You can find bike helmets for $30, and you can find bike helmets for $300. Given the fundamental reason for purchasing one is to look after your head, it would be easy to assume that as you pay more, you’ll benefit from increased protection. However, this isn’t strictly true. What’s the difference between cheap and expensive bike helmets, then?
In the EU and UK, helmets must conform to the EN1078 safety standard. In the USA, they have to meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s CPSC 1203 standard. Both these specify critical elements of the helmet’s design, including a minimum field of vision, shock absorbing properties, and the function of its retention system. They also mandate how the helmet will be tested and the results it must achieve.
Although the CPSC standard subjects helmets to slightly higher impact forces during testing, it and the EN standards are roughly comparable. So although you could make a lighter and lower profile helmet that meets the EN standard and not the CPSC standard, most manufacturers build to the higher standard and then sell a single product in both territories.
That your helmet conforms to either of these is as much independent information as you’re likely to find on its ability to protect you. So, what are you paying extra for?
Sizing
Cheap bike helmets are generally uni-size. This suits the factories cranking them out and the retailers that have to store them. However, it also means the helmet’s adjustment system has to do a lot of work to accommodate a wide range of heads. This can sometimes result in a goofily large-looking helmet or a compromised fit. Spend a little more, and you’ll find models sold in S/M and M/L sizes. These offer a more tailored fit and might help you save a little weight or provide more room if you possess an enormous skull. Spend a bit more still and get one of the best road bike helmets and you’ll find they tend to come in a trio of sizes or more for an even better fit.
Weight
Made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), most helmets are inherently quite light. However, weight on your head is particularly noticeable. This and cyclists’ inherent love of all things low in mass means weight is a big selling point for helmets. The quest for a minimum-weight bike helmet is as likely to focus on its design as its materials. However, the…
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