matte

The same floral artwork as its gloss sibling, spread across the side and crown of the shell, but rendered in soft, dusty pink tones over a matte black base rather than the gloss shell's glitter-coated magenta-to-blue gradient. Shark's own price-list colour code for this variant names gold, yet nothing in the actual product photography shows any gold tone — a pale rose-pink palette is what the photograph shows instead, and that is what this listing describes rather than the unmatched colour code. The matte finish also mutes the floral graphic's contrast somewhat compared with the gloss sibling's shine, giving this variant a softer, more muted read of the same underlying flower design — closer to a subtle statement than a loud one.

Because this matte floral graphic sits under a non-reflective coat, it will generally show less obvious fading in direct sun than the gloss glitter sibling's shinier surface, though neither should be left in prolonged direct sunlight if it can be avoided. Sizing runs the same XS-XXL chart as the rest of the range.

Choosing between this matte pink floral and its gloss glitter sibling is largely about how much shine and sparkle a rider wants on the shell — the underlying flower artwork and layout are shared, so the decision comes down to coating and colour palette rather than design.

No dB claim, a tested account instead

Rather than state a decibel figure nobody has actually measured, this description relies on an independent reviewer's 1,700-mile account: pretty loud without earplugs, with a whistle developing above roughly 25 mph whenever the visor is cracked for extra air.

What sits above and below this decor

Shark's current road range puts a clear number either side of this decor's price:

EUR 269.99 is where this particular decor lands.

Current 2027 list prices, drawn from the same range as this helmet. No specification claim is made about the Ridill 2, Skwal Cup or Skwal i3 here.

Built in two sizes for a reason

A single shell size stretched across six helmet sizes either leaves XS riders in an oversized shell or forces XXL riders into a compressed one. The D-Skwal 3's two shell sizes avoid both compromises, with the multi-density EPS liner doing the remaining fine adjustment inside each shell.

Decor HE0927KVQ's micrometric buckle and multi-density EPS liner are identical to every other D-Skwal 3 on sale, independent of the graphic on top. Whatever graphic sits on top, decor HE0927KVQ's underlying weight, shell count and closure hardware match the rest of the D-Skwal 3 line exactly. Decor HE0927KVQ's six sizes, XS through XXL, follow the same size chart as the rest of the D-Skwal 3 range, so a rider's usual Shark size carries over directly. Decor HE0927KVQ ships from the same Portuguese production line as the rest of the D-Skwal 3 range, with no separate sourcing for this particular graphic. Decor HE0927KVQ carries the same HS commodity code and shipping weight classification as the rest of the D-Skwal 3 range for customs purposes. At EUR 269.99, decor HE0927KVQ sits inside the D-Skwal 3 line's own EUR 219.99 to EUR 309.99 span described in the price-ladder section above.