MTB helmets usually last me at most 2 years before I end up cracking them, so they never have a chance to degrade that much on their own.

Road/Gravel helmets I’ll usually replace every 3 seasons as a precaution.

 

l've seem as short as 3yrs (recommended) and as long as 10yrs.
l'd say 5yrs max lf there's been no crashes/damage/

 

Every 2 years like clockwork. Sooner if I see something that peaks my interest. It's arguably the most important piece of gear you own and costs less than a cassette; replace often and keep that brain safe!

 

UV damage is a big one that will bring a helmet to retirement. but also things like jostling/bumping around during transport, really high heat inside a closed car, and the cumulative effects of lots of sweat.

I'm probably in the 3-5yr camp before my helmets get worn out usually.

 

Very fair responses and all them make sense.

 

I have melon head so finding helmets that fit well and are comfortable can be challenge. So long as it isn't damaged I keep them a long time. I rinse the inside and pads off after every ride and have a couple of extra pad sets when the originals wear out or start to get funky.

 

I wrecks a bit, so somewhat often. Otherwise, I just replace the inner lining/padding and call it good. I will arbitrarily buy new helmet that I think might do something better --typically "breath", so I have a half dozen or so helmets at any point in time.

 

Helmets don't expire.

 

Some say they do lol

Whenever someone gets within 10 ft and start asking if there's a dead animal nearby even after you've just washed it

Funny story, I just stripped my padding out of my helmet just to check for that 😂🤣

 

Whenever someone gets within 10 ft and start asking if there's a dead animal nearby even after you've just washed it. 2 years after that point, max.

 

Mostly that... mine are too yukky before they fall apart... 2 years sounds about right, but i had one for 4+ previously. DH helmets... anywhere between a week and longer

 

After a big crash for sure. If the helmet survives longer, then between 2 and 3 years. Also if there is a helmet that comes out which pushes tech and safety forward significantly, so I always keep an eye on the Virginia Tech helmet safety ratings. At the moment I have a Specialized Tactic 4 as it is currently rated the safest helmet by Virginia Tech and secondly as it fits my weird shaped head the best out of any I tried when I was looking for a new helmet

 

What you read of helmet life normally refers to Motorbike helmets with an outer shell made out of plastic which will degrade with UV. In a motorbike helmet the outer shell is covering almost all helmet surface and is very important because it works together with the Polyestirene foam to absorb impacts. A small area impact would be transferred from the shell to a bigger area in the foam which is actually absorbing the impact, as well as avoiding penetration.
Carbon fibre helmets don’t have such degradation and replacement time is much longer.

In a mtb helmet, unless is DH full face, you have so many openings, and so thin and small area of plastic that the only function is to maintain shell shape integrity. And some helmets already include like a web embedded inside the foam to make this function.

Sumarry is that in a motorbike helmet the shell needs to prevent indentation, so plastic degrada cannaffec, and in a bike helmet only help to keep shape and not in all helmets…

So I don’t think a MTB helmet needs to be replaced so often. Of course brands will tell you so to increase sales!

 

Majority of motorbike helmets have a fibreglass or carbon shell, so your argument is not valid

 

I am highly skeptical of the need to replace a helmet every 3-5 years. I've had helmets sit around for years in the closet and they seem no worse for the wear after sitting all that time. If they start to degrade in some way, either the shell cracking/flaking, or some part is worn or cracked, or you get into a crash and damage it, then sure, replacing it is a good idea. But if the helmet otherwise looks pristine after five years, I am not so sure about replacing it just because it's old. I'd need to see the hard data to convince me otherwise.

 

I think there is a pretty big difference between a helmet that has been sitting around in a closet for a few years and a helmet that has been consistently used through those same years.

As someone that has had a few head injuries, I'm not willing to mess around with whether or not my helmet is still as safe as it was originally designed.

I'll pay the realistically small price to retire a 3 year old helmet and get something fresh.

 

Related story. Most of my helmets have been dark in color with dark or black straps.

Not too long ago, I found a TLD A2 on sale for about half price, but it was mostly white with white straps. I thought, ok, that's different, but didn't give it much thought for a cheap price on a pretty well-regarded helmet.

Well, it turns out that the white parts of the shell, and the white straps in particular, show a lot of dirt, sweat, and skin oil over time and kind of reveal what your helmet undergoes even without crashing, but just from wearing it. The straps get pretty disgusting looking.

So that makes me clean it more than I probably would a darker helmet where I can't see the accumulation of crud. Between the cleanings and that otherwise stealthy accumulation of crud, it makes you wonder how well the parts of the helmet are holding up.

 

When bashed like this. Concussion left me with no memory of the whole afternoon, but I was fine the next day, after an evening in ER for CT to rule out a brain bleed. I was at the back, so nobody saw the crash. I suspect I hooked a tree with my left bar end based on a left thumb injury. It was an easy downhill trail. Garmin recorded a nice ”Jump’. Maybe MIPS helped? My wife insisted on replacing it and found an identical helmet on sale.

 

^^ replacing after a crash like that makes sense. But as to sunlight exposure, maybe I'm geeking out too much, but here's a link to a study:

Photo-oxidative degradation of motorcycle helmets in Hanoi, Vietnam: A prospective preliminary study - PubMed

POD occurs due to routine exposure to the ultraviolet light. Prolonged uv exposure affects outer shell surface material integrity.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This study looked at motorcycle helmets that were exposed to sunlight for 3 years at a mean of 2300 hours per helmet. A little more than half the helmets showed degradation. If I ride 5 hours a week every week, 2300 hours gets you 8 years. But I only ride for about 9 months of the year because I take winters off - that's 11 years. Even if you cut that by 30% to be on the safe side, that's still well over 7 years. But the next question is, what level of helmet degradation results in a compromised helmet?

I concur with the earlier poster that these 3-5 year limits set by the manufacturer are due to liability concerns more than anything else. It reminds me of food expiration dates.

Disclaimer: this post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed to dissuade anyone from following the manufacturer recommendations so don't sue me, ok?

 

I think the big thing to remember is that the manufacturers are going to set a time limit based on worst case possible use.

They aren't going to give you the amount of hours and all that because too much of it is dependent on certain factors.

How do you store it?

How do you transport it?

Has it been dropped?

How much do you sweat?

Do you typically ride in the forest, or in a place like Arizona?

and so on.

For me, I sweat. Like, a lot. Sweat can be super corrosive and can impact plasticizers a ton (the stuff that makes plastics and foam flexible and able to absorb impacts).

For me, I prefer to be on the safe side.

 

It goes back to risk and how much are you willing to tolerate... in the scheme of MTB, helmets are cheap. You'll spend more on tires, knee pads, shoes and such that really wear out. For many they'll crash before the helmet may be "due" for replacement.

Me, I'll replace them in 2-3 years... that's like 0.50 a rides for a $200'ish dollar helmet, which covers high-end half-shells.

 

I end up replacing helmet pads when they get too disgusting (typically every couple of years). Then eventually I can't find replacement pads anymore and buy a new helmet. Worked out to 6-8 years for the last couple of helmets. Works for me.

 

Thanks, juice.