Expensive helmets... What's the deal?

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

Are you suggesting the protection within a helmet has a 3 year lifespan and after 3 years it is no longer safe?
If you are suggesting that, does the safety decrease in those 3 years, or does it stay flat and drop off a cliff at 36 months?

UV and general wear/tear degrade the foam in helmets. No idea if 3 years is a reasonable lifespan or not. I’ve heard manufacturers recommend that replacement interval, but it always stuck me as a bit like the old 3k mile oil change intervals for cars - overly conservative, and likely not optimal for consumers. That said, I replace mine every 3-5 years, they usually look pretty beat by then anyways.

[jlwdm]

With the helmet advances in the NFL I imagine in the future we will see some safer, more expensive bike helmets. I drive a car at the track a lot and don’t hesitate to spend $1000 plus on a good helmet with multiple pads to get a perfect fit. Helmets have stickers showing what year’s standards are met and I have to show that my helmet meets required standards.

Jeff

[eippo1]

Not reading through all the comments, but the way I used to explain to customers was that basic helmets had a baseline safety and tech. As you get more expensive, you start removing material to make it lighter, ventilate better, etc.

So you're paying for the fancy tech that they have to include to make it safe as you remove all that material. Kinda like an F1 where compared to a sedan, there's a lot less stuff for crumple zones so they have to figure out other ways to protect and get that kinetic energy channeled away from the object worth saving. Most people ended up getting it or at least gave me lip service to the effect that they did.

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by Alistair

UV and general wear/tear degrade the foam in helmets. No idea if 3 years is a reasonable lifespan or not. I’ve heard manufacturers recommend that replacement interval, but it always stuck me as a bit like the old 3k mile oil change intervals for cars - overly conservative, and likely not optimal for consumers. That said, I replace mine every 3-5 years, they usually look pretty beat by then anyways.

Yes, those things can degrade the foam. A helmet in a box on a shelf experiences neither of those things though.
Whether the helmet was made 1 day ago, 1 month ago, or 1 year ago shouldn't matter if the helmet is sitting in its box on a shelf.
@peanutgallery seems to say it does matter.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

Yes, those things can degrade the foam. A helmet in a box on a shelf experiences neither of those things though.
Whether the helmet was made 1 day ago, 1 month ago, or 1 year ago shouldn't matter if the helmet is sitting in its box on a shelf.
@peanutgallery seems to say it does matter.

I thought the idea was that the the helmet and foam itself starts degrading the moment it is produced and UV heat and other factors are only part of the story?

This has been my understanding for decades.

[deluz]

Originally Posted by charliedid

I thought the idea was that the the helmet and foam itself starts degrading the moment it is produced and UV heat and other factors are only part of the story?

This has been my understanding for decades.

My understanding is the opposite:

https://helmets.org/replace.htm

I chose to replace my 9 year old helmet more out of vanity than fear it would not protect me, although I was mildly concerned.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by deluz

My understanding is the opposite:

https://helmets.org/replace.htm

I chose to replace my 9 year old helmet more out of vanity than fear it would not protect me, although I was mildly concerned.

Interesting reading....I'll need to dig into this more it seems. We/I have always touted the industry lines including 3-5 years but always thought that the foam by nature started to degrade and at some point over time was considerably less effective.

[RoosterCogset]

On a geologic scale, everything degrades over time.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by RoosterCogset

On a geologic scale, everything degrades over time.

.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Interesting reading....I'll need to dig into this more it seems. We/I have always touted the industry lines including 3-5 years but always thought that the foam by nature started to degrade and at some point over time was considerably less effective.

The bicycle helmet industry relies on making a lot of insinuations, with few direct claims. For example, they will recommend that helmets be replaced on some time scale, without actually stating that there is an expiration date. Another example is the sales pitch, "you only need a $30 helmet if you have a $30 head" - this line implies that more expensive helmets will protect your head better, when in reality the data shows that there is no clear connection between helmet cost and safety.

Or to sum it up: Marketeers have learned to play on human emotions, and since the strongest human emotion is fear, much advertising relies on fear mongering.

[iwishiwasriding]

Originally Posted by DRietz

Most helmet manufacturers recommend replacement within 5 years.

So then I can't justify to my wife that I should be buying a new helmet every two years because it's a requirement for safety? :'(

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

The bicycle helmet industry relies on making a lot of insinuations, with few direct claims. For example, they will recommend that helmets be replaced on some time scale, without actually stating that there is an expiration date. Another example is the sales pitch, "you only need a $30 helmet if you have a $30 head" - this line implies that more expensive helmets will protect your head better, when in reality the data shows that there is no clear connection between helmet cost and safety.

Or to sum it up: Marketeers have learned to play on human emotions, and since the strongest human emotion is fear, much advertising relies on fear mongering.

Well thanks Mark.

FYI I have been in and it out of the bike industry for 30 years. Nobody is fear mongering. Helmets are a tough one though when it comes
To safety. Sorry.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Well thanks Mark.

FYI I have been in and it out of the bike industry for 30 years. Nobody is fear mongering. Helmets are a tough one though when it comes
To safety. Sorry.

The use of fear shouldn't be dismissed so easily. Fear is one of the primary motivators of human behavior. Not only fear of death an injury, but other fears as well - fear of not being liked or being alone, fear of loss, fear of others, etc. We even have a new acronym - FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Politicians, marketers, religious leaders and others know about this, and have learned to use people's innate fears to influence them. Helmet makers are no different. They may work with a more concrete fear (fear of head injury), but they have learned to play that out and make exaggerations for their own benefit.

[RoosterCogset]

The applicable acronym being searched for is FUD

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by deluz

My understanding is the opposite:

https://helmets.org/replace.htm

I chose to replace my 9 year old helmet more out of vanity than fear it would not protect me, although I was mildly concerned.

Interesting. Although the pads in mine rot in a handful of years, at which point I figure I may as well replace the whole thing instead of trying to find pads for an out-of-production helmet.

Anyways, I'd happily buy a clearance helmet that's been on a shelf for a year or two. But 5 or 10? Nah, I'll take something newer. Maybe not for any good reason, but why risk a helmet that's been banged around a shop or warehouse for years.