Hi All,

Just a quick question someone here may be able to answer. About four years ago I made the switch to wearing a Knucklebone Jumper hard shell helmet instead of the usual Giro, Bell and MET microshell helmets I'd been wearing previously. I tried the Jumper on in the shop and it immediately felt more strong and solid than the microshells I've worn, and I feel much safer and confident wearing a heavier duty helmet. The Jumper's a bit old and tired these days so I'm now wearing a Bell Faction (which I love).

My question is do hard shell skate style helmets actually protect any more than microshells? They have more coverage at the back and things are less likely to penetrate the shell, but are they any more (or even less) protective in general than their thinner shelled cousins?

Thanks for any info
DPC

I think there are some instances where they provide more protection (sharp object penetration and multiple hits). Since they have less thickness of foam to crush they provide less protection in the more common accidents.

Not skate lids -BMX ones.
https://www.pro-tec.net/bike.html
https://www.pro-tec.net/sxp.html

Sorry... I meant skate style helmets but with an EPS foam liner like the 661 Dirt Lid and Bell Faction, not actual skate helmets with the squishy foam stuff inside.

Just look for the "Snell" sticker. To earn a Snell sticker, the helmet must pass testing, including testing of random samples purchased in bike shops.

The other factor is fit, and proper adjustment. New helmets come with detailed instructions on adjusting the helmet. Yet, I see many younger riders with four inches of bare skin above the eyebrows, and straps that have a couple inches of slack. A Wal-Mart helmet that fits, and is properly adjusted, provides more protection than a $200 helmet that does not fit, and is not properly adjusted.

Fit and retention are the most important issues with a helmet and on those scores some of the modern micro-shell helmets have some advantages over the heavier duty bmx helmets. Having said that I'm very leary of many microshell helmets. One MAJOR point I don't like about the micro-shell helmets is that the shell really SHOULD completely circumnavitigate the entire helmet in order to hold it together in an impact. Most micro-shell helmets however are made of several pieces with gaps of just soft foam being left unprotected and in a big hit the helmet will fall apart at these weak points. The foam part does the shock absorbing but it NEEDS a strong shell to keep it together and distribute the load of impact.

If your riding bmx or Mtn downhill where the risks are high I would deffinitely reccomend a solid hard shell helmet that fits well.

Its all about risk management and balancing protection against overheating. Personaly I use the strongest micro-shell helmet that I can find for road use which is a TEC which I believe is a New Zealand brand available in some places in Australia.

Regards, Anthony