How important is helmet material?

[tx246]

styro damage is visible

in past head slams i can see exactly where my noggin pushed in on the foam. the styro appears smushed. one place the styro was actually cracked. i know most helmet companies will do an inspection for you.

 

[JTT]

Originally posted by Patman
I think the most important thing is how a helemt fits. If the helemt fits well and has the DOT AND Snell certifications then lighter is better so long as it doesn't sacrific the protection.

I agree 100%. I think that this is the area most ignored my many people. I find that many riders simply do not buy helmets that fit properly. It seems to be some sort of "symbol of manhood" to wear an XL helmet. A $500 helmet that is too big is not worth $50.

GSR, my suggestion would be to try on as many lids as you possibly can and choose the ones with the best fit, then narrow the field from there with appearance, price, etc. If you can remove your helmet without using your hands...it's too big. ;)

 

[Buzz Bomb]

I've also heard about bike helmets (pedal bikes not MX bikes) being made to purposely break apart during a crash. I can't remember exactly why they do this, but there was a reason for it.

 

[jmics19067]

I believe DOT and Snell are two different ratings I think DOT measures how much force it takes for a spike to pierce the helmet and Snell how much pressure to crush the shell. Both are important in preventing skull/ facial bone injuries.

fit and styrofoam is the major saving device in preventing your brain from slamming into the inside of your skull. Probably the most common type of head injuries, concussions

lightwieght is definately a good idea for preventing neck injuries. Helps keep you from feeling two inches shorter when landing that killer leap.

I like the idea of buying two medium price helmets for the price of one expensive helmet. Since I am not really ever going to appreciate the light wieght when landing that killer jump, " I " feel more comfortable with my noggin safety replacing the helmet more often from my slow speed encounters with trees and the ground. This is only my opinion but when cash is a an issue, if you're slow like me and make a lot of small trips to the ground a less expensive helmet every year or two will probably be more comfortable than then the last two years on a five year old helmet. But I aknowledge this might compromise my safety on a big crash by not getting the strongest helmet all the time
Heck I probably wear out my helmet before I wear out my tires.
When I read the care and use pamphlet of my helmet it says something like the styrofoam gets impacted all the time and doesn't return to its original function and should be replaced every five years if you dont crash!. So hypothetically would 10 little 20 lb. crashes equal up to the one 200 lb. crash that renders it useless? If you do crash no matter how slight you think it was they recommend that they inspect it before you use it again.

 

[MikeT]

Yes, DOT and SNELL are two completely different entities. Personally, I will not wear a helmet unless it is full face AND SNELL rated.