How Long Does a Helmet Last?

spen666

Just wondering how often people who wear a helmet buy a new one?

AndyManc

I've got 5 , I've only been a full time commuter the past year so all are still serviceable.

The pads are starting to wear thin on some, so if I can't get 'pad kits' to replace the worn ones then maybe it's time to renew.

I suppose it's down to personal judgement (and wallet size), I'll change mine when they become tatty, ill fitting or if they show signs of damage ... who knows when that will be !! :?



.

kryptonick

I remember reading the booklet that came with mine saying to replace it after 2 years or after it takes a knock, even if there are no visible signs of damage.

Gilbie

I read somewhere they should be replaced every 3 years due to UV damage. (Unless you give it a big bump then obviously check for damage.) I had an old Specialized Telluride lid which split without any obvious impact.

doog442

Gilbie wrote:

I read somewhere they should be replaced every 3 years due to UV damage..

do they make them 'special like' in sunnier countries 8)

_Brun_

They have to be replaced if you go over 40mph.

Gavin Gilbert

Mine become a bio-harzard after 12 months of commuting. My racing/weekend training lid lasts 2 years...

and I suspect my pointy aero TT lid will last until somebody brings out a model that everyone thinks will knock 0.01 of a second off our 25 time

Aidy

Recommended is two to three years, or after a knock, I believe.

I tend to stick to that, near enough.

prawny

Bell and Giro say every 3 years, met say every 8 years, obviously that's without crashing.

I'm getting a met helmet next

biondino

Had my last one four years and it seemed to be in decent nick, though a bit battered. Then my gf knocked it out of the window, and the next day the plastic inner stricture broke. I was thrilled to get a new one, which came with spare pads (on my old helmet I'd even sewn up the pads when they started coming apart! Renaissance man, eh?).

spen666

prawny wrote:

Bell and Giro say every 3 years, met say every 8 years, obviously that's without crashing.

I'm getting a met helmet next

Any idea why such a difference in recommended time- glad my helmet is a Met one

prawny

Because bell and giro are money grabbing american capitalist pigs.

Met are italian so hey replacea it later!

Headhuunter

I take all the pads out of all my helmets and just use a sweatband round my head. I find the little pads get quite stinky after a while and are a pain to wash as they're so small. Far easier just to sling a sweatband in the wash with gloves, shorts and tops etc than fiddle with the pads

Pokerface

Why on earth would they need replacing every 2-3 years?! :shock:

After a bump - no worries.

But there are no moving parts in a helmet. So what exactly is breaking down or becoming structurally unsound? Does the foam/plastic material weaken over time?


Seems like a money-grab to me....

Headhuunter

Pokerface wrote:

Why on earth would they need replacing every 2-3 years?! :shock:

After a bump - no worries.

But there are no moving parts in a helmet. So what exactly is breaking down or becoming structurally unsound? Does the foam/plastic material weaken over time?


Seems like a money-grab to me....

Exactly. I've got helmets way older than 3 years and they're not falling apart or anything.

always_tyred

Headhuunter wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

Why on earth would they need replacing every 2-3 years?! :shock:

After a bump - no worries.

But there are no moving parts in a helmet. So what exactly is breaking down or becoming structurally unsound? Does the foam/plastic material weaken over time?


Seems like a money-grab to me....

Exactly. I've got helmets way older than 3 years and they're not falling apart or anything.

How do you know?

The materials in a helmet will degrade over time. Therefore, helmet manufacturers will know that their products will perform less well over time. At what point does the helmet stop performing adequately? Lets say that its between 5-15 years, but if exposed to extreme heat, or extremes of temperature, or strong sunlight, or is persistently wet, in use, or if subject to a multiplicity of small knocks, in use or storage, over a prolonged period, the lifetime may be be 2-5 years. None of the degradation will be apparent to the user.

You know that it will probably last 10 years for most people, 5 years for about 10% of people, or 2 years for a very small proportion of people.

How often should you replace your helmet?

always_tyred

Headhuunter wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

Why on earth would they need replacing every 2-3 years?! :shock:

After a bump - no worries.

But there are no moving parts in a helmet. So what exactly is breaking down or becoming structurally unsound? Does the foam/plastic material weaken over time?


Seems like a money-grab to me....

Exactly. I've got helmets way older than 3 years and they're not falling apart or anything.

How do you know?

The materials in a helmet will degrade over time. Therefore, helmet manufacturers will know that their products will perform less well over time. At what point does the helmet stop performing adequately? Lets say that its between 5-15 years, but if exposed to extreme heat, or extremes of temperature, or strong sunlight, or is persistently wet, in use, or if subject to a multiplicity of small knocks, in use or storage, over a prolonged period, the lifetime may be be 2-5 years. None of the degradation will be apparent to the user.

You know that it will probably last 10 years for most people, 5 years for about 10% of people, or 2 years for a very small proportion of people.

How often should you replace your helmet?

gert_lush

I've got a smelly helmet!

It smells particularly bad on damp mornings!

fnegroni

So if it wears down, instead of protecting your head up to speeds of 12mph, it will only protect you up to say 8 or 6mph...
Oh well, who goes that slow anyway?

always_tyred

fnegroni wrote:

So if it wears down, instead of protecting your head up to speeds of 12mph, it will only protect you up to say 8 or 6mph...
Oh well, who goes that slow anyway?

