The difference in helmets is the Wally-Mart version is likely built as cheaply as possible to barely pass CSPC standards while nicer helmets will have some R&D behind them to make them safer. My helmet is expensive yes but it is really light and really comfortable and that is important to me. I also know that Lazer is doing a lot of in house testing on helmets to improve everything including safety.


Wally-Mart might take a basic shape from the 90s and sort of recreate it and slap a Schwinn Quality sticker on it so you think their is at least a smidge of quality to it. Plus the Waltons don't need your money, they are plenty wealthy and their employees are plenty poor. Not a great business to support. Your local shop however is a good business to support and getting yourself a nicer helmet will feel better on the head. Even the base model Specialized helmets are coming with MIPS and other neat features and are pretty well designed and not super expensive considering it is a safety item.

Inflatable helmets would look pretty goofy as you can see above it looks like Spaceballs: the Movie and Victorian era wigs came together and crapped that thing out.