What Makes A Good Helmet?

[jackson409]

I read the whole thing and it was so back and forth and seemed not to make clear decision on any certain thing. Almost like a politician wrote it. Softer shells for were better than the harder shells for lower impacts and but harder where better for catastrophic wrecks. I am still on the fence as to what helmet would be better. I mean you go buy a $400 helmet and have a small speed get off, and you are worse off than having a Tractor supply helmet. I know that you can have one with Kevlar and all that jazz but the minute you drop it it is toast and as far as I can tell the lower cost ones are rated still at 300g's and that it still holding up to way better than that of a 80g hit that of two monster line backers colliding at full speed on a football field.

 

[Buckrun]

The bottom line on any melmet regardless of price is how well it absorbs and dissipates the G forces of your bean meeting an immovable object at speed. Interestingly, many of the low end melmets are made with plastics shells while the pricey ones are made with carbon fiber and fiberglass. The plastic shells have been proven to dissipate the impact since the plastic flexes. Glass are carbon melmets don't flex at all before they actually break. This results in a higher transmission of the G forces to the noggin than plastic.

The rest of the materials between cheap and pricey melmets are the virtually identical. They both have the same density protective foam inside. What you are really paying for is fit and finish, better quality features, ventilation, and everything else about a melmut you like and only notice when you are wearing it and not crashing,

I spend a moderate amount on a good quality melmet. I got last years Shoei for about $125 brand new from a dealer close-out on the webeses.

CDA is right...brain injuries don't heal and can't be fixed. My best friends mom lost 25% of her brain in an auto accident and was a tube fed pile of used to ne his mom until they finally pulled the plug.
so there!

 

[James]

I read the whole thing and it was so back and forth and seemed not to make clear decision on any certain thing. Almost like a politician wrote it.

I was getting the same feel from it, like how they said price has nothing to do with protection, but that it's more about a good fitting helmet. Yet in the next paragraph they talked about what a higher priced helmet provides and one of the things is "a better fit". Umm so a higher priced helmet that fits better doesn't provide more protection because it costs more?

:throwshandsintheair: I give up, from now on I'm just going to buy the sickest looking helmet and be done with it.

 

[CDA]

I give up, from now on I'm just going to buy the sickest looking helmet and be done with it.

Better yet, buy a white helmet and have $1000 paint job put on it....

Oh yeah and I own this helmet as well....Sitting on a shelf at home..

This is Hahn's but I have Seely's

 

[James]

The rest of the materials between cheap and pricey melmets are the virtually identical. They both have the same density protective foam inside. What you are really paying for is fit and finish, better quality features, ventilation, and everything else about a melmut you like and only notice when you are wearing it and not crashing,

so there!

I DO know that that isn't true, they even said that in the article.

First, shell material is not nearly as important as the internal energy-absorbing material in most impacts. This is illustrated by the foam density samplings versus the rankings. Most all were EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), and there were some tricks and different methods going on inside a lot of these helmets to absorb impacts. Many EPS liners use multiple densities (harder = stiffer = higher density), and altering the location of the varying EPS densities makes a difference.

Notice how this was in there more then a few times?

Remember, your helmet is a disposable piece of safety equipment,

 

[jackson409]

I was getting the same feel from it, like how they said price has nothing to do with protection, but that it's more about a good fitting helmet. Yet in the next paragraph they talked about what a higher priced helmet provides and one of the things is "a better fit". Umm so a higher priced helmet that fits better doesn't provide more protection because it costs more?

:throwshandsintheair: I give up, from now on I'm just going to buy the sickest looking helmet and be done with it.

I hear you, I don't what to say but I am going to quote your "quote" just for the pure fun of it.

 

[timoyz]

Hey I was just sharing....

But I will admit...................., or I shift into 2nd gear and let it hang out there.

Meter ran out..Carry On!

Just sayin it in smilies

 

[yamadogyz]

well IMHO if its DOTor SNELL approved, thats all that matters. the 400$ diffrence is a spiffy pain job and more comfey pads. the best helmet i feel is my J-Max

 

[Buckrun]

Gotta say, the best fitting melmut I have ever worn in terms of comfort and COOLING has been Arai.

 

[CDA]

i got a cheap helmet. i havent had to use the safety part but as far as comfort goes its just fine... ive never owned a expensive helmet so i cant really compare as far as that part of this discussion goes. thats why im so curious on the subject.

as for looks that can pretty much be left out of this subject because i would wear a helmet with pics of a turd on it if it was gonna save me money.

 

[Rack]

Damn, I have spread too much Roost in the last 24 hrs.

 

[James]

Is that what you'd call a shithead?

 

[CDA]

Is that what you'd call a shithead?

 

[Travace]

CDA.... id wear it.

 

[LeadHead]

I'm looking at buying a new helmet sometime. I've been riding in the same helmet after 2 concussions. I know, I know, it's not safe, and I'm trying to replace it. BUT, since I don't know if I should buy a cheap helmet or an expensive helmet, I'm going in the middle and buying a $150-$200 helmet.