Mountain Biking - 30 vs. 100+ dollar helmets

I have a Giro helmet which I bought at Dick's about a year and a half back and it cost me 30 dollars. I have also seen helmets by Giro as well as other marks being sold for 100 dollars or more. My questions are; what are the differences between 30 vs. 100+ dollar helmets? Does the 100 protect you any better?

Styling, fit system, and often weight and number of vents. Not that the latter two are necessarily significant. Who knows? A reputable brand's $30 helmet may just do a better job of protecting you if it has more material, and fewer holes for mother earth to press through.

Like the guy above me said, mostly just fit and breather holes. I tried on the Giro Atmos. Felt like I was wearing a hat....very light and comfy.

http://www.lowestgear.com/e/helmet_atmos_blk.jpg

Also very expensive at 179.99.

Fitting, styling, materials.

Whether a helmet costs $30 or $100 - they all meet the same safety standards designed to protect your head. Price differential is, like mentioned above, style, weight, air holes. My son picked up an Atmos on e-bay for $135, wore it in one race, hit a tree & dented it big time. A $30 helmet would have done the same thing. Now he's using something he won at a race.

Aside from proper fit & comfort, base your descision on color, too... if you ride where it's hot & sunny, the lighter colors would be a better choice than black.....

A proper fit will aid in the protection it provides. The way I see it is, it's my head... I'll spend a few extra bucks to get the helmet that fits best.

30 vs 100 dollar helmets are really no different in the way of safety, they all passed the same test remember. the 100+ dollar helmet will have more ventilation and be more aerodynamic and much lighter. will it win you a race? probably not. even a noticable difference? once again, probably not.

Just because I get pedantic when I hear this argument thrown about:

Everyone is right to some extent. Just about all helmets on the market pass some sort of base safety test. However, that does not mean one helmet is not more safe than another, just that they are both safer than a minimum standard.

Unfortunately, there is no published data on how much safer any given helmet is than another. Fit and comfort are most important. How highly you think of your noggin and the technology others want you to put on it, that's up to you.

The extra $$ is worth it IMO...I have a $50 helmet, that I don't use because it doesn't feel to fit right, and I also have a $125 helmet which I do use, because its light, and fits perfectly.

The extra $$ is worth it IMO...I have a $50 helmet, that I don't use because it doesn't feel to fit right, and I also have a $125 helmet which I do use, because its light, and fits perfectly.

...but it's entirely conceivable a $30 helmet could fit better than $125 helmet -- it all depends on the size of one's noggin and the brand & model of helmet(s) in question. So in that case, it's not really a matter of money, it's a matter of trying 'em out and seeing what fits.

You might be interested to see that Consumer Reports found some of the cheaper helmets to be better.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/travel/bike-helmets-606/ratings/latest-ratings/index.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=3&searchTerm=helmet

$70.

Just because I get pedantic when I hear this argument thrown about:

Everyone is right to some extent. Just about all helmets on the market pass some sort of base safety test. However, that does not mean one helmet is not more safe than another, just that they are both safer than a minimum standard.

Unfortunately, there is no published data on how much safer any given helmet is than another. Fit and comfort are most important. How highly you think of your noggin and the technology others want you to put on it, that's up to you.
That's not entirely true. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (http://www.bhsi.org/)reviews each year's new crop of helmets and mentions good or bad points. As for crash-testing, the CPSC standard is a decent one. The BHSI goes one step further by noting features of a helmet that could make it less safe. Their big thing is the razzoo helmets that we all like (that figures) with the extra airflow "tails" or moldings on the back that make them look racier, but are actually snagging hazards if your head is scraping along the ground. Their contention is that the rounder the profile (not as stylish) the better it's likely to behave in a crash.

You might be interested to see that Consumer Reports found some of the cheaper helmets to be better.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/travel/bike-helmets-606/ratings/latest-ratings/index.htm?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=3&searchTerm=helmet


That is very helpful thanks for this link to Consumer Reports!

I just recently bought a new bell helmet for about $35. It fits great because it is adjustable, and looks good too. I looked at another bell helmet that was over $100 and I couldn't tell the difference. Spending more than $50 on a helmet is pointless unless you have something to prove.

Spending more than $50 on a helmet is pointless unless you have something to prove.
or if you race XC and want something that is more ventilated and aerodynamic...

I usually just start trying stuff on and pick one thats snug. Aside from them cracking apon heavy impact (which is expected so not really a fair critisim) Specialized make good helmets for me. I guess im one of the lucky ones, thier $40 helmet fits me like a glove.

It'd suck if you only found $100+ helmets comfortable. Im glad i dont have that problem.

or if you race XC and want something that is more ventilated and aerodynamic...

Please tell me which has more ventilation and is more aerodynamic.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f392/mcoine/40_2406PTR.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f392/mcoine/40_2116RB.jpg

Thanks for the great posts all. I think that I've found the info which I was looking for.

Basically, everything's been covered.
Back when I worked in a bike shop, it was generally thought that a $30 Trek helmet (This was a few years ago, probably now discontinued) was generally the best helmet in the store. Good retention system, rather light, but enough vents to keep you cool. Didn't fit me, unfourtunatly. Still, goes to show that cost has little to doi with quality.

Styling, fit system, and often weight and number of vents. Not that the latter two are necessarily significant. Who knows? A reputable brand's $30 helmet may just do a better job of protecting you if it has more material, and fewer holes for mother earth to press through.

Actually depending on how quickly the foam crushes, more holes may be better. The idea is that the foam crushes instead of your skull. It it does not crush, your head will take the blow instead.

...but it's entirely conceivable a $30 helmet could fit better than $125 helmet -- it all depends on the size of one's noggin and the brand & model of helmet(s) in question. So in that case, it's not really a matter of money, it's a matter of trying 'em out and seeing what fits.

True. I was just sharing my experience. Unfortunately, of the helmets I tried, the expensive one fit the best. At least it wasn't a $200 Atmos, and it looks pretty cool too...