Track Tac

Prolly kicking a dead horse here, helmet question.

B

Battlewagon

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Can someone please explain to me how a $130 Snell M approved helmet is less safe than a $800 Snell M approved helmet. I really don't care how much ones head is worth or all the whizz bang gadgets the higher end models come with. I just want to know why one would be safer than the other when they both have passed the same testing.
 
Is it possible that the Snell approval is looked at by some helmet manufacturers as a minimum standard while other manufacturers look at it as THE standard? Maybe the more expensive helmets go beyond the Snell requirements while cheaper helmets just meet standards?
I would think if it meets the standard, even if it just meets standard, it should be good enough to offer the desired level of protection.
 
Check it out for yourself. Go to a local motorcycle shop like Cycle Gear that has a large selection and compare. Materials, quality, inside padding and lense clarity as well as other factors all come into play. There is a bottom rung product and a top rung product. I usually find myself somewhere in the middle.

DK
 
As a helmet painter, I've seen the "insides" of several helmets. Usually the upper end helmets have better fit and finish and more variety of materials, but that's not always the case. I've found HJC Motorsports helmets to be as good as Bell / Simpson at an inexplicably lower price point -- almost half in some cases. I recommend finding the proper head mold shape first and selecting a helmet based on fit rather than pricepoint. Find the helmet that fits like a glove, then select an appropriate model within that line... YMMV.
 
Pyrotect is another company that offers good quality. The removable/replaceable helmet and cheek pads are why I chose them. I tend to wear out the insides faster that the outsides.
 
got me a simpson voyager and a impact charger....both are great helmets. the vast majority of the time, the helmets are constructed to the companies standards and those same standards are dictated by the snell foundation. the variance comes into play with who you are dealing with....simpson and impact are proabably two of the bigger names in the helmet industry and your going to pay accordingly. then you start seeing the others come along with helmets that are just as reliable within the given standards, but don't carry the big names....and the price they carry is very reasonable.

i would probably buy me a pyrotect or gforce if i had to do it over again....both are good reliable helmets. but what i really want is a stilo!!! anyone want to sponsor me for a $8000 helmet???
 
Interesting. Over 370 views and very few replies. And no real answer to my original question, though Ted brings some interesting points that sound very plausible. In the end I have purchased an HJC CL-17 M2015 Snell approved helmet. Thank you all for your replies.
 
I don't know this in particular about Snell, a lot of standards are set and as many have said those are typically a minimum standard that needs to be met to gain a certain approval, AGAIN typically. Someone such as Ted who has to take them apart to paint them, likely knows as much about them as anyone. I have an HJC myself and like the helmet.
 
Thanks for the kudos, all.... To answer you, Freezeman, the cheaper ones are sometimes heavier as they use more layers of a different weave of kevlar or fiberglass to achieive the same stregth as a carbon or kevlar mix helmet. Different manufacturers also use varying amounts of epoxy (where a lot of the weight is) or paint. Also, some of the foams (both structural and padding) are configured in varying ways (more air ports, more crush zones, etc.) that can result in weight differences. Lastly, NOLAN uses a plastic shell, which can account for weight differences too. As a general trend, the more expensive and less accessories the helmet has on it, the lighter it will be. :) YMMV. I have the carbon HJC for my own use, and would put it up against any other carbon out there...HJC's are made in the same factory as SHOEI (or were...), and the other "big three" (Bell, Simpson, Arai, and now Impact! which is practically a Simpson) are all close enough for me that I consider fit above whatever few oz. difference they may be. Style of helmet affects weight too -- more chin scoops, eyeport area, etc.)

I read a big SNELL study once and the safety results were ambiguous....there were some economy helmets that outscored "brand name" helmets by a large margin in some areas and were inferior in others... it went through all the different types of testing and SNELL SA vs SNELL M..... I'm using a SNELL SA helmet now because it's doing double duty, but IMO a SNELL M rating is more appropriate because our head impacts are more like motorcycle impacts against fixed objects instead of like car impacts (against the rollcage, or flying debris). Others think differently. If I could get a SNELL M helmet with a SNELL SA liner, I'd buy it.
 
If you go to the Snell Foundation website, this question is answered in their FAQ's. My take on what they're saying is that you're not getting more safety by paying more, but probably getting better fit, finish, materials, ventilation, workmanship, brand recognition, etc. Here is the question and answer from the Snell site:

"What's the difference between a $100 Snell certified helmet and a $400 Snell certified helmet?

While helmets are primarily a protective device, the true protective capabilities of a helmet, if needed will only come into play for about 2 to 4 milliseconds during the lifetime of the helmet. This leaves a lot of time for that helmet to be doing nothing more than sitting around on a user's head. Producing a product that meets the standards is not really very difficult. Producing a helmet that people will buy and wear, and will consistently meet the standards is significantly more difficult. The Snell Standards do not measure factors like comfort, ventilation, brand recognition or style, and only indirectly look at fit, weight, materials and workmanship. These are factors that frequently drive helmet cost."
 
absolutely! helmet costs are dictated by what the racers like to see, versus the protection they offer....i remember when the bandit style hit the tracks....BIG hit with all the racers for the mean, aggressive look that it presented....now, they are priced accordingly....
 
Also, spending your hard earned dollars on what gives you piece of mind makes a difference in your helmet choice.
 
As Ted stated, fit is everything. I don't care how much or how little a helmet costs, it will do a poor job of protecting your head if it doesn't fit properly.
Usually the high priced helmets are lighter. If you can FEEL the difference in weight in your hands, you're neck will REALLY notice the difference in a high G, 30 minute race!!
Clark Gaynor Sr.
 
so true!! with the helmets that i have, lighter is better for me. i have a metal plate in my neck from surgery and the less i have to hold up the better. although.....i've seen helmet come flying off under impact and then i've seen them twisted around the drivers head....doesn't do a dang bit of good if you have a $8000 stylo or a $199 wlamet special.....you don't put it on right and get it snug, then it doesn't matter what you've got. heard one young jeffy gordon wannabe tell his daddy that the neck strap was too tight and that he didn't want to wear it that way...so what did daddy do? undid it and left it loose enough that the young racer could lift the front of the helmet to complain about the sterring wheel being too far forward and he didn't like the smell of the gas...and on and on....personally, i would have jsuerke dhim out of the kart....but dad stood by and beamed when his little rising nascar star finished second from last....all the while watching him grab his helmet on the straights to keep it down so he could see out of it..

doesn't matter a hill of turnips if you don't war the dang thing right....
 
sorry for the mistakes...one other thing....outward apapearances are for the crowd...i can't see anything of what it looks like when i'm wearing it...so looks aren't as important as fit and construction (talking the interior and what makes up the shell).....
 
Hope you're comparing the costs of helmets that have the same Snell year rating - they update them periodically. The latest is 2015... previously it was 2010... make sure you're not pricing a 2015 helmet against an unused but old stock 2010 helmet (or even older).

Also be careful about brand. Circle Track magazine has published some articles where they're concerned about manufacturers who are not keeping with Snell requirements, and with counterfeit helmets. Some manufacturers are getting Snell qualified but then cheapen their manufacturing process and are no longer compliant - but are still affixing their Snell stickers because Snell isn't able to police them.
 
you got it right! look up bandit helmets on google.....you'll see half a dozen "bandit" helmets that look like the original simpson, but one of them is snell ceritified....wouldn't wear one to a prom, much less use one for racing......
 
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