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A helmet does not last forever, even if it looks brand new on the outside. Here is when to replace it and how to tell if yours no longer protects you as it should.
Always after an impact
If your helmet has taken a real knock, in a crash or even a drop onto the ground from a height, replace it, even if you cannot see any damage.
The real protection is the expanded polystyrene (EPS) liner inside. In an impact it crushes to absorb the energy, and it does not spring back. A helmet with crushed EPS gives far less protection the next time.
Never buy a second-hand helmet: you cannot know what it has been through.
With age
Without any impacts, most manufacturers recommend checking or replacing a helmet after around 5 years of use. Over time, sweat, sunlight and temperature changes degrade the lining, the EPS and the shell materials.
Look for the date of manufacture, usually on a label inside the helmet or on the approval label.
Signs it is time to replace it
- The helmet moves on your head: the padding has compressed too much. Check how a full-face helmet should fit.
- Cracks in the shell or in the paint around a knock.
- A fastener that does not hold properly, or a frayed strap.
- A scratched visor you can no longer replace.
- It is an old ECE 22.05 helmet. See ECE 22.06 vs 22.05.
How to make it last
- Store it away from sunlight and heat.
- Do not hang it on the mirror: it deforms the liner.
- Wash the lining regularly: see how to clean a helmet.
- No solvents on the shell.
If it is time for a new one
On a budget? Read the best budget helmets in the UK.
