Helmet Life

[owlice]

Okay, here's something TE members can do to help answer the burning questions about helmet life!

• Half of those of you who have purchased a new helmet: bury your old helmet in a backyard (preferably your own, or at least one you'll have access to in five years). Dig up in five years, report here on its condition.
• The other half of you who have purchased a new helmet: send it to someone who lives in the tropics and ask they keep it in their car for the next five years. Retrieve helmet in five years, report here on its condition.

Bonus points for those who then also send the helmet to the manufacturers/ANSI/etc. for examination by a pro.

On your marks... get set... go!



(Seriously, doing this for 12-24 months at a minimum might answer some of the questions on this thread. Personally, I'll replace my helmet when it gets dropped/used as intended/shows cracking or other damage.)

[pll]

Hm. I don't get what such tests would show... burying a helmet or leaving it out in a car in the sun are not intended uses of a helmet. I doubt that would even simulate normal aging of one.

Anyway, I agree with the rule of thumb: when in doubt, replace the helmet.

A while back, I did ask a faculty member in the materials science and engineering department whether degrading EPS was a concern with bike helmets, in particular within 3 years as some helmet manufacturers suggest. He said, under normal use, it was not. That does not mean I will keep the same helmet for 10 years, but I am not rushing to buy a new one, either.