I replace mine if there is visible damage (crushed foam, punctured shell, etc) but don't worry about counting small hits.

Interested to hear some "expert" opinions...

 

Same. If can't see evidence of the hit, I figure it's minor. I replace my helmet every 2-4 years regardless.

 

Minor falls/impact/light scuffing on the shell i let it ride.. moderate falls/impacts+ I'll replace. Regardless, you feel concussion symptoms definitely replace. as what happened to me ski biking wearing my dh helmet. Skibike caught an edge launching me 10-15ft. No real evidence of impact on the helmet but i had concussion symptoms of dizziness, nauseousness, seeing stars, ringing in the ears for 7 months.

 

Minor falls/impact/light scuffing on the shell i let it ride.. moderate falls/impacts+ I'll replace. Regardless, you feel concussion symptoms definitely replace. as what happened to me ski biking wearing my dh helmet. Skibike caught an edge launching me 10-15ft. No real evidence o impact but i had concussion symptoms of dizziness, nauseousness, seeing stars, ringing in the ears for 7 months.

Your brain can bounce around even without ground contact.

 

Spoke with a friend last week after banging my helmet on a low hanging tree limb hard enough to dent it. My buddy is a mechanical engineer who’s worked in the MTB industry for a few decades - not necessarily a helmet expert but the best source I have access to. His suggestion was to look inside the helmet and inspect the foam. If it‘s deformed or cracked from the impact, replace the helmet. If not, you’re likely good to go.

 

The problem with inspecting the foam is that where you really need to inspect is the foam directly under the hard shell. That is where any damage is going to be, because the shell can deform and pop back, but the foam below it is permanently compressed and doesn't pop back.

But you can't inspect without destroying the helmet to see what happened to the foam right under the hard shell.

With that said, I'd probably keep using that helmet too.

 

Change it after every contact even without showing signs of damage. I might have a helmet problem though, I currently have 8 of them and 1 still in a box because it was on sale.

 

I replace mine if there is visible damage (crushed foam, punctured shell, etc) but don't worry about counting small hits.

Interested to hear some "expert" opinions...

Yep, this.

Change it after every contact even without showing signs of damage. I might have a helmet problem though, I currently have 8 of them and 1 still in a box because it was on sale.

If i did this i would replace a helmet every two to three weeks....

 

If it even crosses my mind that the helmet could be damaged after a fall it gets replaced. Am I an over cautious, paranoid, late middle aged dude? Probably, but I like my chances of being able to feed myself in my later years following this policy. I see helmets as relatively cheap insurance.

 

Helmets look like an ice chest shaped into a 1/2 egg. Hard for me to get all nerdy about them. If there is no visible damage, my opinion is that it is ok.

 

Visable damage or concussion or 3 years. My personal standards.

 

I still see some riders with helmets that must be from the 90s, I guess better than nothing.

 

If it was visibly cracked, dented, and/or I had an accident significant enough to warrant a hospital trip that involved a head injury, I’d replace it. Helmets aren’t that expensive that it’s worth taking a chance (to me).

 

I probably keep my non-crashed helmets longer than I should, but last week I had to replace an 18 month old helmet, not because of bad damage to the shell, but because part of the internal MIPS system broke in the crash.

 

Good helmets aren't cheap, but their a bargain compared to medical bills and the pain, suffering, general B.S. associated with head injuries. Besides who dosent like a good excuse to buy cool new stuff. 😁

 

if there is ANY dimpling on the shell, it's an auto replacement for me because the way they're made nowadays, the foam underneath makes contact with the shell and if the shell is impacted enough to dimple, then the foam is compressed.

lesser impacts that don't deform the shell are harder to tell but could still potentially compress the foam. I deal with these on a case-by-case basis. sometimes I replace, sometimes not depending on how the impact felt.

I also keep an eye on the condition of the foam on the inside of the helmet. I've had notable blunt force impacts not deform the shell but crack the foam underneath. also sweat and sun/heat exposure (from being inside your vehicle) can slowly deteriorate the foam and make it less effective.

 

I inspect it pretty close after a hard hit. I clobbered myself pretty good once, but externally the helmet looked fine (just a minor dent). I put a little force on it which revealed that the helmet had all but split in 2, with the skin/shell and suspension holding it together.
I've probably broken or deflected more low-hanging branches with my helmet than anything thing else, but I still check it periodically by trying to pull it or squeeze it out of shape.

-F

 

Replace after a known hit to the head in a crash.
I had a heavy crash a few years ago but didn't realize I hit my head until a few days later when I awoke to a symptom of vertigo, which I learned could have started to a hit to the head(many other causes though). I examined my helmet and there were some very light scratches to the helmet on the right side and a crack inside the helmet.

 

Better safe than sorry IMO. The manufacturers advise to replace after any hit to the head whether visible damage or not. Bell Helmet's Product FAQ says:

Some or all of the helmet’s protective capacity is used up when impacted, and the damage to a helmet is not always visible.

and

Remember: Never wear a helmet that’s been involved in an accident.

What about your disposal method? The manufacturers advise to cut the straps off the helmet when you throw it away so that no one can possibly mistake it for a usable helmet.

 

If I have a hard headshot (subjective) then I'll replace. Minor ones, no.

If the helmet looks as bad as the one in the OP then definitely replace a long time ago.

 

If I have a hard headshot (subjective) then I'll replace. Minor ones, no.

If the helmet looks as bad as the one in the OP then definitely replace a long time ago.

The Helmet had a few scratches on it before the last fall in which all the damage(s) show in the pic occurred. It was replaced with the black one below it.