Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
The Helmet Update
Volume 39 - #3 - June 21, 2021
All issues index
VA Tech testing finds 5 Star helmet for $7.45
Summary: Researchers at Virginia Tech tested nine very low cost bicycle helmets provided to helmet
promotion programs and found one currently selling for $7.45 that scored among their 5 Star models. Other 5 Star helmets
are all selling for more than $75.
The VA Tech testing showed that the low-cost helmets ranked across the STAR scale, with one skate-style model racking up
a lower score than the lowest-ranked 2 Star model on the current list. They concluded that the liners of the skate models
were too stiff to perform well in their low-impact anti-concussion testing, although they may be able to handle very high
impact levels.
The helmets came from Helmets R Us: https://helmetsrus.net/ The 5 Star performer was their Model 09 bicycle helmet. It
does not have MIPS, WaveCel or any other internal anti-rotational technology.
VA Tech normally tests only helmets submitted by manufacturers. If they extended their testing this way there might be
thousands of 5 Star helmets to be found.
Here is the article in
Traffic Injury Prevention, titled
A price-performance analysis of the protective
capabilities of wholesale bicycle helmets.
We have more
on our VA Tech page.