How often do you upgrade/replace your helmets?

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Do helmet manufacturers build an automatic degradation code into their helmet shells and liners? If their helmets are so darn good why are they so darn good for only 5 years?

Time will degrade virtually any plastic. I suspect the same chemical composition that makes a helmet so protective is also a chemical composition that degrades in relatively short order, meaning 5 to 15 years. Most likely, typically at 5 years there may be only, say, a 10% degradation, but if that 10% takes away a significant portion of the safety margin of the original design then it's time to replace it.

Of course we will never know just how much a helmet plastic deteriorates over time since manufacturers sure as heck aren't going to disclose that.

 

[Canuckrob]

I'm in Canada and I've never been asked by the police about the age of my helmet but I replace mine about every 4 years.

 

[mecsw500]

I'm sure the actual longevity of a helmet depends on a lot of factors: exposure to UV, heat, cold, storage location over the winter, humidity, frequency of wearing it, how it is treated, how much you sweat in it and so on and so forth. My suspicion is the manufacturers and industry regulatory bodies play safe and recommend replacement after 5 years to cover most owners. Wear it fewer times in a temperate climate and store it in a temperature controlled place over the winter and you might eke out a longer lifespan I suspect. On the other hand, if you have to use it for what it is intended for, that would be the wrong time to find out your calculations were a little bit off. I just factor a fifth of the price of a new Shoei each riding season is just the price of riding. On the other hand, half of Utah decides no helmet at all is necessary, so I guess a 30 year old one might be better than absolutely nothing.

 

[ARtraveler]

Do helmet manufacturers build an automatic degradation code into their helmet shells and liners? If their helmets are so darn good why are they so darn good for only 5 years? Kinda the same way some folks date code their spouses.
:yikes: :roflblack:

That is a good question. :bowdown: