It’s a question that has been asked by many bikers. The answer is not as clear-cut as you might think, but we have some insights to share with you.
What does the law say?
According to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of the US Department of Transportation, no helmet can be used more than ten years after its date of manufacture.
If you are an intelligent bike rider and use a helmet for your safety, then probably thoughts came into your mind that helmets expire? The answer to your question is Yes. Ebike helmets expire.
Now the next thing is how we get to know that it’s time to change our helmets for good?
There are lots of factors that influence the life span of the helmets, and one should be very attentive to observe the signs; otherwise, the consequences can be fatal.
What does the research say about helmet expiration?
According to the snell foundation, a person should replace the helmet after every five years.
The reason for this conclusion is that the frequent usage of the helmet makes it more vulnerable to expiration. The comfort pads and energy-absorbing liner foam deteriorate in the process of taking it off or putting it on.
After frequent usage, the pad is worn out, making it lousy, and will come off in an accident, putting you in a dangerous situation.
Headwear like helmets are extremely important for safety purposes and should never get neglected. So why even take the risk? Replace your helmet after five years as recommended.
before the situation gets out of hand. Now it is not obligatory to replace a helmet after every five years; if you see some of the signs given below, you should not delay in getting yourself a new helmet.
Let’s dive into the important factors!
1- The aftermath of the crash
When riding a bike, you experience a crash and hit the ground; your helmet protects your head from any injury. In the process, your helmet performed its function, thus making it less effective.
While hitting the ground, the helmet protects your head with the foam inside it, and after that, polystyrene foam deformed and could not regain its compressed structure again.
After crashing for once, it loses its effectiveness and can not protect you from further incidents, so it is better to replace your helmet after the first crash.
Sometimes, the cracks or dents are not visible after the crash, and sometimes it becomes very obvious in some cases. After the crash, inspect your helmet and look for any dents and crashes.
Hold your helmet closely with both hands and inspect for any cracks. Even if you drop your helmet on the hard surface, it can lose its effectiveness. Go for a new helmet after a crash.
2-Hot temperature:
Too much exposure of the helmet to the sun also influences shortening its life span. The UV radiation emitting from the sun plays a significant factor in losing its effectiveness.
Uv radiation causes the shell to become brittle and break and eventually fall apart.
The other significant sign of sun exposure is the color of the helmet shell starts to fade. So in the case of frequent usage of helmets in hot temperatures, it’s a good call to change the helmet.
3-General wear and tear:
The snell foundation interprets that the helmet loses its energy-absorbing foam liner with time, even in general wear and tear.
Even with the general wear and tear, the ebike helmet loses its mechanical properties causing hindrance in its efficiency. We can also say that the more you use a helmet, the more it loses its efficiency.
The helmet cannot lose its productivity without its usage. So after a good usage of a helmet for an extended period of three to five years, changing a helmet seems a good idea.
4- Inspect chin straps and buckles.
Always Inspect your helmet before every use, and don’t forget the chin straps of the helmet. Chin straps can deteriorate due to sweat and salt. It can wear out and degrade its performance.
If the chin strap becomes loose and can not prevent you from keeping your head inside the helmet intact or it does not buckle up because of the broken blade, it’s high time you consider getting yourself a new good helmet.
Because of the faulty chin straps, the helmet could not get adjusted on your head thus can not prevent you from getting injured because of the constant movement.
See a lousy chin strap? Look for a new helmet
5-Inner foam liners.
On the bright side, the EPS foam liner does not degrade quickly, even for a long extended period. The polystyrene used in foam liners can not deteriorate with sweat or body fluids.
So you don’t have to worry about wearing out foam liner unless it gets destroyed physically. Manufacturers have to reach up to the standards, and the standard includes using foam inside helmets that can not be degraded by sweat or saltwater.
So get rid of any worry about the inner lining foam but always have eyes for any kind of scratch or crack in the inner side of the helmet.
Watch out if there is any crack in the inner lining foam; if not, then you are good to go.
6-Uncomfortable helmet.
When riding an ebike, you should feel comfortable and at ease. And when you are not relaxed and comfy, you can not enjoy the ride. If your helmet is not the right fit for you, this is going to be a problem for you both in safety and enjoying purposes.
Your helmet size can get bigger in size after the crash because the foam inside gets compressed and loses its shape making it bigger
than your appropriate size.
In this way, it won’t fit perfectly on your head and will slide off in a minor bump putting you at risk. It is a very obvious sign to change your helmet.
Talking about the alternative situations, you don’t want to wear a helmet that is too tight for your head it can make you feel claustrophobic and squeeze your head, giving you a dreadful headache whether it’s the size of the helmets or broken straps, the helmets not only giving you
trouble but are also very threatening to your life.
So why take risks? Get yourself new helmets that make you feel comfortable.
How to care for your helmet?
maintenance plays a very important role in enhancing the life span of any material things. If you are not taking enough care of your helmet, it is not even going to last for five years.
