You may not look cool in a helmet. So what? A helmet can save your life.
People wear helmets for one reason: Safety. Cuts, bruises and broken bones may be badges of honor in some outdoor sports, but a serious whack to your noggin is nothing to brag about.
Sport helmets for outdoor recreation are designed simply to protect your head from sudden and forceful impacts. They′re much lighter and sleeker than helmets used by soldiers or construction workers, and have features specific to their intended use. It′ obvious that you should wear a helmet for motorcycling or motocross; yet every time you mountain bike, road bike, kayak, ski, snowboard or participate in any outdoor activity involving the possibility for head injury, you should always wear a sport helmet. This helmet buying guide can help you choose the right one, whether it′s a multisport helmet for a combination of activities or a helmet designed for use in only one sport.
Sport Helmet Components
Shell
The shell is the hard outer layer of a helmet, designed to spread acute impacts out over the rest of the helmet. It also effectively holds all the foam together in a crash. This layer, usually made from composites (plastics) like PVC, is also great for protection against sharp objects and makes the helmet last by preventing abrasions to the liner.
Liner
A sport helmet liner is the thick layer of internal foam. This foam liner is chiefly responsible for absorbing impacts and preventing serious head trauma. The helmet liner is often made of EPS (expanded polystyrene) or polypropylene foam.
In terms of the liner, helmets can be constructed in two ways:
- In-Mold Helmets are designed with the shell and liner molded together in one process, making the lightest and sleekest helmets. This is common for bike helmets.
- Injection-Molded Helmets are constructed by pre-molding a foam liner and later bonding it to a pre-molded outer shell. Slightly heavier and bulkier than in-mold helmets, they also are more durable for handling repeated minor impacts and dings. Many snowboarding and motorcycle helmets fall into this category.
Pads/Lining
Many sport helmets offer soft pads for comfort and/or warmth, which are usually removable for washing. These linings are also great for absorbing sweat and customizing helmet fit.
Chin Strap
A common design for sport helmet straps is a four-point strap system. A Y-shaped strap on each side of the helmet joins below the ear into a main strap that buckles below the chin. Helmet straps should always be adjustable for the best fit. Select a helmet with a wider, more durable strap for rough activities (mountain biking, whitewater kayaking) or a thin, light strap if impact and constant jarring are unlikely (road cycling). Also, opt for a helmet with a snap buckle that makes the helmet much easier to put on and take off.
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General Helmet Safety & Specs
Any helmet you buy should be certified for adequate impact protection for the activity at hand. One way to be sure you purchase a certified helmet is to only buy from brands you know and trust, like
Bern, Giro and
, Bell Sports
U.S. law requires that all helmets sold meet CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission) safety standards. What you need to know: Most sport helmets are more than capable of withstanding and mitigating the impact of a typical crash or fall, if worn properly.
Specifications Sierra Trading Post Provides for All Helmets
- Weight: As a general rule, the lighter the helmet, the higher the price.
- Materials: The type of foam and shell.
- Ventilation: The number of vents, if any (this mainly applies to cycling helmets). More vents mean a cooler head but may not work well for winter use.
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Helmet Fit & Sizing
Your helmet must fit correctly so that it can do its job. Your helmet also must fit comfortably so that you′re always willing to wear it and can still enjoy your activity.
Helmets usually come in one of two styles: highly adjustable helmets that are one size fits all, and less-adjustable helmets designed for a narrow range of head sizes. Sizes are generally given in inches and refer to the circumference of the user´s head.
How to Measure Your Head
Before you buy a new helmet, determine your correct size. Use a cloth tape to measure around the widest part of your head − an imaginary line about ½ " to 1" above your eyebrows. If you don′t have a cloth tape, use a string or piece of yarn. Simply grasp the string firmly where it just makes it around your head to mark the circumference. Then, never letting go of the string, lay it out on a tape measure oryardstick to record the length.
Fitting Your Helmet
If you measure your head properly, you should expect a good fit in your new helmet. You can verify a proper fit with a few basic observations:
- A helmet should fit snugly, but not tightly.
- When attempting to push or shake a helmet around on your head, it shouldn′t move much from front to back or side to side.
- When tightened, the chin strap should prevent a helmet from lifting up much.
If your helmet comes with detachable interior pads, you can also add or remove them to customize the fit.
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A Helmet for Every Sport
Bike Helmets
Even a low-speed bike crash on pavement or rocks can do some serious cranial damage. Besides, laws in 21 states require the use of a bike helmet when riding, so there should be no doubt in every cyclist′s mind that wearing a bike helmet is a MUST.
Like other helmets, every bike helmet in the U.S. is required to meet the certification standards of the CPSC and should have the commission′s sticker inside as proof. Perhaps the biggest differences between cycling helmets and other helmets are an aerodynamic design and the addition of many vents. Bike helmets generally have about 10-25 vents on top to allow ample airflow to cool your head. More expensive bike helmets tend to have more vents, with just as much protection as less expensive − and less-ventilated − helmets.
Bike helmets may be geared specifically toward one riding style:
- Road bike helmets tend to be extremely lightweight, aerodynamic and ventilated.
- Mountain bike (MTB) helmets usually offer added coverage, especially in the back of the head. Some downhill MTB and BMX helmets also have full faceguards, similar to motocross helmets.
