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Australian NSW Star Helmet Testing


Summary: Australia's New South Wales has a bicycle helmet testing program that looks at all the right performance factors and provides detailed public results.


Australia's state of New South Wales has developed an exemplary bicycle helmet test program. Helmets are tested for energy reduction in low, medium and high speed crashes, oblique energy management, stability on the head during a crash, coverage, retention system strength and ability to handle point loads. A weighting formula produces star ratings. The results are public, and you can see them here on the Transport for NSW site.

The NSW Star protection ratings are based on: Many will quibble with the weightings, including us, but we think they include all of the elements that a really well-thought-out standard should have. They go well beyond any other rating system we have seen anywhere. We wish the US CPSC standard could be as comprehensive as this.

The ratings include a detailed .pdf for each helmet that tells you how it scored on each element. That lets you select for the type of helmet you think you need most. If you are a racer you might prioritize performance in high-speed crashes, for example. A senior might look for those that scored best in low-speed crashes, oblique impact energy management and coverage, hoping to avoid a concussion in the average bicycle crash.

Here is a list of the helmets that scored 5 or 4 stars as of September 2024. Note that these are helmets marketed in Australia, not Europe or the US. They may have the same appearance and model designation but be entirely different in performance level from the same helmet sold in another market. There are detailed explanations of the tests on the Transport for NSW site.

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