Old helmets - are they safe

frenchfighter

I am looking to purchase a helmet and have just come across a heavily discounted one as it is a few years old.

Forgive me for sounding stupid, but would this helmet still be as safe as if I bought the 2007 version, assuming it is essentially the same helmet technically, or does age wear the helmet?

Thanks.

Eurostar

Theoretically motorcycle helmets are supposed to get weaker with exposure to UV light, so even if you don't bash them you're supposed to bin them every few years. But I don't know whether bicycle helmets are similarly constructed or are designed to absorb energy in the same way.

PrettyBoyTim

There may be some improvements in the design of a new helmet, but they're still all basically a bit of polystyrene foam with a thin plastic shell on the outside (unless you've got one of the hard-shell ones, in which case it's a thick plastic shell ).

Probably the biggest safety factor in a helmet is it's fit, to ensure that:

a) It doesn't slip on impact
b) the impact is spread over as large a section of your head as possible

All of that will vary a lot for different helmets depending on you head shape and size, and the design of the helmet. If the discounted helmet fits you well, I doubt you'll be losing out on any protection.

Mind you, my helmet has a sticker on the inside giving the date of manufacture as being 17th of October 1997, so as you can see, the age of my helmet isn't something that concerns me overly ;-)

mea00csf

slighlty off topic but still knda relavant, i know with my hard hat for work there is essentially "best before" date when it needs replacing even if there has been no major impact. Is there anything similar with bike helmets??

thebongolian

helmets do genereally degrade under UV light - the polystryrene breaks down as does the bond between the thin plastic shell and the polystyrene - but not sure whether effect is significant.

However, hopefully it will have been stored in a box so will have been protected from such a possibiility

campagsarge

Yeah, I was having this discussion with my better half last night (we talk about some right exciting things, me and r'lass) and I had read somewhere that you need to change them every couple of years or so.

I had thought this was marketing guff to get you to part with your hard earned every couple of years but from reading the posts above it might be wise to take the advice.

I have just taken a look at the Giro (helmet manufactureres not the race) website and they recommend a change every three years. Certainly, if you have a ding in it you need to change it right away as it will crumple on impact.

Cycling Weekly did a helmet review earlier this year, although I do take the reviews with a pinch of salt depending on how many freebies the company gives the reviewer (me, cynical?).