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Helmets for Climbing/ Mountaineering
Always wear a climbing helmet for every type of rock, ice or mountain climbing (except non-technical trekking) to protect your head from falling debris or actual falls. Climbing helmets need to offer protection from objects like rocks and carabiners falling from above, as well as protection from the ground or rock face below you if you lose your grip and fall.
Some modern climbing helmets offer the foam construction common to other sport helmets. However, many traditional climbing helmets are “suspension helmets,” with a heavier, more solid outer shell suspended away from the climber′s head by interior webbing. These helmets are basically hard hats, and while relatively heavy, they do offer good protection from falling rocks and a longer life than foam climbing helmets.
Genuine climbing helmets should offer additional impact certifications from the CE (European Committee for Standardization) and/or the UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d′Alpinisme). The UIAA is the more rigorous tester of the two, requiring 20% greater impact protection than CE standards. These additional certifications for climbing helmets usually require testing not only for top impacts like other helmets, but also for side impacts with the helmet tilted.
Special Considerations for Climbing Helmets
Warmth: Even in the summer, mountaintops can be chilly. Winter and ice climbing often involve downright frigid temperatures. Be sure your climbing helmet is roomy enough to wear with a balaclaca. Climbing helmets with quick and easy size adjustments, such as rotating disc adjustments, are attractive to climbers because of the regular need to add and remove insulation.
Headlamps: Much of mountain climbing is done before daylight so climbers can get down off summits before bad weather rolls in. Also, some climbing routes end up taking longer than expected and a return in the dark is always possible. For these reasons, a climbing helmet generally comes with clips to attach a headlamp. Although these clips are somewhat universal, always check that your helmet and headlamp are compatible before leaving home.
Snowsport Helmets
It′s true − some people ski or snowboard their entire lives, never wear a snowsport helmet and never hurt their heads. That doesn′t mean these people shouldn′t be wearing helmets; it just means that they′re lucky.
Professional racers and downhill bombers aren′t the only ones who need to wear a ski or snowboard helmet. At the speeds most skiers and riders reach and with all the traffic and obstacles on a ski run, there′s always the possibility for whacking your head pretty hard. Ski and snowboard helmets are also very effective at keeping your head warm.
When you buy a snowsport helmet, remember these tips:
- Be sure the ski or snowboard helmet is goggle-compatible and try on your helmet with your goggles before you head to the mountains.
- Consider ski or snowboard helmets with built-in vents to keep your head cool. Some higher-quality snowsport helmets offer removable plugs for each vent to adapt to changing weather.
- Built-in audio in some snowboard helmets lets you listen to your MP3 as you carve, and may also be compatible with cell phones and walkie talkies.
- Removable fleece helmet liners keep your head extra warm on cold days and can be easily washed. This type of helmet liner is separate from the protective foam liner, which must always remain in the snowsport helmet.
Bonus: Many of today′s ski and snowboard helmets look pretty cool. You may actually be in the minority if you′re the person on the slopes without a helmet.
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Motorcycle/ Snowmobile Helmets
Helmets for motorcycling, motocross or snowmobiling should protect the entire face as well as the head. They should also have a full face shield to block wind at high speeds without impeding vision, with the exception of motocross, snowmobile helmets. The shell of a motorcycle helmet is sometimes made of a heavier ABS plastic than found in other sport helmets due to higher potential impact forces. Helmets specifically designed for snowmobiling also have extra insulation for warmth.
Kayaking Helmets
Every kayaker who hits the whitewater knows how deadly a roll can become when there′s a rock or log lurking under the surface. Whenever you boat on the river or along a rocky shore break, be sure to wear a kayak helmet.
A kayaking helmet usually has a breathable foam lining to help keep you cool and a sun visor so you can see where you′re headed. The four-point strap system on a kayaking helmet is similar to the straps found in bike helmets.
Multisport Helmets
Multisport helmets have no season. Most are designed for skating and cycling in summer, and also for snowboarding and skiing in winter. Many multisport helmets convert from winter to summer sports simply by removing a warm inner liner and exposing or opening vents in the shell. Also, multisport helmets often offer built-in audio for use on the slopes or in the skate park.
Safety Note: If your multisport helmet includes built-in audio, be sure to turn it off when around traffic or other areas where it is important to hear what′s going on around you. This includes any time you bike, skateboard or inline-skate.
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Helmet Inspection & Care
Helmets are built tough, but they can still suffer from unnecessary abuse and wear out over time. Store your helmet out of the sunlight and keep it inside a bag to protect it from banging around when you travel.
Also, before each use, give the helmet a quick once-over:
- Inspect the helmet′s liner foam to be sure it is not seriously dented, misshapen or compressed. Be sure it is securely encased within the shell.
- Check the helmet shell for cracks or other weak points.
- Make sure the chin buckle or strap is working properly.
- Examine the strap webbing where it attaches to the helmet for tearing or fraying.
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Helmet Replacement
Don′t put a price on your head! If you ever noticeably damage your sport helmet in any way, whether it′s helmet vs. rock, road, ice or sidewalk, you need to replace it. Also, since the sun′s UV rays and pollution weaken helmet materials over time, you should replace your helmet periodically. Lightweight bike helmets and similar in-mold helmets need to be replaced about every five years. Sturdier climbing and snowboarding helmets may last a little longer than bike helmets, and can probably last for up to 10 years if undamaged. Always read the manufacturer′s suggestions for helmet replacement.
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