The Helmet Update
Volume 37, #3, July 3, 2019
All issues index
Consumer Reports flunks three helmets
Consumer Reports has published
an article on their
web page announcing that three helmets have failed their testing:
- Bontrager Ballista MIPS
- Morpher Flat Folding
- Woom Kids
CR's tests are essentially the same as the testing for the US CPSC standard. In the case of the Morpher and Woom
helmets the failure to pass impact standards probably means both are marginal for impact performance and would possibly
pass in some labs but not others. We would avoid both, since most manufacturers build enough margin into their designs to
accommodate both quality control issues and lab variations.
The Bontrager buckle failure follows a number of similar failures over the years in CR labs in 1997, 2006 and 2014, and
is of less concern. The CPSC buckle test is a severe test, and the buckles Trek uses on their Bontrager models are
standard ones that seldom fail in other labs. On occasion a manufacturer uses a slightly stiffer chin strap or the
geometry of the strap system results in less stretch during the peak force of the test, stressing the buckle more. Trek
says that "independent lab testing conducted after Consumer Reports' notified Trek has been unable to replicate Consumer
Reports' findings." Trek has no reports of any Bontragers failing in the field. That has been the case in the past when
CR reported buckle failures on other models, as we reported most recently
here in 2014.
CR has also published an
article about helmets they have been able to buy online from Amazon, Sears and Chinese sites that do not meet US
standards. We have been pointing that out for years and noting that the cheapest deals from Chinese sellers--even on US
branded helmets--can be knockoffs that lack the internal reinforcing and quality of construction that make the real
version available from US retailers able to pass standards.
CR also announced again that they are working on a welcome update of their 2016 helmet ratings.
Note added August 2020: CPSC announced a recall of the Morpher and Woom helmets in
August of
2020, more than a year later. Bontrager had sent helmet samples to CPSC and Trek's Eric Bojorling said "They could
not identify or replicate the concerns that Consumer Reports outlined and closed the file. As of right now, we are not
aware of any issues with the Ballista that would lead us to need to recall the helmet."
See this link for
reviews of Consumer Reports articles in other years.
The Helmet Update - Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Randy Swart, Editor
4611 Seventh Street South
Arlington, VA 22204-1419 USA
(703) 486-0100 (voice)
(703) 486-0576 (fax)
www.helmets.org