The broadening of the He I 447.1 nm line and its forbidden components in plasmas is studied using computer simulation techniques and the results are compared with our and other experiments. In these calculations wide ranges of electron densities and temperatures are considered. Experimental measurements are performed with a high electron density pulsed discharge and with a low electron density microwave torch at atmospheric pressure. Both calculations and experimental measurements are extended from previous works towards low electron densities in order to study the accuracy of plasma diagnostics using this line in ranges of interest in different practical applications. The calculation results are compared with experimental profiles registered in plasmas diagnosed using independent techniques. The obtained agreement justifies the use of these line parameters for plasma diagnostics. The influence of self-absorption on line parameters is also analysed. It is shown that the separation between the peaks of the allowed and forbidden components exhibits a clear dependence upon plasma electron density free of self-absorption influence. This allows the peak separation to be used as a good parameter for plasma diagnostics. From the simulation results, a simple fitting formula is applied that permits obtaining the electron number density plasma diagnostics in the range 5 × 10²²–7 × 10²³ m⁻³. At lower densities the fitting of simulated to experimental full profiles is a reliable method for N _e determination.