Bicycle helmets can be bought at many different price points. You are looking at some of these price tags and thinking to yourself, “Why does a bike helmet cost so much?” “Is spending a lot of money on a motorcycle helmet worth it?”
Whether you just bought a motorcycle and want to buy a helmet for it or your old helmet is starting to show signs of wear and tear, you need to know if it is worth it to spend a lot of money on a helmet.
In this article, we’ll talk about what makes a helmet safe and whether are expensive bike helmets safer.
Are expensive bike helmets safer?
Even though they are more expensive, high-end motorcycle helmets protect their wearers more.
The Department of Transportation has set a safety standard for motorcycle helmets, and all helmets must meet this standard.
This is the bare minimum for any motorcycle helmet that wants to be sold in the United States, and it gives the rider a lot of protection.
Instead of testing and approving helmets themselves, the Department of Transportation requires manufacturers to self-certify that their products meet the DOT S-218 standard.
The construction and quality control of more expensive helmets may be better, and they may be made of high-tech materials and have better sizing, ventilation, padding, and other features that can make them safer.
When you buy one of the best bicycle helmets, you are actually making an investment in your own safety.
A cheap helmet should offer enough protection in most situations and follow standard safety rules.
On the other hand, a more expensive helmet model will have extra features that, depending on how they work together, may offer more protection and comfort. Keep reading to learn more about this subject!
What Makes an Expensive Motorcycle Helmet Safer?
Since all helmets should meet the minimum safety requirements, what are you paying for when you buy a more expensive helmet than one that just meets the minimum requirements?
When you buy one of these more expensive helmet brands, you get a higher level of customization and safety, which should make up for the extra money you have to spend.
Let’s take a closer look at the extra benefits you get when you buy a more expensive helmet instead of a cheaper one:
Quality Control
It can be hard for a buyer to figure out how well a certain model of motorcycle helmet is tested for quality.
Most likely, the only people who know what quality control is are the people who work at the helmet maker and are directly involved in production, as well as the people who work at the many testing labs that certify these models for different standards.
When it comes to this part, brand awareness does matter in the real world, and it’s not just about image and trends.
Helmet companies like AGV, Arai, and Shoei have worked for decades to build a reputation for making high-quality products that meet a wide range of international safety standards.
In this case, it might be safer to buy a well-known brand with a history of success, since it can be hard for customers to tell if a newer company has a good control system or not.
Sizing and Fit
Companies that make cheap bike helmets usually only have one size for their products on the shelf. It is possible to make these for less money and in a way that makes them easier for stores to stock.
Because of this, all of the sizing has to be done with the liner and the comfort padding, as the shelf size is the same for a double extra-large helmet as it is for an extra small helmet, which is not ideal. So, the liner must be used to do all of the sizing.
Helmets that only come in one shelf size are unlikely to fit well in larger or smaller sizes because they only come in one shelf size. The helmet has a shell that is much bigger than the rider’s head. They’re only sold in the middle sizes.
Is there a place where the liner of the shell and the patting on the rider meet that feels just right? Either you’re wearing a helmet that looks too big for your head, or your head doesn’t fit inside the helmet.
Most expensive helmets have more than one size of shell to choose from. Most of the time, the sizes go from extra small or even double extra small to double extra large or even triple extra large.
If a helmet is worn right and is the right size for the head of the person wearing it, it will be more comfortable and probably not weigh as much.
Some of the better-quality motorcycle helmet makers have some overlap between the small shell size and the big shell size of their products.
For example, AGV’s small shell has sizes that are extra small, small, and medium. Their big shell, on the other hand, has sizes that are medium-large, giant, and extra-large.
Mediums come in two different sizes: 57 centimeters for the smaller medium and 58 centimeters for the larger medium. On the inside, the difference between the two sizes is very small, but the shell is where the main difference is.
One of the most important safety features of a motorcycle helmet is that it fits well, but this is often overlooked. Not only does a good fit make you feel better, but it could also mean the difference between life and death.
A lot of motorcyclists ride with helmets that don’t fit their heads right or that don’t have the retention system fastened securely.
Accidents in which a motorcycle rider’s helmet is knocked off their head are one of the most common ways that helmet-wearing motorcycle riders get seriously hurt or die.
This happens way too often, and in most cases, it could have been prevented by using a helmet that was the right size for the person’s head and making sure the retention system was in place.
Weight
It looks like the weight is spread across the head more than it is in other places on the body.
The outside of a helmet is often made of a strong composite material like fiberglass or a thermoplastic material like poly carbonate or ABS that has been injected.
Then, the shock-absorbing liner on the inside is made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is a very light material.
The next part is the comfort patting, which is made of different kinds of fabric and a material that feels like soft foam. The companies that make more expensive helmets try to make the heaviest parts, like the shell, rubber and plastic trim, and any metal hardware parts, as light as possible.
Ventilation
The ventilation systems on more expensive helmets are better than those on less expensive ones.
So that your head can stay as cool as possible while you ride your motorcycle, they have holes in them that let air flow in easily.
Keep in mind that the amount of air noise will increase as the number of vents goes up. So, if you want the air to be quieter at certain times, you may need to close the air vents at those times.
Design
Because of safety design and aerodynamics issues, additional work will need to be spent building a helmet that demonstrates high levels of comfort and generates a drag force that is as low as possible.
Expensive helmets are made to be as comfortable as possible while weighing as little as possible while still absorbing the largest amount of energy feasible in the event of a collision. In addition to its significance, aerodynamics is essential because it reduces strain on the head and neck.
While riding a bike or a motorbike, more work and money is spent making sure that the design of these helmets minimizes the amount of strain that is placed on the rider’s head and neck.
Manufacturers of high-end helmets such as AGV, Arai, Bell, Shoei, and Suomy create motorcycle helmets that are both aerodynamically and aesthetically built in a fashionable manner.
Impact Protection
Bicycle accidents are usually the deadliest when there is a direct hit to the head. Twisting forces put more pressure on the skull, which makes it more likely that a person will get a concussion or another injury to the brain or spinal cord.
There are a number of ways, like the MIPS, that have been made to make these kinds of injuries less likely (Multi-directional Impact Protection System).
A thin slip layer is put between the main part of the helmet and the wearer’s head as part of this system.
This device softens the blow that the twisting forces deliver, which keeps the rider’s head from getting hurt too badly.
Technology like this is usually only found in more expensive helmets, but it adds an extra layer of protection.
They are important for people who ride their bikes quickly or for professional cyclists who race.
Durability and Construction
Even though all motorcycle helmets are made from a small number of different materials, the ways they are put together can be very different.
The outside shell of most expensive helmets is made of a composite material or a mix of these materials. These things are sometimes used together.
Composite materials like fiberglass, Kevlar, carbon fiber, and Dyneema are used to make motorcycle helmets today.
The shells of most cheap cycle helmets are made with injection molding machines and thermoplastic.
These machines may run themselves and don’t need a lot of work from people, so they can make more helmets and cost less per helmet.
These helmets can withstand more than one accident because they are stronger and lighter than the standard helmets that are sold for less money. They have also been shown to last through the test of time.
