100
votes
Should I buy this (gently) used, 15 year old, helmet?
No. It is safety gear – buy a new one.
The old helmet might make a good pot for a hanging plant but it is more likely to fail dramatically in your moment of need.
The straps would probably come ...
- 131k
54
votes
Should I buy this (gently) used, 15 year old, helmet?
The problems you describe absolutely disqualify it from being used (as a bike helmet).
I would not use a 15 year old helmet in any case, even if it did not exhibit any evidence of damage.
- 75.9k
45
votes
Accepted
Does toddler need a helmet inside a bicycle trailer?
Generally helmets are recommended for carrier usage by manufacturers and governing bodies, although local cultural practices may vary depending on perceived risks.
Helmets are recommended because it ...
- 30.8k
41
votes
Accepted
How can I tell if my helmet is still safe after I fell?
If your head didn't hit the road, the helmet absorbed no impact so it will be as good as before the event.
You're not sure whether the helmet did take an impact - which is reasonable. A lot happens ...
- 131k
40
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to wear a helmet without a plastic covering?
The foam protects the head from impacts by deforming. The plastic cover obviously protects the foam from wear and aging. However it also serves safety aspects in most helmets:
A good helmet has a ...
- 9,818
39
votes
Should I buy this (gently) used, 15 year old, helmet?
It's worthless.
The many issues you cite would be reason enough to trash a 5 minute old helmet.
Many manufacturers also put expiration dates on their helmets, claiming the foam gets too hard or ...
- 12.2k
37
votes
Is it safe to wear a helmet without a plastic covering?
One thing the plastic is designed to do (and for which it doesn't need to be thick) is to have low friction with the road. So if you come off your head slides rather than snagging. The friction that ...
- 62.6k
35
votes
Should I buy this (gently) used, 15 year old, helmet?
The helmet you've been offered sounds like it's in terrible condition. Frankly, any fifteen-year-old helmet has probably degraded far enough that it's not going to protect you properly, but this one ...
- 17.1k
20
votes
Should I buy this (gently) used, 15 year old, helmet?
Bike helmets are a one-use item- the foam crushes to absorb the impact, and then is useless after.
Because of this, most helmet manufacturers recommend replacing helmets once ever 3 years, due to a ...
- 301
20
votes
Does toddler need a helmet inside a bicycle trailer?
We opted for helmeting our kid whenever we use the trailer in bicycle mode (i.e. not as a pram). This is why:
Our neighbours managed to flip over their trailer once. Kid got a nasty bump on the head, ...
- 209
20
votes
Keeping my ears warm while biking in the cold with a helmet
Try searching for the term "ear band". They tend to be thin enough to comfortably wear under a helmet, and the good ones are fully wind-resistant, yet breathable.
If you have an open ventilation-...
- 301
20
votes
Accepted
Recently had a slow-speed crash - wondering if I should replace my helmet
It is generally recommended to inspect a helmet and replace if necessary after an impact.
Inspection involves pressing on the outside shell looking for areas where the foam is compressed and taking ...
- 18.5k
19
votes
Accepted
How long does an unused helmet keep for?
There is a common "fact" out there that you should replace a helmet after 5 years, regardless of use or crashes as there is concern that the crush properties of the foam may have changed (e.g., ...
- 30.8k
19
votes
Should I buy this (gently) used, 15 year old, helmet?
I put some "scuffs" on my spare helmet the other day. It's a couple of years old, and I'm not that careful with my gear, but despite being clipped to the outside of a backpack on a train floor every ...
- 62.6k
18
votes
Accepted
Can a climbing helmet be used for biking safely?
They are designed for different things: climbing helmets have more protection against sharp object penetrating the shell from directly above, while bicycle helmets have more protection for a high ...
- 53.1k
17
votes
Should I buy this (gently) used, 15 year old, helmet?
Helmets have advanced a lot in the last 15 years. Safety reasons aside from the helmet falling apart (which is more than enough reason not to buy it) modern helmets are night and day more comfortable ...
- 364
17
votes
Does toddler need a helmet inside a bicycle trailer?
No, your kid does not need a helmet, if you have a proper trailer. Proper trailers do have belts and rollover protection. If you don't wear a helmet in your car, you don't need one in a trailer. ...
- 289
15
votes
Is it safe to cut off from the inside of my helmet?
Unbeknownst to many consumers, different helmet manufacturers use different molds for their helmets. Just like some shoe brands are known to be thinner or wider than other brands, some helmets are ...
- 29.5k
15
votes
Keeping my ears warm while biking in the cold with a helmet
I have a thin material tube that can be used for a lot of things. Also called a headsock or necksock or a buff.
I wear mine around my neck, with the top edge at my mouth/nose, and up over my ears ...
- 131k
15
votes
How can I tell if my helmet is still safe after I fell?
This answer covers an assessing and visually undamaged helmet, the answer by @Craggie that covers how to inspect for damage.
This study indicates that the helmet is almost certainly safe to use.
MEA ...
- 53.1k
15
votes
Accepted
Bike helmet expiration
The top-voted answer on Do I really need to replace my helmet every 2-3 years if it hasn't been in a crash? (not the accepted answer), points to the "Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute" ...
- 5,631
14
votes
How long does an unused helmet keep for?
A scientific study has found age makes not difference to the protection provided by a bicycle helmet. The study took 63 used and unused, but not crashed, helmets and tested them. Ultimately it ...
- 53.1k
14
votes
How important is the MIPS safety system for a bicycle helmet?
All bicycle helmets are subject to the same standardized set of impact tests during the certification process. If the helmet product passes, it meets the minimum criteria for protection, regardless of ...
- 14.4k
13
votes
Accepted
Are convertible full face helmets as safe as regular ones?
Yes, some convertible helmets can be as safe as Full Face Helmets.
The safety standard for the protection of a full face mountain bike helmet is ASTM F1952 - Standard Specification for Helmets Used ...
- 8,867
13
votes
Can you get your cycling helmet wet?
Of course no, it doesn't do any harm that the helmet gets wet in WATER.
It is made of various plastics, which per se are insensitive to water, and also it is supposed to be worn even though the ...
- 7,311
13
votes
Is my helmet/camera/light setup dangerous?
If we check the helmet's documentation, there's guaranteed to be some legalese text in there similar to:
modifications to the helmet will void warranty, and may decrease the effectiveness of the ...
- 131k
13
votes
Accepted
Electric skateboard: helmet replacement
Replace a helmet that has done its job - they are single use items.
In an impact, the EPS foam (polystychrene/polystyrene) expanded foam will be squashed. That's its purpose, to slow down a collision ...
- 131k
12
votes
Keeping my ears warm while biking in the cold with a helmet
This is an unconventional answer but it works for me.
I have an aero TT helmet that has fairings over the ears. The reason the fairings exist is to reduce my head's aerodynamic drag, but in doing so,...
- 175
12
votes
How can I tell if my helmet is still safe after I fell?
Although it is definitely a good idea to err on the side of caution when it comes to head protection, and a seriously crashed helmet will not give full protection anymore, there's no need to replace ...
- 3,771
11
votes
Keeping my ears warm while biking in the cold with a helmet
Living in Sweden, I know what you're talking about. Because I like wearing a hat for any temperature below 10°C (50°F) and it can be -20°C (-4°F) in the winter, I have a special hat ...
- 211
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible