- New research rates the safety of helmets based on multiple types of impact, including rapid rotation.
- Of the helmets tested, a higher price tag did not mean better performance. The best ones cost under $100.
There are several factors that go into which cycling helmet to choose, including fit, ventilation, weight, safety features, and cost—but that last variable may not be as important as you think. According to new research in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering, a higher price tag doesn’t come with improved performance. In fact, some helmets that cost about $50 outperformed helmets that cost about three times that much.
Researchers tested the 30 most popular helmets for sale in the United Kingdom in a lab setting that included multiple types of impact, and put that info together with data from the retailers on safety, as well as a survey of more than a thousand cyclists.
Lead author Claire Baker, Ph.D., researcher at Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering told Bicycling that a major limitation for safety assessment up until this point is that safety standards assign a “pass/fail” rating based on impact sustained head-on.
“While that’s helpful information, we also know from previous research that lasting brain damage can occur when the head undergoes rapid rotations during an impact, and that might happen to the side or back of the head in an accident,” she said. “The scoring system we developed rates helmets based on the likelihood of deep brain injuries from head rotation, as well as direct frontal impact.”
The scores range from zero for least protection to five for maximum safety. They put their findings into a website called Hiper (helmet impact protection effectiveness rating) and although these helmets are specific to the U.K., many of the brands and models are also available in the United States, Baker stated.
A particularly notable finding was the lack of correlation between price and protection, she added. One of the least expensive helmets—the Specialized Tactic MIPS, retailing around $65—was the highest-performing among the 30 models.
If you’re looking for more U.S. options, check out the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings site, which was built in collaboration with the Insurance Institutes for Highway Safety. That round up looks at 241 bike helmets and also rates them from zero to five, based on the results of 24 impact tests done in a laboratory.
Those tests are done using a “drop tower,” which matches helmet-to-ground characteristics seen in accidents involving cyclists—basically the helmets drop down from the top of the tower with the same type of velocity and weight as you’d find with a cyclist falling from a bike.
Like the recent study, the findings take rotational velocity into account because it’s correlated to concussion risk. Helmets are categorized based on activity and terrain: mountain, road, urban, and multi-sport, as well as full-face options.
Also similar to the recent study, some lower-priced helmets outperformed more expensive choices in the Virginia Tech research—for example, a $65 helmet, the Giant Rev Comp MIPS, bested ones that were much higher, at $250 to $300.
Taking time to look at safety information like this is a crucial part of making a helmet selection, said Baker. “These ratings provide more than just assurance that a helmet has passed a safety check,” she stated. “They allow you to make an informed decision based on several points of data, not just price.”
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
