KNOW YOUR HELMETS

What you wear on your headmatters… a lot. So, to get a fuller grasp of what we should be buying for our bonce, we spoke with Airoh Helmets’ resident technical expert Angela Locatelli.

Tech Talk

Only a headcase would compromise on a decent lid.

Why are there so many types of helmet materials and which is the safest one? Originally, helmets were made of composite fibres, like fibreglass. Over the years the use of plastic materials was introduced, such as ABS and polycarbonate. The main reason for this was to contain production costs and aid production volume and consistency.

So, nowadays, different materials are used to meet and support all the various needs of the market. Obviously, because of the homologation standards applied to the industry, all helmets on the market have to reach a certain criteria to be fit for sale, so a thermoplastic helmet could be considered as safe as one made from composite fibres. Of course, some helmets will exceed the minimal standards that have been set, so this is worth remembering.

FB: Why do helmets vary so much in cost and is it best to always buy the most expensive?

AL: The cost of a helmet varies and depends on many aspects like quality, type of components used and accessories included. Considering all helmets are made to meet the same base levels of safety, it means that price isn’t necessarily synonymous with safety. It’s more a reflection of the expensive raw materials used in the construction and production of a helmet. The higher the spec, the more expensive a helmet is likely to be.