The Helmet Update
Volume 31, #1, January 16, 2013
All issues index
Our Helmets for 2013 report is up
We have posted Helmets for 2013.
Our review finds no radical safety improvement this year that would compel you to replace your current helmet. Almost all
of the helmets meet standards and offer good if not excellent protection. We have tested a sample of cheap and expensive
helmets and found no real performance differences. We recommend looking for a helmet that fits you well and has a
rounded, smooth exterior with no major snag points.
Highlights:
- Rounder profile "city," "urban" or "commuter" models are still growing in number. We list more than 70 of them. New
models with rear points are mostly the "compact" style.
- Slip-planes to reduce rotational forces are now found in some POC models, Lazer child models and in the TSG Kraken
skate-style model. We still regard them as unproven technology, since a helmet will slip on your head anyway in an
impact. We would consider one for a skate-style or extended coverage helmet that couples closely to the head.
- "Mountain" helmets with extended rear coverage are available from THE, Acclaim, Azonic, Giant, Fox, POC, Pro-Tec
and SixSixOne. But most only meet the CPSC bike helmet standard, so that extra rear coverage is not always proven by
lab testing.
- There are more super-round chrono helmets coming out to compete with Casco's Warp models.
- Consumer Reports' last helmet article was published in 2012, rating only 13 models.
The full report with listings of more than 175 brands is at:
http://www.helmets.org/helmet13.htm
The Helmet Update - Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Randy Swart, Editor
4611 Seventh Street South
Arlington, VA 22204-1419 USA
(703) 486-0100 (voice)
(703) 486-0576 (fax)
www.helmets.org