How long does a helmet last?

[silversurfer]

Hi. Does anyone know what the lifespan of a helmet is? I've just dug out a couple of old ones (5-6 years) and I'm wondering if I should throw them out even though they've never been dropped or seen impact. I've heard that the foam degrades over time but I'm not sure how much of that is marketing. Seems such a waste to just bin them.

[shootingstar]

I would wear and keep it for up to 10 yrs.

A helmet isn't 100% guarantee to protect you from high impact injury. So I factor that...and not get obsessed if the plastic will degrade so much that over the years.

Yes, I think some of it is marketing hype. Of course, it depends how often you wear it and how much you sweat, etc.

Look at this way, talk to cyclists who refuse to wear a helmet. That's my comparison vs. a 10 yr. old helmet that hasn't been dropped hard, etc.

[OakLeaf]

BHSI and Snell both say five years. That's a recommendation that's been in place since long before the current lightweight helmets. So, three years vs. five might be marketing, or it might be based on the fact that newer helmets have so much more surface area and places to degrade, and so much less protective material. But five years is what the safety organizations say and that would be my outer limit. Isn't the possibility of avoiding traumatic brain injury worth $40 or $60 to you? Or even $300 if you want a top of the line helmet?

[pll]

We have discussed that very question before (see the previous thread here). Manufacturer recommendations range from 3-4 years to 8 years (MET, cited in the linked older thread by goldfinch). At the time, I asked a materials science prof about the longevity of EPS and helmets, in particular. He said EPS does not degrade over time. Given that, other considerations factor in: EPS may not degrade, but the padding and straps may look ratty, you may prefer a different style, etc.

[shootingstar]

I seriously wonder if material degradation depends also how often it is worn anyway and exposed to the elements day after day.

I see my helmet as protection or reducing abit of risk for low-medium impact injuries.

For the past few months, I've responding to blog posts on other blogs, on defending the usefulness of wearing a helmet ...with really anti-helmet cyclists. I'm actually tired of hearing their arguments.

So I see my position as incredibly minor (wearing a helmet that has never been cracked but a bit older than 5 yrs.) vs. theirs...refusing to wear a helmet.

[silversurfer]

Ah, sorry, missed the other thread which I'll go and read. Thanks for your replies. I actually wear a helmet that is only a year old but was loathe to throw these away which I found while doing a bit of a clear out.

[pll]

I guess my question about those helmets would be if you are 100% sure they have not been hit or bumped at all? If in doubt, I'd err on the safe side and discard them.

I am very gentle with my helmet and it has it's own "reserved" spot on a high shelf, check it periodically for wear. EPS might not degrade significantly if left alone, but the straps might rubbing and wearing the material down.

[OakLeaf]

As I said in the other thread, I have a very hard time believing EPS doesn't degrade, when I've personally plucked crumbling coffee cups off the ground pretty much every time I've done park cleanup, and it's not unusual for me to just encounter them on trails and pack them out. If EPS doesn't degrade, why are those cups crumbling? The beads themselves may not degrade (though they sure seem spongy), but the bonds between them unquestionably do.

If I replace my $60 helmet every three years, it's costing me a nickel a day. Three cents a day, if I replace it every five years. A $300 helmet replaced every three years works out to a quarter a day. I've had one concussion, wearing a helmet, and I don't want to think about what might've happened if the helmet had failed. It's worth three cents a day to me, not to find out.

[Kiwi Stoker]

I don't think it's the EPS that's the problem but the glues used to hold it together.

I know with safety boots the manufacturer date stamps them and when I asked they said it wasn't the sole or the leather they were worried about but the glue holding it togther (even when it was also stitched).

I used to have one of those helmets with the fabric cover when I was a kid and I can tell you the polystrene sure did get dented and discolored. The plastic cover that is now glued in place does really help.

Also the straps- think like seat belts that have become discolored- they are not longer safe to do their job. Imagine a strap giving way on your helmet as you speed down a steep hill- it might not hurt you but think about any other cyclist behind.

[shootingstar]

I wouldn't be wearing a helmet if the strap was no longer holding my helmet on my head.

Anyway, join in the year long debate on helmets fuelled by M.Anderson (of Copenhagenize blog) who passionately believes not in wearing helmets:

http://momentummag.com/videos/mikael...r-bike-helmets

In the above thread, I was accused of being irrational, emotional, blah, blah, etc.

[OakLeaf]

Well, I'm not clicking on that link, I've seen enough of the BS surrounding motorcycle helmets to last me a lifetime. I wear - and replace - mine religiously, but I really don't consider it any of my business what anyone else does.

But as far as I'm concerned, a 10-year-old helmet IS nothing but a false sense of security. You'd be better off going bareheaded and at least acknowledging the risk.

[redrhodie]

I see this older man riding on the bike path with a helmet so old, it didn't have any coating over the styrofoam. It must have been orange at one point, but was so degraded even the color faded. I asked my lbs adout him, and out turns out he's 90 years old. I mentioned that his helmet looked like it was older than me, and that someone needed to tell him it should be replaced. Well, I saw him the other day, and he had on a new helmet. I suspect my lbs gave it to him.

Don't wait that long.

[malkin]

I like that story red!


When it starts to stink, it is (past) time to get a new helmet.

[Melalvai]

I see this older man riding on the bike path with a helmet so old, it didn't have any coating over the styrofoam. It must have been orange at one point, but was so degraded even the color faded. I asked my lbs adout him, and out turns out he's 90 years old. I mentioned that his helmet looked like it was older than me, and that someone needed to tell him it should be replaced. Well, I saw him the other day, and he had on a new helmet. I suspect my lbs gave it to him.

That's awesome. You & the lbs.

[silversurfer]

I like that story red!


When it starts to stink, it is (past) time to get a new helmet.

I like the story. And the test. But I spend a certain amount of time in mine and it doesn't take long for them to whiff so I clean (gently).

Thanks again for your replies. I've never really given much thought to the make-up of helmets and the various elements that may or may not degrade. My own view is that if I'm going to wear one then I might as well be sure it will work so the old ones are going in the bin unless i can find a way to recycle. That said, I ride with a number of people who don't wear helmets and it doesn't bother me. They're adults and can make their own choices.