God, yes, no one has ever thought of that or debated it at length. Good spot.

clanton

My most recent one lasted about 45 minutes - first ride in it,big stack, A&E for the rest of the day (released only cause my wife is medically trained) and new bike and new helmet required!

MrChuck

Seems reasonable that they won't last forever, even if they're not knocked- most materials seem to degrade after a while from exposure to the elements or whatever. Obviously manufacturers have a vested interest in you buying new ones occasionally and they're more likely to err on the side of caution, but I don't think you can just assume they'll be as good as new until you break/lose them.

I seem to remember running shoes have a short shelf life due to the degradation of the shock absorption bit. If this is true it's not much of a stretch to think helmets might suffer too. Like most things there are probably such a huge number of variables that it's difficult to say how long they'll last for everybody.

My average is probably about 4 years- I have a Met at the moment with a good 5 years left in it apparently but I expect I'll get a new one before then for some other reason.

Mr Sworld

Safety helmets have the manufacturing date stamped on them and you are only allowed three years use before you have to replace it according to the H&S Executive. UV will degrade plastic over time but you can't tell until it splits on you when you hit the deck!

Mike

spen666

Mr Sworld wrote:

Safety helmets have the manufacturing date stamped on them and you are only allowed three years use before you have to replace it according to the H&S Executive. UV will degrade plastic over time but you can't tell until it splits on you when you hit the deck!

Mike

I don't think the H&S Executive are in a position to not allow you to wear it longer than 3 years.

The H&S Executive can only make recommendations as far as individuals are concerned

starseven

Put it on a shelf in your garage and it will last for ages.

starseven

Always Tyred wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

Why on earth would they need replacing every 2-3 years?! :shock:

After a bump - no worries.

But there are no moving parts in a helmet. So what exactly is breaking down or becoming structurally unsound? Does the foam/plastic material weaken over time?


Seems like a money-grab to me....

Exactly. I've got helmets way older than 3 years and they're not falling apart or anything.

How do you know?

The materials in a helmet will degrade over time. Therefore, helmet manufacturers will know that their products will perform less well over time. At what point does the helmet stop performing adequately? Lets say that its between 5-15 years, but if exposed to extreme heat, or extremes of temperature, or strong sunlight, or is persistently wet, in use, or if subject to a multiplicity of small knocks, in use or storage, over a prolonged period, the lifetime may be be 2-5 years. None of the degradation will be apparent to the user.

You know that it will probably last 10 years for most people, 5 years for about 10% of people, or 2 years for a very small proportion of people.

How often should you replace your helmet?

I'm not very clever and can't put together a coherent argument.

Aidy

What's the real issue in replacing them every 3 years anyway?

always_tyred

starseven wrote:

How do you know?

The materials in a helmet will degrade over time. Therefore, helmet manufacturers will know that their products will perform less well over time. At what point does the helmet stop performing adequately? Lets say that its between 5-15 years, but if exposed to extreme heat, or extremes of temperature, or strong sunlight, or is persistently wet, in use, or if subject to a multiplicity of small knocks, in use or storage, over a prolonged period, the lifetime may be be 2-5 years. None of the degradation will be apparent to the user.

You know that it will probably last 10 years for most people, 5 years for about 10% of people, or 2 years for a very small proportion of people.

How often should you replace your helmet?

Knob

Oh dear Sseven, was it all a bit complex for you? Would you like me to cut it up into smaller questions so that your brain doesn't have to chew over each one as long?

I know its hard when you first go to the big kids' forum, but you do have to at least try to digest the discussions there.

roger_merriman

Aidy wrote:

What's the real issue in replacing them every 3 years anyway?

cost, okay asda ones are £12 but most are likely to want better fitting/cooler ones.

Aidy

roger merriman wrote:

Aidy wrote:

What's the real issue in replacing them every 3 years anyway?

cost, okay asda ones are £12 but most are likely to want better fitting/cooler ones.

I do tend to buy fairly pricey helmets (imo anyway, currently a Giro E2), but all things considered I don't consider it to be a huge running cost for the amount of time I spend on a bike.

I probably spend more on tyres or cassettes in that time.

tjwood

spen666 wrote:

Mr Sworld wrote:

Safety helmets have the manufacturing date stamped on them and you are only allowed three years use before you have to replace it according to the H&S Executive. UV will degrade plastic over time but you can't tell until it splits on you when you hit the deck!

Mike

I don't think the H&S Executive are in a position to not allow you to wear it longer than 3 years.

The H&S Executive can only make recommendations as far as individuals are concerned

Think he was probably referring to safety helmets required to be worn in a workplace. But the same principles basically apply.

Failure of any protective equipment happens randomly but the probability of a failure occuring increases markedly the older the equipment becomes - due to various factors including natural degredation of the material, sunlight damage, accumulated stress through minor wear and tear, etc. Nobody can reasonably predict the exact point at which a helmet will fail and when it does it may well be too late to do anything about it.
So most people might like to err on the side of caution and replace the protective equipment before the likelihood of failure starts to increase (and in the workplace H&S law would require employers to consider this in their risk assessments & controls).

From a personal point of view in respect of bike helmets it's entirely dependent on your attitude to risk - just as the decision whether or not to wear a helmet in the first place is.