How you take care and which precautions you take for the good working of the helmet is really important
and should not face any negligence.
Here are the points you should observe and follow for the good maintenance of the helmet.
1-Avoid bumps and knocks.
EPS, which is used in the making of the helmets, is the one that absorbs the energy of the impact in the event of a crash or bumps. The EPS efficiency in absorbing the impact energy reduces after every bump and knocks.
For a better understanding, let us take you an example if your helmet knocked down or got in a crash and got just one 1 millimeter deep dent on the 20-millimeter thickness of the EPS, reducing its ability to absorb impact by 5 percent.
To increase the lifespan and for better care, avoid bumps and knocking down helmets on the hard ground.
2-Protect helmet from temperature extremes.
EPS inside the helmet, no matter what, is currently the best material available in the manufacturing of the helmet but also has its limitations. The extreme limit of the temperature of the helmet is minus 30 degrees centigrade and plus 50 degrees centigrade.
Exceeding both these limits has some drastic effects. Suppose your helmet is placed at a temperature more than 50 degrees centigrade. In that case, the UV radiation emitting from the sun damages the helmet’s structure, making the shell very brittle and fades the color.
So keep in mind that if you want to increase the helmet’s lifespan, keep them away from the temperature extremes.
3-Store the helmet away from chemicals.
EPS can be degraded by chemicals. Toxic chemicals like rodenticides, insect repellent chemicals containing DEET, and pesticides are very harmful to helmets. They erode the outer surface of helmets, thus making them brittle.
Moving away from the toxic chemicals, if we look upon nontoxic chemicals like lubricants, degreasers, and even vaseline can immensely degrade the EPS over time. To maximize the helmet’s efficiency, it is better to keep the helmet away from the chemicals and sprays.
4-Clean helmet after every use.
Body fluids, sweat, hair oils, and sunblock also affect the lifespan of the helmet. Always clean the helmet after every use, and the manufacturer recommends using only water for cleaning the helmet, not any kind of chemicals.
But we know the legitimate problem of a stinky helmet because of the sweat or hair oils. To protect the EPS from deterioration and to get rid of the stinkiness for your sanity, the best procedure is to take the foam out of the helmet then wash the helmet with soap; otherwise, just
use water.
Which is better, cheap or expensive, helmets?
Choosing the right helmets that do not compromise safety is crucial, but the important thing is whether to opt for cheap helmets or go for expensive helmets. What is the difference between a cheap and expensive helmet?
If the difference that separates them is the quality of the safety, then it would not be a wise decision to compromise your life.
Bike helmet safety institute tested out six different helmets ranging in price from cheap to expensive, and to the surprise conclusion,
all the helmets were almost identical.
All almost, whether the cheap ones or expensive, perform the same functions in terms of safety.
The differences between them were in terms of styling and easier fit for comfortability. If you are only looking for a helmet that provides you with protection, then purchase a helmet that is within your budget.
There is no need to go out of the way for an expensive one.
However, if money is not your main concern and you are willing to pay for an expensive helmet, the additional elements that you will get are easier fit, snazzier graphics, more ventilation, better styling with reduced weight, and not forgetting the excellent aerodynamics.
Frequently Asked Question{FAQS}:
1. Why Do ebike Helmets Expire?
Research says that helmets expire after five years and should be changed accordingly, but the other factors that decrease the lifespan of the ebike helmets are crashes, bumps and knocks, exposure to extreme temperature, and not taking good care of the helmets.
2. Are expensive helmets better than cheap helmets?
Expensive and cheap helmets are very much identical in terms of safety. Both provide the same performance. Expensive helmets have additional elements like better ventilation and good aerodynamics. But if your main concern is safety, then a budget helmet is the
best.
3. How often should you replace your helmets?
The helmets are recommended to change every five years, but it is essential to change without delay if your helmet has met with a recent crash and got a dent or crack on it.
4. How do helmets protect from a brain injury?
When someone gets in a crash, brain injuries other than body injuries can prove fatal. During a crash, foam inside the helmet acting as absorbing energy absorbs the crash’s impact and doesn’t make your head stop abruptly; that is very dangerous but gives your
brain some milliseconds to gradually slow down, thus protecting from the head injury.
The study shows a high rate of intracranial hemorrhage in an ATV crash that does not use helmets.
Conclusion
So do ebike helmets expire? They do. Can you increase the lifespan of the helmet? Yes, why not a color change the helmet after five years to be on the right and safe road.
Is wearing a helmet important? It is necessary to wear a helmet; it prevents you from endless troubles and head
injuries.
We want you to be as safe as possible when riding your ebike. Always wear a helmet and keep it in good condition because the materials that make up helmets can degrade over time, affecting their effectiveness.
A cheap or expensive helmet may not provide the same level of protection, so we recommend spending more for one with better ratings and quality construction.
If you’re looking to buy a new bike helmet, remember these tips on how to care for them and what types are best suited for different styles of biking.”
