Cheap or Expensive Bicycle Helmets ???

Summary: We submitted samples of six helmet models to a leading U.S. test lab: three in the $150+ range and three under $20. The impact test results were virtually identical. There were very few differences in performance among the helmets. Our conclusion: when you pay more for a helmet you may get an easier fit, more vents and snazzier graphics. But the basic impact protection of the cheap helmets we tested equaled the expensive ones. Just look for a helmet that fits you well.

We are often asked if cheap helmets protect well. Bike shop sales people like to warn customers "buy a $10 helmet for a $10 head." A well-known, reputable US test lab agreed to test some very cheap and very expensive helmets for us to compare their performance in ASTM/CPSC testing at both regular drops and lower impacts. They also did testing with a bio-fidelic headform. To our surprise, the results were virtually identical for all the helmets.

Helmets Tested

Our cheap helmets came from Target and Wal-Mart. They cost $9.96, $9.99 and $19.96 and were typical of helmets you would find in any big box discount store. Our expensive helmets came from a bike store, an Ebay seller and an Internet retailer. Two were made in China for US brands. One was Italian. The MSRP for them was $149.99, $174.99 and $206.99. We found the first two discounted, but paid full price for the most expensive one. We submitted three of each model for testing.

Testing

The test lab donated their testing, and we agreed not to use their name or the exact helmet models to avoid possible complications that could be time-consuming for them.

The lab performed normal CPSC testing on each model. We limited the anvils to flat and hemispheric, eliminating the curbstone anvil, and they tested at ambient temperatures, eliminating the high temperature, low temperature and wet tests. That still represents a very high percentage of real-world impacts.

The lab crashed the helmets with a two meter drop on the flat anvil and a 1.2 meter drop on the hemispheric anvil (grapefruit sized ball). These are normal CPSC impacts. They also ran lower level impacts at half of the CSPC velocity, using drop heights of only .5 meters on the flat anvil and hemispheric anvil impacts at .3 meters to test lower level performance. We were looking to see if the harder foam in more expensive helmets might fail to crush enough in less-than-catastropic impacts, possibly contributing to concussion risk. In fact, that did not happen.

Test Results

The surprise for us was that all six helmets performed virtually identically in all the tests. There were a few outlying readings below and above the norm in particular spots, but the averages for the two types of helmet were almost identical. Below is a summary of the g levels, condensing many charts and numbers.

Credit to: 

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
4611 Seventh Street South
Arlington, VA 22204-1419
USA

*Please be reminded that it is an offence to ride bicycle on road without helmet on !!! (You do not have to buy from me but for your own safety and law compliance, get one.)

Ride safely, gear up with a good comfortable super light weight cycling helmet.

INBIKE MODEL: IH859

WT.270g

Size: 56-62cm(Medium,Large)

SAHOO MODEL: 92421-3

WT.250g

Size: 56-62cm(Medium,Large) WITH LED LIGHT.

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