How to Choose the Right Bicycle Helmet

• Which Type? Sport, Road or Mountain?
• Find the Right Size
• Consider Design Features
• Understanding the Stats
• Your Helmet's Impact Certification
• Know When It's Time to Replace Your Helmet

Wear a helmet every time you ride. You may think they don't look cool or that they're too cumbersome, but they're cooler and less cumbersome than memory loss from an accident. Plus, today's helmets are more chic than a Paris fashion show and lighter than the omelet you had for breakfast.

Your helmet should fit you comfortably and correctly, and it should be certified for adequate impact protection. So, how do you choose the right helmet? Read on.

Which Type? Sport, Road or Mountain?

Cycling helmets come in 3 basic styles – sport, road and mountain bike helmets. All types are designed to help protect riders from impact while being light, comfortable and stylish.

• Sport helmets offer versatile protection at a value price. They're ideal for commuter, road and mountain bikers as well as inline skaters.
• Road bike helmets tend to stress lightness, ventilation and aerodynamic styling.
• Mountain bike helmets are designed for maximum protection from trailside obstacles; these helmets usually include visors and extended back-of-the-head coverage. Special retention systems provide a firm and secure fit on rough terrain. Cyclocross riders also generally prefer these helmets.

Find the Right Size

The biggest key to choosing the right bike helmet is finding one that fits you. Helmets come in several sizes (typically sized in inches) and most are designed to fit a small range of head sizes.

To find the right size, use a tape measure to measure around the largest portion of your head –– about 1 inch above your eyebrows. Look for a helmet that matches that measurement. The size range for each helmet offered on REI.com is listed beneath the product detail column for each helmet. If you're between sizes, order the smaller size.

Once you've found the right general size, it's time to make the helmet fit. Helmets have a remarkably versatile fitting system that includes sizing pads and adjustable straps. If you're ordering online these will be your primary way to make the helmet fit. In store, you can try various sizes and styles before fine-tuning the fit.

A good-fitting helmet will be snug, but not tight. It should sit level on your head (not tilted back) with the front edge no more than 1 inch above your eyebrows. Push the helmet from side to side and back to front. If the helmet shifts in any direction, use the sizing pads provided with the helmet to snug up the fit.

Next, buckle and tighten the chinstrap. Push up on the front edge of the helmet, then up on the back edge. If the helmet moves significantly in either direction, tighten the chinstrap and try again. Finally, with the strap buckled, open your mouth. If the helmet doesn't press firmly down against your forehead as you do so, tighten further and repeat.

Consider Design Features

• Liner–– Most helmet liners are made of expanded polystyrene foam. On impact, the liner dissipates the force of the impact to protect your head. Make sure the liner fits your head comfortably and that it's not damaged or dented.
• Shell–– Most cycling helmets are covered with a plastic shell to hold the helmet together in a crash, provide puncture-resistance and allow the helmet to slide on impact (to protect your head and neck). Make sure the shell is intact and in good shape.
• Ventilation–– Helmet vents enhance wind-flow over your head, keeping you cooler and more comfortable as you ride. In general, the more vents you have, the cooler you'll be.
• Straps–– Find a helmet strap system that's comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Also make sure that it matches your riding style ––– beefy for rough terrain and mountain trails, lighter and cooler for road racing. Try a couple of different systems before you decide on one.
• Hair Port–– Some helmets come with a strap design that accommodates ponytails.

Understanding the Stats

The description page for each helmet on REI.com includes some or all of the following specifications:

Weight– Listed in grams or ounces. As the price goes up, the weight goes down. If you're a recreational cyclist, you can get by with a fairly heavy helmet. However, riders who pound the pavement or finesse the trails need the weight savings.

Suggested Use– While a road helmet can be used on the trail, and vice versa, sport-specific helmets can help increase performance. Also, some helmets are designed for both on- and off-road use.

Vents– They create airflow around and over your head to keep you cool. The more vents, the cooler the head (and the pricier the helmet).

Material– Almost all models have a polyethylene plastic shell with a foam insert. These two materials, working together, absorb and spread the impact. The helmet may crack, but your head will be saved.

Specification	Description
Weight	300 grams
Suggested use	On-road/off-road
Material	Polyethylene

Your Helmet's Impact Certification

By law, all helmets sold in the US must meet standards set by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CSPC). Helmets available at REI also meet performance standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or the Snell foundation, generally regarded as the industry's toughest.

These standards involve rigorous testing. Test results have helped manufacturers create helmets that are light, comfortable, and can handle impacts far in excess of what a normal rider would likely experience during a crash.

Know When It's Time to Replace Your Helmet

Any time your helmet is involved in an accident, it's likely to get damaged. Since damage isn't always easy to spot visually, replace the helmet after any significant impact, even if everything "looks" okay. You should also replace your cycling helmet after 5 years, even if it hasn't been involved in a crash, since pollution, UV light and weathering can weaken its component parts over time.