Quick Answers
to Your Helmet Questions
Summary: Answers in fast-reading format.
What's the best helmet to buy?
Consumer Reports published a helmet article in 2002 showing good test results for Giro Gila, Trek Vapor (at $40 rated as a Best Buy), Giro Torrent and Specialized Enduro Comp. (Giro says their Transit is the same helmet as the Torrent without a visor.) Consumer Reports can't test everything on the market, so they did not cover most of the other brands. We think you can do just as well by finding a helmet that fits you well, is round and smooth on the outside, and has a sticker inside certifying that it meets the CPSC standard. We have a description of what we consider to be the ideal helmet, and a long piece on Helmets for the Current Season if you want more info.
Who makes the coolest helmet?
Marketing hype aside, coolness always depends on ventilation, and that depends mostly on the size of the front vents. Consumer Reports found all of the adult helmets they tested were Good for ventilation, with the Specialized M1 rated excellent. But you can look at a helmet and see 90 per cent of the ventilation story. Most riders will not need all the vents you see in the most expensive models.
What will I pay for it?
Our local K-Mart, Toys R Us and Wal-Mart discount stores have smooth, round, helmets meeting the CPSC standard on sale regularly for about $10 to $25, and most discount stores are under $30. Local bike shops have major brands for $35 to $150.
Is a cheap helmet as safe as an expensive one?
Maybe. Probably. Almost. Maybe safer. Apart from the models Consumer Reports rates, we don't have lab test data on the helmets out there. All of them manufactured after 1999 must meet the CPSC standard by law to be sold in the US. If money buys you a better fit, with more stability on your head in a hard crash, then the more expensive helmet is worth it. If it just buys you a spiffy-looking, squared-off, poorly-rounded exterior with points to snag, definitely not. Our long report on this year's helmets has a lot more detail.
What about helmet standards?
Helmet standards test for things you can't judge in a store: impact performance and strap strength. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission's bike helmet standard is law now for every helmet made after 1999. So CPSC is the benchmark standard. ASTM and Snell B-90 are similar to it, and Snell B-95 is a little better, if you can remember all that in the store. (The old 1984 ANSI standard you may remember is dead.) We have a page comparing the standards if you want details. But CPSC is all you really need to remember.
Kid's helmets?
There are lots of helmets for kids from one to five years old. There are no tiny helmets on the market because nobody recommends taking a very young infant on a bicycle. Kids need vents in hot weather even if they are not pedaling, and most toddler helmets have sets of fit pads of different thickness to adjust for growth. We have more on kids helmets, more on taking a tot along and a page on
trailers or bicycle-mounted child seats too.
Where can I find a helmet for my big head?
Several manufacturers have extra large helmets, but Bell has the largest, its Kinghead model fitting up to 8 1/4 heads. Your local bike store can order it or you can find it on the Internet. Here is more info on this unique helmet produced by Bell as a consumer service and other helmets for big heads.
What about my bald head?
We recommend that bald riders pick their helmet carefully, add light screening in the top vents, or wear a kerchief or use sunscreen to control those tan lines. We have more advice from other bald riders.
How can I tell if my helmet is on backwards?
On some helmets it isn't easy. Some helmets have a "Front" sticker. The brand is normally on the front, and the nape straps go toward the back. We of course have a page with detail on
finding the front of your helmet.
When do I need to replace a helmet?
- Did you crash it? Replace!
- Is it from the 1970's? Replace.
- Is the outside just foam or cloth instead of plastic? Replace.
- Does it lack a CPSC, ASTM or Snell sticker? Replace.
- Can you not adjust it to fit correctly? Replace!!
- Do you hate it? Replace.
For details, see our inevitable page on when to replace your helmet.
What other activities can a bike helmet be used for?
The ASTM standards for Inline Skating and bicycle helmets are the same. Inline skaters asked to have it that way after using bike helmets for a decade and finding them adequate for skating protection. For other activities you are on your own with a bicycling-only helmet. There are a few multi-purpose helmets on the market that meet Snell's N-94 multi-purpose standard. And of course we have a page up with more on multi-purpose helmets.
Who has mandatory helmet laws?
At least 21 states and 145 localities in the US. All of Australia, and parts of Canada. Here is our list of laws.
Where do I find statistics on helmets?
Here, on our statistics page. Lots of them, and they don't agree, so you can take your pick!
How well do helmets work?
Very well indeed, as long as they are fitted securely and buckled when you crash. They can prevent up to 88 per cent of cyclists' brain injuries. Ask any club cyclist, whose shared experience with other cyclists has shown them the pattern clearly. The down side is that many helmet users are not securing their helmets level on the head and adjusting the straps carefully. Those cute kids with helmets tilted back have their big, bare foreheads right out there ready to crack. A helmet has to be fitted carefully to do its work.
Can I wear beads braided in my hair or a baseball cap with my helmet?
Not if you want your helmet to fit well. If the beads interfere with fit, they can make your helmet less safe. So does the brim of your baseball hat, and the thickness of the hat. In addition, beads in your hair or the steel ball at the top of many baseball caps can concentrate the force of an impact on one spot, or the beads can shatter in a fall, cutting you. We have the usual page up on hairdo's with beads braided in and wearing baseball caps under a helmet.
Where can I find a hard shell helmet?
There are plenty of hard shell helmets, but most are skate-style, and they have the classic skate shape with tiny vents. A company in Taiwan, Hopus Technologies, is making hard shell helmets in bicycle styles, and you can find at least one of them as a PTI brand helmet at Target stores. Check our page on helmets for the current year and search for the word "hard" to find more.
How can I promote bike helmets?
That's not a quick question! Check out our Toolkit for Helmet
Promotion Programs for an amazing array of helpers.
Where can I get pamphlets?
Check this page on how to get our pamphlets on paper or as Word or .pdf files.
Can we quote you?
Certainly! Please follow our press rules.
Who pays your salary?
We don't get salaries! We are an all-volunteer program funded at about $12,000 per year exclusively by consumer donations, most of them very small. We do not accept funding from any helmet manufacturer or industry group. That lets us take a free swing when we go to an ASTM meeting or write up a review of this season's helmets. Our FAQ, or "Can you trust this site?" page has more description of who we are.
If you're so poor, what are you doing with a big, fast site here on the Internet?
It's amazing what volunteer labor can do for you on the Web. To see how we run our link at minimal cost and reasonable speed, check out our network description. We have been around since 1974, and on the Web since 1995, so we have a lot of stuff for you. Then notice how often our pages are updated from the dates at the bottom. People count more than money if they care.
This page was last revised on: March 30, 2007.
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